The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-28
I COMMUNICATIONS.
For the Union.
MExIco-No. IA.

,co in her relations with the various nations with
whom she has had intercourse, during the compar-
atiyey brief period Of less than quarter Of cent-
nv, which has elapsed since she began her career as
colony ofSpain, asserting her independence Of the
mother country and struggling to maintain the posi-
ZION which she had assumed. This review of her
conduct is also a delineaiion of her character.
Wholly ignorant ofthc art Of government her peo-
Pile, suddenly liberated from the shackles of stern
despotism to which they had long been Injured,
found themselves unresuained in the exercise OF
their newly acquired freedom. No longer held in
letters by the arbitrary hand Of power there was no
moral force substituted in It's stead to which they
even professed allegiance Equally ignorant, as re-
CARDS the faculties of their minds and their moral
sense, they felt themseves alike incapable of guild
ing their conduct by the light of reason, and inder
ent to the dictates of virtue. They madly, reck-
Iessly plunged from one Of civil turmoil into
another; wreaked their vengeance upon all who fell
under their power preferred the precaIious support
of pillage and pne 10 the Flooding routine of in
dusry and integrity; and, while they showed them
selves regardless Of the ties of ainty and kindred,
they looked with especial hatred and jealousy upon
all who bore the appearances and exhibited the char
acter Of strangers.
Such indications Of national character were so
anomalous, so at variance with everything to which
civilized and christian men had been accustomed,
that the accounts of their proceedings were regarded
with incredibly. We could not believe the accounts
that were, from day to day, transmitted from this
Inflated country. II could not be credited that
Al. III l.aa ad n thar oh
in the hour of peril, who had participated with
them in their dangers, who were introducing
among them habits of industry, and exhibiting be-
fore their eyes the beautiful results of laborious
honesty, who were engaged in the development of
their abundant resources, and dfusiDg around them
the blessings of tranquil but busy activity would
or could, by these means, rouse their hatred, and
bring down upon themselves the dreadful calamties
which they were made to suffer-
All foreigners shared alike in these dreadful ca
lamities. Murders and assassinaions, plumber and
pilage alike awaited them; and fearful catalogue
of atrocities was accumulated, such as had never
before isgraced nation protesting to be governed
by the christian religion, or recognising the obga-
tions Of national law.
With all this, Mexico possesses the constituents
of great national power and greatness Her climate
is admirable, her mineral resources immense, and
her vegetable productions calculated to be at once
the source of wealth to herself and of comfort TO
the residue of the world
her from the rank which she claims among them, o,
must compel her to observe those laws of the gov
eminent 10 which they voluntarily and checruly
submit. We have seen that, by a timely resort to
those measures of coercion which the circumstance
Of the case rendered necessary, France and Eng
land have compelled her to redress the wrongs
which she had pcrpetrated, and 70 obey that law
which she had violated. Were this course univer.
sally adopted, Mexico herself would grow richer
and happier, as well as better
In determining upon the course which, under
such circumstances, ought to be pursued towards
such nation, the United States, while exhibiting
that irmness and decision which become her char
acer and position, is also under high obligations te
abstain from every measure which bears the impress
of vindctiveness or evaporation. Our rights arr
clear and beyond controversy; they should be dis
ttIDcay ..ssrsed and snergccay indicated; but
strength and power enable US TO pursue them with
equal dignity of manner and frmness ofpurpose.
1t has been shown, that the claims of the United
States upon the government Of Mexico, as well for
outrages upon the lives, the persons and the prop
ery Of our citizens, for ndignities, insults and in
juries perpetrated upon our government, our flag
and public functionaries, have gradually accu-
mulated in number as in amount Every new arri-
val from Mexico brings new intelligence Of some
fresh wrong; and while no PREPARATION is made for
the past security Is offered for the future. Years
have elapsed since the Executive and Congress con-
CURED in the public declaration, that we should be
justified before the world in resorting to arms TO
redress and punish these atrocities. We have seen
that France did adopt this system of operations to
redress grievances not equal to the 1.-THE Of what
had suffered; and that England only prevented,
under infinitely less provocaton, from appealing to
force by the prompt and satisfactory adjustment of
her demands. We have seen that Mexico, after
having recognised the validity of our claims, and
given the most solemn assurances that they should
be liquidated and settled, has suddenly closed all
diplomatic intercourse between the two govern
ments; Withdrawn her own minister from the United
States, and declined further communication with
our representative. This course has been adopted
upon her honor and her rights by the action of
this country upon Texas. This wrong she
chooses to regard as so palpable and so mon
strous, that she will not make it the subject Of
discussion or negotiation. She considers il az
admitting neither of palliation, compromise, nor
arrangement. We must retrace our steps, undo
what has been done annul our Legislative acts and
our executive measures as preliminary conditions
to the resumption Of friendly intercourse between
them and us.
II is needless to say that such demands are as
prcpostcrousy absurd, as they insulting to the
government Of the United States. What we have
done, We have done deliberately and advisedly.
We have done il with a full persuasion and entire
conviction that have violated no rule of justice,
no provision Of public law, and done no wrong TO
Mexico. We have acquired rights and incurred
-. II.