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

the war which followed, but all hava, proved vain. All
our at:empts to preserve peace iitive been met by insult
and resistance on the part of Mexico. My efforts to
this end cornroenced in the note of the Secretary of
State of the 10th of March, 1845, in answer to that of
the Mexican Minister. Whilst declining to re-open a
discussion which had air( ady been exhausted, and
proving again what was known to the whole world, that
TCXIIS has long since achieved her independence, the
Secretary of State expressed the regret of this Govern-
ment that Mexico should have taken offence at the reso-
lution of annexation passed by Congress, and gave
assurance that our "most strenuous efforts shall be de-
voted to the amicable adjustment of every cause of com-
plaint between the two Governments, and to the cultiva-
tion of the kindest and most friendly relations between
the sister republics."
That I have acted in the spirit of this assurance will
appear from the events which have since occurred. Not-
withstanding Mexico had abruptly terminated all diplo-
matic intercourse with the United States, and ought,
therefore, to have been the first to ask for its resumption,
yet, waiving all ceremony, I embraced the earliest fa-
vourable opportunity " to ascertain from the Mexican
Government whether they would receive an envoy from
the United States entrusted with full power to adjust all
the questions in dispute between the two Governments."
In September, 1845, I believed the propitious moment
for such an overture had arrived. Texas, by the enthu-
siastic and almost unanimous will of her people, had pro-
nounced in favour of annexation. Mexico herself had
agreed to acknowledge the independence of Texas, sub-
ject to a condition, it is true, v, hick she had no right to
impose, and no power to enforce. The last lingering
hope of Mexico, if she still could have retained any,
that Texas would ever again become one of her pro-
vinces, must have been abandoned.
The Consul of the United States at the city of Mexico
al as, therefore, instructed by the Secretary of State on
the 15th of September, 1845, to make the inquiry of
the Mexican Government. The inquiry was made,
and on the 15th of October, 1845, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Mexican Government,
in a note addressed to our Consul, gave a favour-
able response, requesting, at the same time, that
our naval force min ht be withdrawn from Vera Cruz
while negotiations should be pending. Upon the re-
ceipt of this note our naval force was promptly with-
drawn from Vera Cruz. A minister' was immediately
appointed, and departed to Mexico. Everything bore a
promising aspect for a speedy and peaceful adjustment
of all our difficulties. At the date of my annual Mes-
sage to Congress, in December last, no doubt was enter-
tained but that he would be received by the Mexican
Government, and the hope was cherished that all cause
of misunderstanding between the two countries would be
speedily removed. In the confident hope that such would be
the result of his mission, I informed Congress that I
forebore at that time to " recommend such ulterior mea-
sures of redress for the wrongs and injuries we had so
long borne, as it would have been proper to make had no
such negotiation been instituted." To my surprise and
regret, the Mexican Gouernment, though solemnly
pledged to do so upon the arrival of our minister in
Mexico, refused to receive and accredit him. When he
reached Vera Cruz, on the 30th of November, 1845,
he found that the aspect of affairs had undergone an un-
happy change. The Government of General Herrera,
who was at that time President of the republic, was tot-
tering to its fall. General Paredes (a military leader)
had manifested his determination to overthrow the
Government of Herrera by a military revolution; and
one of the principal means which he employed to
effect his purpose, and render the government of Her-
rera odious to the army and people of Mexico, was by
loudly condemning its determination to receive a minister
of peace from the United States, alleging that it was the
intention of Herrera, by a treaty with the United States,
to dismember the territory of Mexico, by ceding away
the department of Texas. The Government of Herrera
is believed to have been well disposed to a pacific adjust-
ment of existing difficulties, but, probably alarmed for
its oen security, and in order to ward off the danger of the
reveut.On led by Paredes, violated its solemn agreement,
and refused to receive or accredit our Minister ; and this,
although informed that he had been invested with full
power to adjust all questions in dispute between the two
Governments. Among the frivolous pretexts for this
refusal, the principal one was that our Minister had not
gene on a special mission, confined to the question of
Texas alone, leaving all the outrages upon our flag and
our citizens unredressed. The Mexican Government
well knew that both our national honour and the protec-
tion due to our citizens imperatively required that the
two questions of boundary and indemnity should be
treated of together, as naturally and inseparably blended,
and they ought to have seen that this course was best
calculated to enable the United States to extend to them
the most liberal justice. On the 30th of December, 1845,
General Herrera resigned the presidency, and yielded
up the government to Gen. Paredes without a struggle.
Thus a revolution was accomplished solely by the army
commanded by Paredes, and the supreme power in
Mexico passed into the hands of a military usurper, who
was known to be bitterly hostile to the United States.
Although the prospect of a pacific adjustment with
the new Government was unpromising, from the known
hostility of its bead to the United States, yet, deter-
mined that nothing should be left undone on our part
to restore friendly relations between the two countries,
our Minister was instructed to present his credentials
to the new Government, and ask to be accredited by it
in the diplomatic character in which he had been com-
missioned. These instructions he executed by his note
of the Ist March, 1846, addressed to the Mexican Mi-
nister of Foreign Affairs, but his request was insult-
ingly refused by that Minister, in his answer of the
12th of the same month. No alternative remained for
our Minister but to demand his passport, and return to i
the United States.
