The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

AMERICA.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE,
BY EXTRAORDINARY EXPRESS.

By the arrival of the " Ashburton," Captain How-
land, yesterday evening at Liverpool, we have been
placed in possession of New York papers to the 9th
instant. The President's Message is the main feature
of interest. The following is an abstract:
FELLOW-CITIZENS OP THE SENATE, AND 01+ THE liOI.7SE
01, REPIIESENTATIVES,—In resuming your labours in the
service of the people, it is a subject of congratulation that
there has been no period in your past history, when all the
elements of national prosperity have been so fully developed.
Since your last session no afflicting dispensation has visited
our country : general good health has prevailed : abundance
has crowned the toil of the husbandman ; and labour in all
its branches is receiving an ample reward, while education,
science, and the arts are rapidly enlarging the in:sans of 110-
cial happiness. The progress of our country in her career of
greatness, not only in the vast extension of our territorial
limits, and the rapid increase of our population, but in re-
sources and wealth, and in the happy condition of our peo-
ple, is without example in the history of nations.
Our devout and sincere acknowledgments are due to the
gracious Giver of all good, for the numberless blessings
which our beloved country enjoys.
It is a source of high satisfaction to know that the rela
Lions of the United States with all other nations, with a sin-
gle exception, arc of the most amicable character. Sincerely
attached to the policy of peace, early adopted and steadily-
pursued by this government, I hive anxiously desired to
cultivate and cherish friendship and commerce with every
foreign power. The spirit and habits of the Ameri-
can people are favourable to the maintenance of Such
international harmony. In adhering to this wise
policy, a preliminary and paramount duty obviously
consists in the protection of our national interests from
encroachment or sacrifice, and our national honour
from reproach. These must be maintained at any hazard.
They admit of no compromise or neglect, and must be scrupu-
lously and constantly guarded. In their vigilant vindication,
collision and conflict with foreign powers may sometimes
become unavoidable. Such has been our scrupulous adhe-
rence to the dictates of justice, in all our foreign intercourse,
that, though steadily and rapidly advancing in prosperity
and power, we hive given no just cause of complaint to any
nation, and have enjoyed the blessings of peace fur more
than thirty years. From a policy so sacred to humanity, and
so salutary in its effects upon our political system, we should
never be Induced voluntarily to depart.
The existing war with Mexico was neither desired nor
provoked by the United States. On the contrary, all honor-
able means were resorted to to avert it. After years of en-
durance of aggravated and unredressed wrongs on our part,
Mexico, in violation of solemn treaty stipulations, and of
every principle of justice recognised by civilised nations,
commenced hostilities ; and thus, by her own act, forced the
war upon us. Long before the advance of our army to the
left bank of the Rio Grande, we bad ample cause of war
against Mexico ; and had the United States resorted to this
extremity, we might have appealed to the whole civilised
world for the justice of our cause.
The wrongs which we have suffered from Mexico almost
ever since she became an independent power, and the
patient endurance with which we have borne them, arc
without a parallel in the history of modern civilised nations.
There is reason to believe that if these wrongs bad been
resented and resisted in the first instance, the present war
might have been avoided. One outrage, however, permitted
to pass with impunity, almost necessarily encouraged the
perpetration of another, until at last Mexico seemed to at-
tribute to weakness and indecision on our part a forbearance
which was the offspring of magnanimity, and et a sincere
desire to preserve friendly relations with a sister republic.
Scarcely had Mexico achieved her independence, which
the United States were the first among the nations to ac-
knowledge, when she commenced the system of insult and
spoliation, which she has ever since pursued. Our citizens
engaged in lawful commerce were imprisoned, their vessels
seized, and our flag insulted in her ports. If money was
wanted, the lawless seizure and confiscation of our merchant
vessels and their cargoes was a ready resource ; and if to
accomplish their purposes it became necessary to imprison
the owners, captains, and crews, it was done. Rulers
superseded rulers in Mexico in rapid succession,
but still there was no change in this system of
depredation. The government of the United States
made repeated reclamation on behalf of its citizens, but
those were answered by the perpetration of new outrages.
Promises of redress made by Mexico in the most solemn
forms were postponed or evaded. The files and records of
the Department of State contain conclusive proofs of nume-
rous lawless acts perpetrated upon the property and persons
of our citizens by Mexico, and of wanton insults to our
national flag. The interposition of our Government to ob-
tain redress was again and again invoked, under circum-
stances which no nation ought to disregard.
