The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925 Page: 40
344 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
ited to the United States by the former Lerdo government. Thus,
as Mr. Foster later expressed it, "through the accomodating
spirit of the Diaz Government" the question of recognition was
for the time avoided.18
After the collection of the first installment of the Mexican in-
demnity the Grant administration, which went out of power on
March 4, 1877, left the question of the recognition of the Diaz
government, and all other questions at issue between the United
States and Mexico, to the incoming Hayes administration. How-
ever, it was apparent to every one, especially to Mr. Foster in
Mexico City, that General Diaz really headed the de facto gov-
ernment of Mexico. Mr. Foster, in view of that situation, re-
cites and accounts for his actions as follows:
I therefore determined to assume the responsibility of estab-
lishing unofficial relations with it [the Diaz government], and
to postpone the formal and official recognition until after the
elections had been held and Diaz installed as constitutional Presi-
dent. On consultation with my diplomatic colleagues, they
agreed to pursue the same course. Accordingly, without making
any written communication on the subject, I made a formal call
upon General Diaz and each member of his Cabinet, which was
promptly reciprocated by a return call upon me at the Legation
by each of them; and, though I continued to transact business
with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my written communica-
tions were always marked "unofficial."19
The steadily growing strength of Diaz after the establishment
of the provisional government was such that as early as Febru-
ary 19, 1877, Mr. Foster officially advised Secretary Fish that
there was then no "rival claimant to General Diaz in the repub-
lic and virtually the whole country has submitted to his author-
"With reference to this incident, Mr. Foster, writing later in an un-
official capacity, said: "The acceptance of this payment from the Diaz
Government would constitute a recognition of it on the part of the
United States, and the policy of the latter was not to be hasty in recog-
nizing a revolutionary party established on the overthrow of the Consti-
tutional Government. I was authorized, however, by Secretary Fish to
make the recognition, if it became necessary in order to enable Mexico
to comply with the treaty and make the payment. But the Diaz Gov-
ernment, realizing this situation, agreed to make the payment through
Sefior Mariscal, the Mexican Minister in Washington accredited by the
Lerdo Administration, and through the accommodating spirit of the Diaz
Government that question was for the occasion avoided."-Foster, Diplo-
matio Memoirs, I, p. 87.
"Foster, op. cit., 86-87.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925, periodical, 1925; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101087/m1/44/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.