Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-12-14
From the Baltimore American,
puD UNITED STATES AND MEXICO.

The intelligence published in Saturdays
American of the suspension of diplomatic inter
course between the United States and Mexico
gives additional interest to the documents which
accompanied the Presidents Message, and o.
thcrs since received on the subject of our rela.
tions with Mexico
We shall cudeavcr to put our r~uders in pos
SESSION OF the leading points in this business.
For that purpose we come at once to Mr.. CAL
nouns letter to Mr.. SHANNON, our Minister at
Mexico, dated Sept. 10, lSii, written upon he
knowledge of the fact that Mexico contempla-
ted speedy renewal of the war against Tex
ss, and that she designed to make it II war Of
determination.
This letter is an elaborate document. Mr..
CALHOUN begins by referring to the orders OF
Gen. WooL, commander Of the army of invasion.
and to the decree of SANTA ANNA. issued in
June last, as preparatory TO the re-commence.
mept of hostiliies upon Texas. BY these, all
communication with Texas is forbidden all
persons found holding intercourse with the Tex
ans are to be punished as traitors ; and it is fur.
thcr declared that "cvery individual who may
bn found at the distance of one league from the
Rio Bravo will be regarded idvcurcr and
accompce of the usurpers of that part OF the
National Territory, and as a traitor to his coun
try and after summary military trial he is
10 be punished accordingly. Mr.. CALHOUN al
iude' to the treatment of Gen. SENTMANAT and
his party, who were shot at Tabasco as lustra-
,f in uh oh Il
hc carried out. at embraces" he observes.
'every individual who may be found east of
l;ne drawn three miles east of the Rio del Norte,
without distinction Of age or sex, foreigner or
citizen, condition or vocation. All OF every de.
scrption, whether they resist or surrender, are
To be treated as traitors and all who flee to be
shot down.-The war is intended, in short, 10
be one of utter extrpatlon. All who breathe
are to be destroyed or driven out, and Texas
left desolate waste, and SO proclaimed to the
world by Mexico, in advance Of her projected
invasoa.
Mr.. Calhoun then proceeds TO state the con.
slerations which are believed to require the in.
tcrposition of the United States:
"The first question which presents itself for
consideration on this statement of facts is, sha Il
we stand by and witness in silence the renewal
Of the war by Mexico and its prosecution in this
blood-thirsty and desolating spirit! In order to
answer it fully and satisfactorily, it will Se ne.
cessary to inquire first into her object for re-
newlng the war at this time. There can be
but one and that is, to defeat the annexation
OF Texas to our Union. She knows full well
that the rejection OF the treaty has but postpo-
ned the question of annexation. She knows
that Congress adjourned without finally dspo.
sing oft; that it is now pending before both
Houses, and actively canvassed before the peo.
pie throughout the wide extent Of our Union;
and that it will in all probability be decided in
It's favor unless it should be defeated by some
movement exterior to the country. We would
be blind not to see that she proposes 10 effect il
by the projected invasion, either by conQuerlng
and suhjectng Texas to her power, or by for.
ciag her to withdraw the proposition for annex
alton, and to form commercial and political con.
nexions with some other Power less congena
10 her feelings and favorable to her indepen
dence, and more threatening TO her and our per,
'nancnt welfare and safety. OF the two, the
latter is much the more probable. She once
attempted conquest, but signally failed although
the attempt was made under the lead of her
most skiltu and renowned general, at the head
OF a well appointed army, consisting OF her best
disciplined and bravest troops, and while Texas
was yet in her infancy, without Government
almost without means, aud with an inconsder
able population. With this example before
her, she can scarcely hope to succeed now, un
der a leader Of less skill and renown, and wher
Texas has settled down under u well estab
llshcd Government, and has so greatly increa
scj in means and population"
These are, then, two points upon which Mr.
CALHOUN urges the proprlety and necessity o
our interference. First, because Of the fero
cious manner in which Mexico proposes to wag'
the war against Texas secondly, because th'
design of Mexico is to defeat the policy OF an
neXatlon with the United States profiered t,
Texas, and which, Mr.. Calhoun contends, is
policy essential 10 our safety and well being.
On this latter point the letter is emphatic
No measure 1t has been declared, has been NOR
steadily or longer pursued by the Govcrnmen
of the United States t!,an this very measure
annexation. The facts in proof are arrayed wit
all the earncstness of a con dnOre advocate
such ns the belief Of many that Texas was il
cluded in the cessiun oi Louisiana that it wa