, 1845-01-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The subjoined Message of the
to both Houses Of Con-
yress. gives a faithful abstract OF the
relations at present existing between
Dur Government and that OF Mexico:
To the Senate, and
House of Representatives.:
transmit herewith copies OF des'
patches received from our Minister
at Mexico, since the commencement
of your present session, which claim
from their importance, and | doubt
no, will receive,'your calm and deiib-
crate consider lion. The extraordi-
nary aud highly offensive language
which the Mexican Government has
thought proper to employ in reply to
the remonstrance Of the Executive,
through Mr.. Shannon, against the re-
ne wal Of the wal with Texas while
the question Of annexation was pend
ing before Congress and the people,
and also, the proposed manner OF
conducting that war, will not fail TO
arrest your attention.
Such remonsirance. urged IN no
u~nfriendly spiri, 10 Mexico, was call
ed for by considerations Of an I'M
pera,ive character, having relations
as well to the peace OF this country
and honor Of this Government. as TO
the cause Of humanity and cIvlll2a
tinn. Texas had entered int" the
treaty Of annexation upon the invita-
,,:ns of the Executive; aud wher.
for that act. she was threaICued with
n renewal Of the var on the part oI
Mexico, she naturally looked TO this
Government to :nterpoSe its efforts To
ward off the threatened blow. But
one course was left the Executive,
acting within the limits Of IT'S enns't
tutional competency, and that was TO
protest in respectful, but at the same
time strong and decided terms against
IT.
The war thus threatened To- be re.
newed, was promulgated BY edlc's
and DEGREES, which ordered on the
par, Of the Mexican military, the
desoIation Of whole tracts OF coun'
try. and the destruction, WITHOUT DIS
crimiuatlon, OF all ages, sexes, and
and coniiuons OF existence. Over
the manner oil conducting war, Mex
co possesses no exclu.Ive CONTROL
She has no right to violate At plea
sure the principles which an enlight
ened civilization has LAID down ioI
the conduct Of nations at war; ant
thereby re,rograde I o period OF bar
ism which, happily f"r the world, has
long since passed away. An nations
are interested in enforcing an obser
vance Of those principles. and th'
United States, the oldest Of The nne
~l,iran Republics, and the nearest u
the civilized powers 10 the theatre
on which these enormiIles were pro
posed to be enacted, could not quiet
Iiy content themselves 10 witness sue;
a state of things. They had, through
the Executive, on another occasion
and as was believed, with the appro
hation Of the whole country, remon
sirated against outrages slmrar, bu
even less inhuman, than those whIcI
by her new edicts and DEGREES, sh
has threatened to perPetrate, and Q
which the late inhuman massacre a
Tohasco was but the precuser,
|, The bloody and inhuman murde
of Fanin and his compatrlots. equal
ed only in savage bar barity by IN
usages Of the untutored Indian tribe,
proved how litlle confidence could b
placed on the most solemn stIpula
:. lions of her Generals, while the lat
of others who became her captive
:, in war, MANY of whom, no longer a
r BILE to sustain the fatigue and pr'vu
| tons Of long journeys, were sho
down BY the wayside, while thei
companions who survived we're sub
jrcted to suf1erIngs ever more pam
=. iul than death--had left an lndelibl
stain on the page Of CIVILIZATION
The Executive. with the evidence q
an intention on the part of Mexico Il
renew scenes so revolving to humanI
". could do no less than renew re
mons,rances formerly urged.
For fulfilling duties so imperative
:: Mexico has thought proper, through
, her accredited organs, because sh'
has had represented TO her the inhu
mani,y Of such proceedings, to in
dulge in language unknown to TIL
courtesy Of diplomatic intercourse
and offensive in the highest degree I,
this Government and people. No
has she offended in this only. Sh,
has not only violated existing con