The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-29 00:00:00

7 N_

AMERICAN. NEWS.

,RIVAL THE CAMBRIA.
LIVERPOOL, TEI7JRSDAY EVENING,

WAR BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND
MEXICO.
By By the arrival bete thisi evening
Mail
steam-ship Cambria, commanded
we have received New York papers ot f,atthahpeet
alnisntoh)
J.
instantal
Ly Captain
d
i
n
c
l
u
s
i
ve
.
This splendid steam-ship has made an expeditious
passage, and has brought upwards of seventy passengers.
The news by this arrival will be deemed
very im-
portant, hostilities having comavenced on the 26th of
April, on the Texian frontiers, bf we en the Mexican and
United States forces, in which the Americans have
suffered the loss of thirteen killed, six wounded, and
460 taken prisoners ; in consequence of which great
excitement prevailed throughout the States; and, in
New Orleans, Mobile, and otlSe4r cities near the seat of
.war, great efforts were being 'made to enlist men to pro-
ceed to the relief of General Taylor, whose position, it
would appear, is deemed to be- critical.
At Washington also, the fe.nnent was very great, and
a Bill had passed both "rouses of Congress, and
received the sanction and sig nature of the President,
appropriating 10,000,000 doll ars for carrying on the
war, and authorising the enrolment of militia to the
number of 50,000 men, together with an augmentation of
the regular forces by 7000 men.
General Taylor had made requii&tions on the governors
of Louisiana, Alabama, Missisk ippi, and Texas, for
reinforcements, to which Louisisirr had *immediately te-
,
sponded by voting 100,000 doll sas. At New Orleans
1500 men wers enrolled in a few d ays, and 500 more were
hourly expected from the vicinity, and would proceed
immediately to the seat of war.
This state of affairs has had a vet y depressing effect on
the stocks, and trade generally. The Oregon question
seems to be lost sight of, and the tStriff for the present
laid aside. It is also doubtful whetht 1r the Sub-Treasury
Bill will be further proceeded wit h at the present
juncture.
We subjoin the formal proclamation of war
" PROCLAMATION'
" OF TILE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED., STATES.
" Whereas, the Congress of the United Stat Cs, by virtue of the
constitutional authority vested in them, have Cettlared by their act
bearing date this day, that by the• act of the Rt :public of Mexico, a
state of war exists between that Government and the United States :'
" Now, therefore, I, James K. Polk, Pres'. sent of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim to all wh or.a it may concern,
and Ido specially enjoin on all persons holding o ces, civil or mili-
tary, under the authority of theynited States, th. 13 they be vigilant
and zealous In discharging the duties respectively r incident thereto.
And I do, moreover, exhort all the good people of the United States,
as they love their country, as they feel the wr ()tip which have
forced on them the last resort of injured nations, an d as they consult
the best means under the blessing of Divine Provide tsce of abridging
its calamities, that they exert themselves in preservi g order, in pro-
moting concord, in maintaining the authority and the' efficacy of the
laws, and in supporting and invigorating all the zacutsures which
may be adopted by the constituted authorities for attaining a
speedy, a just, and an honourable peace.
" In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my ham 1, and caused
the seal of the United States to be affixed to these press tits.
" Done at the city of Washington, this 13th day of ay, 1846, and
of the independence of the United States the 70th.
"By the President, " JAMIM K. POLK.
" JAMES BUCHANAN, Secretary of State."
On the 11th ult. the President transmitted to Conga ess the fo
lowing message :

