Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-01-01
MIR. CALHOUN'S LETTER TO GOV.
SHANNON.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, Sept. 10, 1914 J

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Sir: There can he no longer any DOUBT
that Mexico intends TO renew mo war
aoainst Texas on a large scale, ana carry
- ON with moro than savage tcrocIty.-
The loan she has authorized, and the cA-
nensive preparations she IS making by
land and sea. are sufficient proofs OF the
former and the orders of the commander
Of the army of the north, General won
issued the Goth day Of June last, and me
Jocrcc of Santa Anna, general OF divl-
~, and provisional President OF Mexico,
On The nth day of June, 1913, of the
lauor The decree makes the generaI-n-
aLior n divisions of the army and the
.a,,,r,ondant of the coast and frontier re-
e,onsible for its exact fulhment. 1t was
,,pdor that responsibility, it would seem,
tbat General VOL, to whom the Texan
q frontier was assigned, issued his order of
the 2Oth June. After promising, that the
war was renewed against Texas, that all
communications with it must cease, and
thoieyery individual, Of whatever condl-
io, who shall have communications with
il. shall be regarded as a traitor, and as
sucb. be punished according to the articles
or war, the order announces, in its third
article, that "every individual who may be
found at the distance of one league from
the west bank of the Rio Bravo will be
regarded as a fayorer and accomplice Of
the usurpers of that part Of the national
territory, and as a traitor to his country"
and. after summary military trial, ''shall
he punished accordingly" And, in IFS
4th article. it also states, "that every indi-
yidual who may be embraced within the
provisions of the preceding article, and
nav be rash enough to fly at the sight of
any force belonging TO the supreme GO
vernmcnt, shall be pursued until taken or
put 10 death"
In what spirit the decree of the 18th of
June, which the order is intended exactly
TO fulfil, is to be executed, the fate of the
party under general Sentmanat, at To-
basco, affords an iliustration-they were
arrested under it, and executed without
hearing or trial, against the Indignant re-
moustranccs of the French and Spanish
ministers near the government Of Next
co, who in vain invoked the voice of hu-
manity, the sacred obligations of the con-
stiution, and the sancGly of treaties, in
behalf Of their countrymen who were eX-
ccuted under this illegal and bloody decree.
If the decree itself was thus enforced
in time of peace on subjects Of friendly
powers, and against the circumstances OF
their ministers, some faint conception
may be formed of the ferocious and de-
vastating spirit in which the order Of Gen
VOL is intended to be executed against
the inhabitants of Texas, and all who
may, in any way, aid their cause, or even
have communication with them. 1t was
under a decree similar to that of the Eth
of June, lS43, and issued by the same
authority On the Both Of October, 1885
but which was not 50 comprehensive in it
provisions, or so bloody and ferocious in it
character, that the cold bIooded butchery
of Fannin and his party, and other Tex
an prisoners, was ordered by Santa Anna
in his invasion of 1885.
That decree was limited to foreigner!
who should land at any part of Mexico
or arrive by land, being armed, and hav
ing hostile intentions, or who should intro
ducc arms and munitions of war, TO b.
used at any place in rebellion, or places
in the hands of It's enemies. As savag
and outrageous as its provisions were, tn
order Of Gen. Vol, intended to carry on
that of June, 1913, goes far beyond. |
embraces every individual who may b
found east of line drawn three miles cas-
Of the Rio del Norte, without distinction {
age or sex, foreigner or citizen, conditio
or vocation. All Of every condtio
whether they resist or surrender, are to
treated as traitors, and all who fee to b
shot down. The war is intended, in shog
to be one of utter extirpation. All tht
breathe are TO be destroyed or driven GU
and Texas left a desolate waste, and
proclaimed to the world, by Mexico,
advance Of her projected invasion.
The first question which presents its(
for consideration on the statement of fac
IS, shall we stand by and witness in siIen
the renewal of the war by Mexico, and
prosecution, in this bloodthrsty and des
lating spirit? In order to answer it full
and satisfactorily, it will be necessary
inquire first into her object for renewii
the war at this time.
There can be but one; and that is to q
feat the annexation of Texas to our Unto
She knows full we'll that the rejection
the treaty has but postponed the questit
OF annexation. She knows that Congre
adjourned without finally disposing Of
that it is now pending before both House
and actively canvasseed before Il
people throughout the wide extent of 0
n oN,oni and that il viii, in all probabilit
b e eScIded in its favor, unless ii shou
a. UC uEp1tpd hv