The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-22 00:00:00

S V N 7

MAY ' 22, 1846.

MR. SLIDELL AND THE MEXICAN
MINISTER.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY DON JOAITQU3 pi
MINISTER OF FOREIGN RELATIONS aclANAsDlTaiGrzoLhvoElyß,
tiLlmABENis
iz6TA.
.s
The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Mexican Plenipotentiaryite p ,in
ioof, t
hh ea
dU nt
the
toe dh Sheortiaotners
oonf America,
dtaoy t
or
December last, to address to his Excellency, Manuel
de la Pegna y Pegna, then Minister of Foreign Rela-
tions, a copy of his credentials, with a request that he
might be Informed when he would be admitted to pre -
sent
the original to the President of the Mexican Re-
public.
On the 16th of December, the undersigned was in-
f3rmed by Mr. Pegna y Pegna, that difficulties existed
in relation to the tenor of his credentials, which made
it necessary to consult the Council of Government
thereon, and on the 20th of the same month he was
advised by Mr. Pegna y Pegna, that the Mexican
Government had decided not to recognise him in his
capacity of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni-
potentiary. .

To this communication of the Minister of Foreign
Relations, the undersigned replied under dates of 20th
and 24th December, refuting the reasoning by which
the refusal to recognise him was attempted
.to be sus.
tained, vindicating the course pursued by his Govern-
ment and declaring his intention to proceed to Jalapa,
there to await instructions, adapted to an emergency so
entirely unl.oked for.
He has now received these instructions. The Presi-
dent of the United States entirely approves of the course
pursued by the undersigned, and the communications by
him addressed to the Mexican Government.

Had thy► then existing Government continued in
power, at no alternative would have remained, the un-
dersigned would have been directed to demand his pass-
ports.

' - The President of the United States would have sub-
mitted the whole case to Congress, and have called upon
the nation to assert its just rights, and avenge its in-
jured honour.
The destinies of the Mexican Republic, however, hav-
ing since been committed to other hands, the President is
unwilling to take a course which would inevitably result
in war, without making another effort to avert so great a
calamity.. _ _

He wishes, by exhausting every honourable means of
conciliation, to demonstrate to the civilized world, that
if its peace shall be disturbed, the responsibility must
fall upon Mexico alone.
He is sincerely desirous to preserve that peace, but
the state of quasi hostility which now exists o❑ the part
of Mexico is one which is incompatible with the dignity
and interest of the United States, and it is for the Mex-
ican Government to decide whether it shall give place to
friendly negotiation, or lead to an open rupture.
It would be idle to repeat the arguments which the
undersigned had the honour to present in his note of
20th and 24th December, above referred to ; he has
nothing to add to them, but is instructed again to present
them to the consideration of the President ad interim
of the Mexican Republic, General Mariano Paredes y
Arillago.
The undersigned begs to suggest most respectfully
to Y. K, that inasmuch as ample time has been afforded
for the most mature reflection upon the momentous in-
terests involved in the question of his recognition, as
little delay as possible may occur in notifying him of
the final decision of his Excellency ihe President ad
nt erim.

He cannot but indulge the hope that it will he such
as to result in the establishment of cordial and lasting
amity between the two republics.
The undersigned avails himself of this opportunity of
presenting to his Excellency Don Joaquim Castillo y
Lanzas the assurances of his distinguished considera-
tion.

we neither despise nor repel the right of reason and
of peace, although incited to act in a contrary manner"
By these extracts it will be seen that it was the firm
intention of the Mexican Government only to admit a
Plenipotentiary of the United States, with powers ad hoc,
to treat for Texas ; the negotiations were limited to this
only, as preliminary to the renewal of the amicable re-
lations between the two countries (if such was to be the
result), and to the admission then following, and not be-
fore, of an Envoy Extraordinary, &c., near this Govern-
ment.

