Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-12-14


after this long and continued effort to annex
Texas, now, when the measure is about to be
cunsuma,ed, allow Mexico to put it aside, per-
haps forever! Shall the "golden opportunity"
be lost never again TO return! Shall we per-
nit Texas, for having accepted an invitation,
rendered her at critical moment, TO join us,
and to consumate measure essential to their
and our permanent peace, welfare, and safety,
TO be dcsolaicd; her inhabitants to be bu,chercd
or driven ont or in order to avert so great a ca.
Iamity, to he forced, against her will, into n
strange alliance, which would terminate in pro.
ducing lasting hosilites between her and us,
to the permanent injury and perhaps to ruin Of
both"
The right of government to propose anncXa-
ton and the ris Int of Texas to receive that pro.
position, as an independent State, are insisted
upon strcnuously. Mr.. CALHOUN goes so far
as to contend that Texas has never stood in re-
lation to Mexico as rebellious department or
province-and here his IDEAS ot State sovcr-
eighty come into play. The true relation be-
tween Mexico and Texas, he alrms, is that of
independent members Of Federal Government,
the weaker of which has successfully resisted
the attempts of the stronger to conquer and sub
iect her to it, power. IL Mexico takes offence
at the propo al Of annexation. we are the party
to answcr-not Texas. Hence our honour is
implicated in upholding Texas free from harm
if any danger is to be incurred by her for listen.
ing to a profcr which we chose to make and
which we had full right to make ENTERTAIN.
ing these views" says Mr.. CALHOUN, "Mcxico
would make great mistake If she should sup
pose that the President would regard with in.
difference the renewal of the war which she
has proclaimed against Texas Our honour and
our interests are both involved"
In consideration of these facts and circum.
stances Mr.. SHANNON is instructed to address to
the Mexican Government protest against the
renewal OF the war against Texas while the
question of annexation is pending, and also a.
gainst the manner, "ba arbarouS and bloody"
in which il is intended to b. conductcd--and he
is to couch this protest in ''strong language"
accompanied by the declaration that both the
war and the manner OF it will be "highy often
sive TO the United States"
| Mr.. SHANNON, with the fidelity of one of lIo.
the Mexican Government. His letter TO REIoN,
| the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, is in strict
accordance, and, in many parts, in the very
words of MIR. Calhoun's letter Of instructions
| nf D,n b,. %, tl,o
delivery Of the President Message, docs not
appear in the lntelgencer of yesterday, but
there is an abstract Of 1t in that journal, VIII CHI
gives its substance. The Mexican Secretary
States have been for twenty years steadily rur-
suing the design of acquiring Texas. This
/ confession, he thinks, makes it apparent that the
entire revolt OF Texas, (ali her citizens aud sol
diers being drawn from the u States her de.
claraton Of independence. and all The rest, are
the deliberate work of this country. II this
be so, what reality can there be, he asks in
any OF the reasons of justice or humanity now
urged Ifsuch things can be avowed, why
may not any country toment an insurrccton in
a neighboring one, send lis people thither CT
tlzens, then stimulate it to declare itself inde
pendent, and proceed To annex it ! In snch
plan it may prove ",hat the u. States delude'
itself with lis own fcIluns, bat will be able tt
deceive nobody else"
He goes Oh to say ihut Mexico notwitlstand
ing she has been iaithlcssIy dealt with for twen
,y years, wishes no rupture with the L, States
She will bear the bad treatment she has rccev
ed; but not the seizure of her provinces. The
responsibility altering the existing relations o
peace, if such alteration occurs, will belong Il
the United States, and not TO her. This note i
GATED Oct. 81.
Mr. Shannon's answer of Nov. Sd eXprcssct
his surprise at Senor Rtjon's language, consi
ders it grossly offensive to the people Of the L
. States, as accusing them of ialschood, art flee
intrigue dishonorable designs, &c. lie believe
it was meant to be insulting, and asks lis with
drawal.
TO this the Mexican Secretary rcioins on th
9th. He is astonished, he says, that MIR. Shan
non, after so repeatedly styling the Mexican
5arbarous, should now take refuge in the pre-
tences ofa courtesy to which he seems To thin
that he and his Government were alone ent
tied lie (Mr. S has employed without stn
t towards Mexico language for which it would b
u easy to obtain diplomatic repnration, but that
h was plain that they who sent him desired n,
what was the proper object Of dIPlomac!
i (pcace,) but quarrel. Ca his own part, h