It was hoped that these outrages would cease, and that
Mexico would be restrained by the laws which regulate the
conduct of civilised nations in their intercourse with each
other, after the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation
of the sth of April, 1831, was concluded between the two
republics ; but this hope soon proved to be vain. The course
of seizure and confiscation of the property of our citizens, the
violation of their persons, and the insults to our flag pursued
by Mexico previous to that time, were scarcely suspended for
even a brief period, although the treaty so clearly defines the
rights and duties of the respective parties, that it is impos-
sible to misunderstand or mistake them. In less than seven
years after the conclusion of that treaty, our grievances
had become so intolerable that, in the opinion of
President Jackson, they should no longer be endured. In I
his message to Congress in February, 1837, he presented
them to the consideration of that body, and declared that
" The length of time since some of the injuries have been
committed, the repeated and unavailing applications for re-
dress, the wanton character of some of the outrages upon the
property and persons of our citizens, upon the officers and
flag of the Is tined States, independent of recent insults to
this Government and people by the late extraordinary
Mexican minister, would justify in the eyes of all
nations immediate war." In a spirit of kindness and for-
bearance, however, he recommended reprisals as a milder
mode of redress. Ile declared that war should not be
used as a remedy " by just and generous nations, confiding
in their strengeh for injuries committed, if it can be honour-
ably avoided," and added, " it has occurred to me that con-
sidering the present embarrassed condition of that country,
we should act with both wisdom and moderation, by giving
to Mexico one more opportunity to atone for the past, before
we take redress into our hands. To avoid all misconception
on the part of Mexico, as well as to protect our own national
character from reproach, this opportunity should be givenwith
the avowed design and full preparation to take immediate
satisfaction, if it should not be obtained on a repetition of the
demand for it. To this end I recommend that an act be
passed authorising reprisals, and the use of the naval force of
the United States, by the executive, against Mexico, to en-
force them in the event of a refusal by the Mexican govern-
ment to come to an amicable adjustment of the matters in
controversy between us, upon another demand thereof, made
from on board one of our vessels of war on the coast of
Mexico."
No difference of opinion upon the subject is believed to
have existed in Congress at the time ; the executive and le-
gislative departments concurred ; and yet such has been our
forbearance and desire to preserve peace with Mexico, that
the wrongs of which we then complained, and which gave
rise to these solemn proceedings, not only remain stars-
dressed to this day, but additional causes of complaint, of an
aggravated character, have ever since been accumulating.
Shortly after these proceedings, a special messenger was
despatched to Mexico, to make a final demand for redraw;
and on the twentieth of July, 1837, the demand was made.
The reply of the Mexican government bears late on the
twenty-ninth of the same month, and contains assurances of
the " anxious wish " of the Mexican government " not to
delay the moment of that final and equitable adjustment
which is to terminate the existing difficulties between the
two governments ;" that nothing should be leflundone which
may contribute to the most speedy and equitable determina-
tion of the subjects which have so seriouslyengaged the atten-
tion of the American government ;" that the ' Mexican go.
vernment would adopt, as the only guides for its conduct,
the plainest principles of public right, the sacred obligations
imposed by international law, and the religious faith of
treaties ;" and that " whatever reason and justice may dic-
tate respecting each case will be done." The assurance was
further given, that the decision of the Mexican government
upon each cause of complaint for which redress had been de-
manded, should be communicated to the government of the
United States by the Mexican minister at Washington.
The sum of two millioa twenty-six thousand one hundred
and thirty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents, which had
been awarded to the claimants, was a liquidated and ascer-
tained debt doe by Mexico, about which there could be no
dispute, and which she was bound to pay according to the
terms of the convention. Soon after the final awards for
this amount had been made, the Mexican government asked
81:73r, request.
whiwhich,
for a postponement of the time of making payment, alleging
that it would be inconvenient to make the payment at the
aconsisvetenrtiorenpwubalsic,acwchoriedhingMlyexcicoonchluadsmso
bleotnwge e* abused,
uts: de
two
time stipulated. la the spirit of forbearing kindness toward
govern
meats
Statesn
t. tpromptlyhe
uApsececamitds
3Ocotimi dpalineduawrsi-,111
late, d.e.lasess that " this new ammo-a.m.:lst is entered into for
--- -•eicidation of Mexico." By the terms of this con-