The Government of this Republic could not extend
farther the compromise, because by receiving any per-
son whatsoever sent from the United States, with merely
the character of :an ordinary agent, the grave question
o! Texas being still pending, a question which concerns
overnment, and even our.own nationality, would be
directly and immediately the integrity of the Mexican
et
eqrumi
na laet
on
n to
of
thatan acknowledgment
ful relations between the two countriesthoen. r e our
w part
poefatchee-
This truth is so apparent, that the appointment of an
f said
of the
notwithstanding United
hadapproval.
been
Envoy Extraordinary, &c ,by thesoid by Mexicanination,
Government, must be considered as an act which the
undersigned will not permit himself to designate-
If If good faith presides over, as I suppose, the acts of
the Government of the United States, what motive is
there to resist with so much earnestness the indispen-
sable restrictions with which Mexico has placed spon-
taneously upon the proposition made to her ? If it was
the real and positive wish to re-unite the broken links
of good understanding and friendship between the two
nations, there was an easy means at hand.
The Mexican Government had offered to admit a
Plenipotentiary or a Commissioner, who would come on
the part of the United States, with special powers to
treat on the Texas question.
With regard to this particular, the resolution of the
Mexican Government is unchangeable. . And, after all,
it is the rights of the Mexican nation that are to be as-
serted, it is her honour that has been outraged, and it
should consequently belong to her to take revenge : and
this she will do, if necessary, by an appeal to all her
citizens, to fulfil the sacred duty of defending their
country. A lover of peace, she would wish to avert this
awful contingency, and without being afraid of war, she
would like to avoid such a calamity to both countries.
For these reasons, she has shown herself, and will con-
tinue to do so, desirous of every honourable means of
conciliation and she hopes sincerely that the existing
difficulty will be adjusted in a reasonable and honourable
manner.
Ia the present state of things, to say that Mexico
keeps a hostile position with regard to the United States,
is but to add a new offence to former injuries. Her atti-
tude is that of defence, because she sees herself unjustly
attacked ; because a part of her territory is occupied by
the soldiers of a nation who intends, without any right
whatsoever, to make herself master of it ; because her
ports are closed by the squadrons of that same nation.
In such circumstances, can it be required that we should
remain inactive, and neglect to take proper means to
meet Any contingency
It belongs not therefore to Mexico, on account of her
present situation, to decide whether amicable relations
will be renewed, or open war declared. It is long since
her interests and her dignity should have required war,
but in the hope of honourable and peaceful transactions
she has silenced all her imperious rights.
From the foregoing it may be inferred that if war be-
comes at least inevitable, and if the peace of 'civilised
nations is hereby put in jeopardy, the responsibility will
not rest upon Mexico, but exclusively upon the United
States. Not upon Mexico, which admitted with un-
equalled generosity all the American citizens wishing to
settle in Texas, but upon the United States, which
being resolved to make themselves masters sooner or
later of that territory, encouraged emigration therein, in
order that in due course of time its inhabitants, be-
coming masters instead of settlers, should elaim as theirs
a territory which was to be ceded afterwards to the
United States. Not upon Mexico, which has protested
in time against the outrage, and has endeavoured to
avert every cause of hostility, but upon the United
Status, which, without fearing to disgrace themselves
in the eyes of the world, and by a manifest in-
fringement of all existing treaties, afforded help and
protection to the rebellious. Not Mexico,. which,
notwithstanding the repeated injuries inflicted upon
her, has received propositions of conciliation, but
upon the United States ; protesting a sincere wish
for an honourable and amicable adjustment, have, by
their acts, given the lie to the sincerity of their
proposition. Not upon Mexico, which, careless
of her dearest interests, for the sake of peace, has list.
ened to the propositions, made to tjiat effect, but upon
the Ut.ited States, which, under frivolous pretexts,
avoid the cot clusion of an adjustment, and at the same
time that they propose peace, orders their squadrons
and their troops to close our ports and invade our fron-
tiers ; and now require of us an impossible humiliation,
in order to have a pretext, if not a motive, to enter upon
hostilities.
Therefore, to the United States does it belong to
decide between the alternative set down by Mr. Slidell,
and to choose between an amicable negotiation and open
hostilities.
The undersigned expresses to his Excellency, Mr.
Slidell, that in view of what has been exposed in the
present note, the Mexican Government entertains the
hopes that the Executive of the United States will take
the steps which to him will appear most convenient, after
having reflected maturely upon a question replete with
so many grave and complicated interests.
The Mexican Government, in preparing themselves
for war, if circumstances require it, will entertain the
flattering hope, that the peace of the new world will
not be disturbed, and in making this declaration be•
fore the whole world, the Mexican Government dis-
claims the responsibility of the evils which may grow
out of the strife, which they have not provoked, and
have tried to avert.
After having submitted the foregoing, by order of his
Government, to his Excellency Mr. Slidell, the nnder-
sifined avails himself of this opportunity to present his
most distinguished consideration.
J. M. DE CASTILLO r LANZAS.