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
" To the Senate and House ofßepresentatives
" The existing state of the relations between the 17nited States
and Mexico renders it proper that I should bring the subject to the
consideration of Congress. In my message at the commiencement of
your prese.tt session, the state of these relations, the causes which
led to the suspension of diplomatic intercourse between the two
countries in Match, 1845, and the long continued anal nnredressed
wrongs and injuries committed by the Mexican Government on citi-
zens of the United States in their persons and property-, ware briefly
set forth.
" As the facts and opinions which were then laid before you were
carefully considered, I cannot better express my present convictions
of the condition of affairs up to that time than by reibrring you to
that communication.
" The strong desire to establish peace with Mexico, om liberal and
honourable terms , and the readiness of this Government to regulate
and adjust our boundary, and other causes of difference with that
power, on such fair and equitable principles as would lead to perma-
nent relations of the most friendly nature, induced me -In September
last to seek the re-opening of diplomatic relations between the two
countries. Every measure adopted on our part had for Its object the
furtherance of those desired results. In communicating to Congress
a succinct statement of the injuries which we had suffered from
Mexico, and which have been accumulating during a period of more
than twenty years, every expression that could tend to inflame the
people of Mexico, or defeat or delay a pacific result, was carefully
avoided. An Envoy of the United States repaired to Mexico with
full powers to adjust every existing difference. But though present
on the Mexican soil, by agreement of the two Governments, invested
with full powers, and bearing evidence of the most friendly disposi-
tions, his mission has been unavailing. The Mexican Government
not only refused to receive him, or listen to his propositions, but,
after a long-continued series of menaces, have at last invaded our
territory, and shed the blood of our fellow-citizen:ion our own soil.
" It now becomes my duty to state snore in detail the origin, pro-
gress, and failure of that mission. In pursuance of the instructions
given In September last, an inquiry was made on the 13th of October,
1845, in the most friendly terms through our Consul in Mexico, of
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, whether the Mexican Government
' would receive an Envoy from the United States intrusted with full
powers to adjust all the questions in dispute between the two Go-
vernments; with the assurance that should the answer be in the
affirmative, such an Envoy should be immediately dispatched to
Mexico' The Mexican Minister, on the 15th of October, gave an
affirmative answer to this inquiry, requesting at the same time that
our naval force at Vera Cruz might be withdrawn, lest its continued
presence might assume the appearance of menace and coercion pend-
ing the negotiations. This force was immediately withdrawn.
On the 10th of November, 1845, Mr. John Slidell, of j
Louisiana, was commissioned by me as Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of Mexico, and
was intrusted with full powers to adjust both the questions of ,
the Texas boundary and of indemnification to our citizens. The re •
dress of the wrongs of our citizens naturally and inseparably blended
itself with the question of boundary. The settlement of the one
question in any correct view of the subject involves that of the other.
1 could not for a moment entertain the idea that the claims of our
mach-injured and long-suffering citizens, many of which had existed
fur more than 20 years, should be postponed or separated from the
settles rent of the boundary question.

" Mr. Slidell arrived atYera Cruz on the 30th of November, and
was courfously received by the authorities of that city. But the
Government of General Herrera was then tottering to its fall. The
revolutionary party had seized upon the Texas question to effect or
hasten its overthrow. Its determination to restore friendly relations
with the United States, and to receive our Minister to negotiate for
the settlement of this question, was violently assailed, and was made
the great theme of denunciation against it. The Government of
General Herrera, there is good reason to believe, was sincerely de-
sirous to receive our Minister; but it yielded to the storm raised by
its enemies, and on the 21st of December refused to accredit Mr.
Slidell upon the most frivolous pretexts. These are so fully and ably
exposed in the note of Mr. Slide'l of the 24th of December last to
the Mexican Minister of Foreign Relations, herewith transmitted,
that I deem it unnecessary to enter into further detail on this por
Bon of the subject.
" Five days after the date of Mr. Slidell's note, General Herrer
yielded the government to General Paredes without a struggle, and
on the 30th of December resigned the Presidency. This revolution
was accomplished solely by the army, the people having taken little
part in the contest , and thus the supreme power iu Mexico passed
into the hands of a military leader.