Thus was the extraordinary spectacle presented to
the civilised world, of a Government, in violation of its
own express agreement, having twice rejected a minis-
ter of peace, invested with full powers to adjust all the
existing differences between the two countries in a
manner just and honourable to both. I am not aware that
modern history presents a parallel case, in which, in time
of peace, one nation has refused even to hear proposi-
tions from another for terminating existing difficulties be-
tween them. Scarcely a hope of adjusting our difficul-
ties, even at a remote day, or of preserving peace with
Mexico, could be cherished while Paredes remained at
the head of the Government. He had acquired the
supreme power by a military revolution, and upon the
most solemn pledges to wage war against the United
States, and to reconquer Texas, which he claimed as a
revolted province of Mexico. He had denounced as
guilty of treason all those Mexicans who considered
Texas as no longer constituting a part of the territory
of Mexico, and who were friendly to the cause of peace.
The duration of the war which he waged against the
United States was indefinite, because the end which he
proposed, of the reconquest of Texas, was hopeless.
Besides, there was good reason to believe, from all his
conduct, that it was his intention to convert the republic
of Mexico into a monarchy, and to call a foreign
European prince to the throne. Preparatory to this
end, he had, during his short rule destroyed the liberty
of the press, tolerating that portion of it only which
openly advocated the establishment of a monarchy.
The better to secure the success of his ultimate de-
signs, he had, by an arbitrary decree, convoked a Con-
gress—not to be elected by the free voice of the people,
but to be chosen in a manner to make them subservient
to his will, and to give him absolute control over their
deliberations.
Under all these circumstances, it was believed that
any revolution in Mexico, founde,l upon opposition to the
ambitious projects of Paredes, would tend to promote
the cause of peace as well as prevent any at-
tempted European interference in the affairs of the
North A merican continent—both objects of seep interest
to the United States. Anv such foreign interference,
if attempted, must have been resisted by the United
States. Hy views upon that subject were fully commu-
nicated to Congress in my last annual message. In any
event it was certain that no change whatever in the go-
vernment of Mexico, which would deprive Paredes of
power, could be for the worse, so far as the United States
were concerned, while it was highly probable that any
change must be for the better. This was the state of
affairs existing when Congress, on the 13th of May last,
recognised the existence of the war which had been
commenced by the Government of Paredes, and it be-
came an object of much importance, with a view to a
speedy settlement of our difficulties and the restoration
of an honourable peace, that Paredes should not retain
power in Mexico.
Before that time there were symptoms of a revolution
in Mexico, favoured, as it was understood to be, by the
more liberal party, and especially by those who were
opposed to foreign interference and to the
monarchical form of Government. Santa Anna was then
in exile in Havannah, having been expelled from power
and banished from his country by a revolution which
occurred in December, 1844; but it was known he had
still a considerable party in his favour in Mexico. It was
also equally well known that no vigilance which could
be exerted by our squadron would, in all probability,
hare prevented him from effecting a landing somewhere
on the extensive gulf coast of Mexico, if he desired to
return to his country. He had openly professed an en-
tire change of policy, had expressed his regret that he
had subverted the federal constitution of 1814, and
avowed that he was now in favour of its restoration. He
had publicly declared his hostility, in the strongest
terms, to the establishment of a monarchy, and to Euro-
pean interference in the affairs of his country.
Information to this effect had been received from
sources believed to be reliable, at the date of the recog-
nition of the existence of the war by Congress, and was
afterwards fully confirmed by the receipt of the dispatch
of our consul in the city of Mexico with the accom-
panying documents, which are herewith transmitted.
Besides, it was reasonable to suppose that he must see
the ruinous consequences to Mexico of a war with the
United States, and that it would be his interest to favour
peace.

It was under these circumstances, and upon these
considerations, that it was deemed expedient not to ob-
struct his return to Mexico, should he attempt to do so.
Our object was the restoration of peace ; and with that
view no reason was perceived why we should take part
with Paredes, and aid him, by means of our blockade, in
preventing the return of his rival to Mexico. On the
contrary, it was believed that the intestine divisions
which ordinary sagacity could not but anticipate as the
fruit of Santa Anna's return to Mexico, and his contest
with Paredes, might strongly tend to produce a disposi-
tion with both parties to restore and preserve peace with
the Un wiited States. Paredes was a soldier by profession,
and a monarchist in principle. He had but recently be-
fore been successful in a military revolution by which he
Re was the sworn enemy of the
llnisted States, with bad obtained powehr.
whichhe had involved his country
in the existing war.
expelled
from Santa Anna had been
from power by the army was known to be in open hos-
tility to Paredes, and
publicly pledged against foreign
.
intervention, and th restoration of monarchy in Mexico.
In view of these factsc and circumstances
omsctaleuiauesidtovir gr astttr,
when orders were issued t(h