Jalapa, 17th March, 1846.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY, D. J. M. DE CASTILLO Y LANZA S
MINISTER OF FOREIGN RELATIONS AND GOVERNMENT,

The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, has
the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the note of
Y. E. of the 12th instant, by which he is informed that
the Mexican Government cannot receive him in his ca-
pacity of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo-
tentiary to reside near that Government.

As it is the intention of the undersigned, in confor-
mity with instructions to return to the United States
with the least possible delay, embarking at Vera Cruz,
he has now to request that he may be furnished with
the necessary passports, which he will await at this
place. As Y. E. has advanced no new arguments in
support of the refusal to receive the undersigned as En-
voy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, he will
abstain from commenting upon that portion of the note of
your Excellency which, with a mere difference of phra-
seology, presents substantially the same reasoning as
that urged by Mr. Pegna y Pegna, in his note of 20th
of December last, but he cannot permit by his silence
the inference which would naturally be implied of his
assent to the correctness of the statements made by
your Excellency in relation to the question of Texas,
and to the general course of policy which is s9gra-
tuitously ascribed to the Government of the United
States. In the review which it becomes his duty to
make of those statements, he strives to preserve that
calmness of tone, and reserve of language, which is
meat consistent with consciousness of right, and the
power to vindicate it if necessary, and of which he re-
grets to find, that Y.E. has not given him the example.
The United States can confidently appeal to the history
of the events of the last twenty years, as affording the
most conclusive refutation of the charges of usurpation,
violence, fraud, artifice, intrigue, an6l bad faith, so
lavishly scattered through the note of Y. E.
It has never been pretended that the 'scheme of coloni-
zation of the territory of Texas by citizens of the United
States was suggested by their Government ; it was in
conformity with a policy deliberately adopted by that of
Mexico, and she must accuse herself alone for results
which the slightest foresight must have anticipated from
the introduction of a population, whose character, habits
and opinions were so widely divergent from those of the
people with whom it was attempted to amalgamate them.
There is no ground for the assertion, that the United
States, profiting by the generosity with which their
1 citizens had been invited to Texas, and resolved sooner
or later to take possession of that territory, encouraged
emigration thither, with the view that its inhabitants
changing the character of colonists for that of masters,
should seize upon the territory for the purpose of trans-
ferring it to the United States.
It is true that no obstacles to this emigration were
interpq,sed by them, for it has ever been one of the
most Cherished articles of the political creed of. the
American people, that every citizen has the absolute
and uncontrollable right to divest himself of his alle-
giance, and to seek, if he thinks proper, the advance-
ment of his fortunes in foreign lands.
Stimulated by the gratuitous allotment of lands to
emigrants, and by the similarity, approaching with the
exception of religious toleration almost to identity, of
the political institutions of the Mexican Republic to
that under which they_ had been reared, ,the popula-
tion of Texas soon attained a development that autho-
rised the demand of a privilege which had been solemnly
guaranteed to them by the Constitution of 1824, ad-
witsion into the Mexican Union as a separate State. A
c(Jr.ventiou was held, and a State Constitution formed in
oimformity with the provisions of the fundamental
compact of 1824. It was presented to the Ge
neral Congress with a petition to be admitted intod
the Union ; the application was rejected, an
the delegate imprisoned. Soon afterthe
force
enstthie-
tutional Congress was dissolved by mutual
same arbitrary power convened a new Congress by which
the Federal Constitution was abrogated, and a consoli-
dated or Central Government established in its stead.
Texas, as she had an unquestionable right to do, refused
to acknowledge the authority of a Government which
had been imposed upon the other States, by a successful
military usurpation.
.The compact *hi* had bound her to the Mexican
Republic was dissolved, and an abortive -effort' having