Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-07-19

you t,ye moi spoken oft in terms too strong IN your
circular 10 Tic members of the diplomatic corps
a.. The receipt of this, you Will write a note 10 VI
p,c,,cgra. in which You will say that the secretary
81 S,,,o Of the u. S, on the OH of July, received ms
letter of the 27th Of May; that The fresl4en' oil Tue =
6 considers the language and tone OF That lct'er defo-
palory TO the character "i the y. ., M "'s"'S az"
ss.ye rs II minutes to The Governments direct oreach o.
CIT. ,rd lint he directs that no other answer be gwen
IN !, han the declaration that The conduct oil Inc 20
vernnept Of the u. s., in regard to the war between
Me ,ico ard Texas, having been always hithefto go,
.a.,cJ nv a strict and impartial regard 10 It's neutral
o.I;.,,ions. will not be changed or altered, in any re-
s,ec, or IN any degree. If, tor this, the Government
or Mayico shall see fit to change the relations at pre-
:, sent existing between the Two countries, 'e fesPons''
b;ity remains with herself.
am, Sir, your obedlent servant.
DANIEL WEBSTER.
To WappY TuomrsoS, Esq
Eu5oy Extraordinary, &c, .Me1ico.
Ao.r the reading OF the communications by the Sc
J., PRESTON rose and observed, that as the FIX.
ocu,;ye proceedings of tie Mexican Government had
h,en oiyen 10 the public through the Spanish ncwspa'
,ors as well as our own, previous to their official com
rnnn;coiion to this Government, 1t became highly desIr'
.bI, ib,, the position in which this Government mt stands
i, relation to those proceedings should be distinctly
L,oyn. The main object OF the call for the official cor
rcsrondeuce was to exhibit 10 the public mind, and 10
tho whole civilized world, the true position which TINS
Government occupies with reference 10 Mexico. ifis
| Mention. 1T z ~. II iN - W -
inn of the documents, and for their reference 10 the
Committee on Foreign Relations; and in doing so, he
could not but express the qualification which he ieit
with the course which the public functlonaries oil this
Government had pursued. The Government had as
sumed tina, attitude which her interest and her dignity
r,onired: and he believed all would agree with HIM,
that that attitude had been assumed with a graceful
ness and ~proprie,y which was highly cred'taoie 10 Those
who conducted the executive affairs OF this county,
lie was exceedingly rra,ifed to find that the conduct
r. M Minister nj Mexico had been highly credItaOle
10 himself, and honorable 10 this country. Mr.. lhomp'
son had executed his duty we'll and faithfully.
II was clearly the duty of the representative OF lh's
nation 10 meet The charges which had been disseminated
bv The Nc yicon authorities against the Government OF
this country, by addressing himself TO the same triou-
nal 10 which the charges had been addressed-namely
the various foreign diplomatic corps presidential MEXICO.
This Mr.. Thompson had done, anu IN sueh a manner as
correspopden nee. and of The various official documents,
on The part of this Government, appeared TO HIM
MIR. P.) as being sufficiently spirited to meetthe views
of those who desired 10 assert and MAINTAIN Inc no.
nor and the dignity Of this nation, IN advance oil all
other considerations and, at the same tune, SO mo.
de.atc, that the friends OF 4 digniied moderation and
forbearance could find nothing 10 object TO. ms
Government had acted with the utmost ioroearance
that was consistent with the repeiilng OF the injurious
and unjust charges which had been heaped upon u.s.
They had always, hitherto, treated Mexico, with the
utmost forbearance, in relation to the CLAIMS OF TINS
country upon The Government OF Mexico, IN conside-
ration of the embarrassed resources of that country -
And he would venture 10 say that, If language such as
that recently held by Mexico towards the Government
of this country had been used by a nation Of greater
political power, the translations ofthe documents, when
published in the way in which the Mexican correspond
cnce had been published, would have come to US ac-
companied by the representations OF public meetings IN
all quarters Of the Union, expressing the universal in
disnation ofthe community.