" Determined to leave no effort untried to effect an amicable ad-
justment with Mexico, I directed Mr. Slidell to present his creden-
tials to the Government of General Paredes, and ask to be officially
received by him. There would have been less ground for taking this
step had General Paredes come into power by a regularconstitutional
succession, In that event his administration would have been con-
sidered but a mere constitutional continuance of the Government of
General Herrera, and the refusal of the latter to receive our Minister
would have been deemed conclusive, unless an intimation had been
given by General Paredes of his desire to reverse the decision of his
predecessor.
" But the Government of General Paredes owes its existence to a
military revolution, by which the subsisting constitutional autho-
rities had been subverted. The form of government was entirely
changed, as well as all the high functionaries by whom it was ad-
ministered.
" Under these circumstances, Mr. Slidell, in obedience to my di-
rection, addressed a note to the Mexican Minister of Foreign Rela-
tions, under date of the Ist of March last, asking to be received by
i-bat Government in the diplomatic character to which he had been
apyffinted. This Minister, in his reply, under date of the 12th of
MffiTh, reiterated the arguments of his predecessor, and in terms
that i.nay be considered as giving just grounds .f offence to the Go-
vernm.mit and people of the United States, denied the application of
Mr. siidell. Nothing, therefore, remained for our Envoy but to de- i
mand his passports and return to his own country.
" Thus the Government of Mexico, though solemnly pledged by
official acts in October last to receive and accredit an American
Envoy, violated their plighted faith, and refused the offer of a peace-
ful adjustment of our difficulties. Not only was the offer rejected,
but the indignity of its rejection was enhanced by the manifest
breach of faith In refusing to admit the Envoy, who came because
they had bound themselves to receive him. Nor can it be said that
the offer was fruitless from the want of opportunity of discussing it;
our Envoy was present on their own soil. Nor can it be ascribed to
a want of sufficient powers ; our Envoy had full powers to adjust
every question of difference. Nor was there room for complaint that
our propositions for settlement were unreasonable; permission was
not even given our Envoy to make any proposition whatever. Nor
can it be objected that we, ott our part, would not listen to any rea-
sonable terms of their suggestion ; the Mexican Government refused
all negotiation, and have made no proposition of any kind.
" In my message at the commencement of the present session, I
informed you that upon the earnest appeal both of the Congress and
Convention of Texas, I had ordered an efficient military force to take
a position between the Nueces and the Del Norte. This had become
necessary to meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the Mexican
'gees, for which extensive military preparations had been made,
Mitt invasion was threatened solely because TexaB had determined,
in accordance wits a solemn resolution of the Congress of the United
Staten!, to annex herself to our Union; and, under these circum-
stances, it was plainly our duty to extend our protection over her ci-
tizens and soil.
e Tide force was concentrated at Corpus Christi, and remained there
until after I had received such information from Mexico as rendered
it probable, if not certain, that the Mexican Government would re-
fuse to receive our Envoy.
" Meantime, Texas, by the final action of our Congress, had Immo
an integral part of our Union. The Congress of Texas, by its act eF
December 19, 1836, had declared the Rio del Norte to be the boundary
of that republic. Its jurisdiction had been extended and exercised
beyond the Nueces. The country between that river and the Del
Norte had been represented in the Congress and in the Convention of
Texas, had thus taken part in the act of annexation itself, and
is now included within one of our Congressional districts. Our
Congress had, moreover, with great unanimity, by the act approved
December 21, 1845, recognised the country beyond the Nueces as a
part of our territory, by including it within our revenue system ;
and a revenue officer, to reside within that district, has been ap-
pointed by and with the advice and 00113ent of the Senate. It be-
game, therefore, of urgent necessity to provide for the defence of
tott portion of our country. Accordingly, on the 13th day of
.111,
nnory last, instructions were issued to
he Generals in command of
these troops to occupy the left bank of the Del Norte. This river,
which is the south-western boundary of the State of Texas, is an
exposed frontier. From this quarter invasion was threatened ; upon
it and its immediate vicinity, in the judgment of high military ex-
perience, ere the proper stations for the protecting forces of the Go-
vernment. In addition to this important consideration, several ,others
occurred to induce this movement.thers
Among these are the facilities
afforded by the ports of Brazos Santiago and the
Norte, for the reception of sapplies by the sea,mouth of the Del
stronger and more
healthful military positions, the convenience for obtaining a -ready
and a mere abundant supply of pro Visions, water, fliel, end forage,
and the advantages which are afforded by the Del Norte in fostYeFdluct
ruPisties to such posts
48 may be established in the interior and upon
the Indian frontier.
" The movement of the troops to the pei Norte was made by the win-
mending General, under positive instructions to abstain from all ag-
gress;ve acts towards Mexico or Mexican citizens, and to regard the
relatiove between that republic and the United States as peaceful,
unless she should declare war, or commit acts of hostility indicative
of a state of war. He was speoielly directed to protect private pro-
perty and respect personal rights.
e The army moved from Corpus Christi on the 11th of March, and
~Ir of the Del Nett.,
opposite the 28th of that month arrived on the left ha--
opposite to Matamoras, where it encamped on a commanding posi-
tion, which has lino NPR gfenfthoned b 7 the erection of field-
..._