This country had submitted 10 the long continued
postponement fthe indemnity to her piundered cItI'
zens, and patiently borne the insult oil the mexican am
b~assador's sudden withdrawal by a sort oi flight. insl-
J;,usly circulating, al the moment of his departure, the
most eliminating charges upon Tins Government -
Notwithstanding this, the convention wasagreed upon,
that the claims m ight be judicially determined. But
Mexico, instead Of sending two persons TO take Their
seats in that convention as u dges, sent two persons to
act as diplomatic agents, to resist, ny all the arts oidi'
plomacv, the adjudication of the claims against Mexico.
The period assigned for the existence OF the commission
was suffered TO Ella pse, and only two millions and a hall,
ant ofclaims amounting 10 ten or twelve millions, were
awarded. And after all the patience exhibited by this
Government, in standing coolly and calmly by while all
this violence and wrong was perpetrated upon our ci'i-
zens, this is the sort of language now held by that
country. These are the menacing terms in which they
sneak of this Government. He was glad 1t was so
itsessF Of ss6oS%aiiGniSs "tao tie 'w9hhSSrss 'sFivEIliRed rev ,P4I essni P
tience and the forbearance with which Mexico had been
treated by this Government. Not SO would it have
been with n power less insignificant and less embar-
raised in her domestic affairs. There was a time when
inc President Of the United States dad not hesitate 10
gay TO the King Of Frcnce "ThIs matter must be set
lied by a given time, or letters of marquc and reprlsal
will be issued against your commerce. Bnt with re-
aard 10 Mexico, from whom they had suffered many
/ nd ,pnities, they had lorborne much and though he
was no advocate for war, where war could be avoided,
more especially in The case Of an insignificant power
and a sister Republic Of the American continent--yel
there was a point, as every American must feel, beyond
which fnrbearnnce ceased 10 be a virtue.
His object in rising, however, was merely TO express
his high sense Of the tone of the correspondence on the
part OF tins Government; and he would now move ina
the documents be referred and printed.
MIR. SENlER remarked that he was highly pleased
with the characier OF the official correspondence on the
part Of this Government: it %exhibiied a proper spirit
and 4 proper tone, al once patriotic, elevated, ana man
The communication of The Secretary of State, which
had been laid before the Senate, was the second docu
ment Is hicl had recently emanated from that depart
ment of which lie could say as much. lie concnrret
with The Senator from South Carolina that we had am
ole cause of complaint against Mexico; but what ne
found fault with the other dry was, that we shoult
show so much sensitiveness with regard TO Mexico
while we were altogether silent III relation TO othel
powers against whom, also, we had abundant cause iol
complaint lie desired that the document might be
printed, and that they might have time TO examine the
subject more infinitely, as ii was one which he consl
de,ed analogous to, if not identical with, the relations
between this country and Great Britain.
mir. PRESTON, iron his seat) The case IS pro
baby stronger against Great Britain
He unprecedented 1t would turn out so. The prevail
lnr spiri, in ,hls country, in such cases as the presen,
he was perfectly convinced would be found 10 be fol
prompt and decided action-foT money or war When
hard run, they were for fighting and he believed, j
they chose 10 make war, they would have the whole
country to back them. And he hoped The Executive
Department of this Government would preserve th'
same tone which had been exhibited now, in reference
10 all other nations.
Mr.. CRITTENDEN said lie could not perceive any
r --..i,, H., .,. iLolv Ia nrocacI fran, In.
I reference of this correspondence 10 the Committee on
Foreign Relations. lie was glad that the call had been
made, because he believed that he publication Of the
Mexican portion of the correspondence, which had al
ready taken place, was calculated TO create some alarm
in the country. lie thought it would be well to spreae
he whole correspondence before the country, thai
they night Judge more accurately of lis whole bear
ing. That object would be accomplished by the
printing of the documents. He would not, how.
tyer, object to the reference. though he though
L.-L-