Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-12-04

rress. the Executive possessed 70 power 10 Ad1pt
: a. enforco adequate remedies tpr The injuries We
! had suffered, Or % do more than Be prepared 10
repel he threafenkd aggression on The part Of
! Mexics Amer our army and navy had reinainei
|, on the frontier and coasts Of Mexico for many
weeks without any hostile movement On hsr parf,
! though her menaces were continued, deemed L
important to put end If possible, to this state,
Of things With this view, caused steps 10 Be;
taken 10 the month Of September last, to aseertaa
distinctly, and IN an authentic form what the de-
signs ef the Mexican government were; whether
q was their intention to declare war. or invade
Texas, q whether they were disposed 10 adiast
and SETTLE in Al amicable manner, the pendine
dlnerenees between the two countries On tie
ninth Of November an Official answer " sreceiyed.
Thar the Mexican government consented 10 reneu
4 the diplomatic relations which had been saspend,
ed a March last. and FOR that purpose were viii
Ing to aecredt minister from the United States.
4 WIN sincere desire to preserve peace, and re.
store relations ofgood understanding betveeatlIe
two republics. waived all ceremony q "a ne
manner Of renewing diplomatic infercoarse Be-
tween them and, assuming the initiative, on the
tenth Of November, distinguished citizen Of Lon
isana was appointed Envoy Extfaordinarv ana
Minister Penipotentiary to Mexico, clothed with
full powers TO adjust, and definitely settle, ali
pending differences between the two countries,
including those of boundary between Mexico and
the State OF Texas. The minister appointed has set
outon his mission, and is probably by this time
near the Mexican capital. lie has been instruc-
ted to bring the negotiation with which he is
charged to conclusion at the earliest practicable
period; which, it IS expected, viii be in time to
enable me to communicate the result to Congress
during the present session. Until that result is
known, Lforbear to recommend to Congress suc,,
Interior measures Of redress for the wrongs and
injuries We have so long borne, as Il wo6ld have
been proper to make hadno such negotiation been
] instituted.
Congress appropriated, at the las, session, the
, sum Of two. hundred and seventy FIVE thousand
dollars for the payment Of the April and July in
stalments OF the Mexican indemnites for the year
( 1874: provided it shall be ascer,ained to the
D satisfaction Of the American government that
: said instalments have been paid by the Mexican
government to the agent appointed by the United
{ States to receive the same in such mariner as to
!, discharge all claim on the Mexican government,
{ and said agent to be delinquent in remitting the
b money to the United States"
The unsettled state Of our relations with Mexi-
g coShas involved this subject in much mystery -
4 The FIRST information in an authentic form from the
t agent of the United States, appointed under the
!, administration of my predecessor, was received
= al the State Department on the ninth Of Novem-
d Der last This is contained in a letter, dated the
seventeetl OF October addressed by him to one Of
# our citizens then in Mexico, with the view OF hay
i ing it communicated to that department. From
this it appears that the agent on the twentieth of
e September, 1914, gave receipt TO the treasury
s lof Mexico for the amount Of the April and July
e Iinstalments of the indemnify In the same COM
y Imuncation, however, he asserts that be had not
received single dollar in cash but that he holds
o such securities warranted him at The time in
s Egiving the receipt, and entertains nd doubt but
: that he will eventually obtain the money. As
= these instalmehts appear never to have been &C.
e ltualy paid by the government Of Mexico to the
9 agent, and as that government has not therefore
J, been released as TO discharge the claim, do
mot feel myself warranted in directing payment to
made to the claimants out of the treasury with
), lodtfurther legislation Their case is! undoubted-
1t y Of much hardship; and itremains for Con.
n gress to decide whether any, and what, RELIEF
IS fought 10 be granted to them. Our minister to
Mexico has been instructed to ascertain the facts
l. Iofthe case from the Mexican government, in an
y authentic and official FORM and report the result
ir with as little delay as possible. III &
= My attention was early directed to the negota-
2, tion, which, the 4th Of March last found pend
o ling at Washington between the u States and
y Great Britain on the subject of the Oregon terri
IF tory. Three several attempts had been previous.
o y made to settle the questions in dispute between
the two countries, by negotiation, upon the prin
q, lcPe Of compromise but each had proved uSsuc-
y These negotiations took place at London, in the
y Years 1918, 1924, and 1926; the two first under
o the administration of Mr.. Monroe and the last
i under that of Mr. Adams The negotiation Of
1918 having failed to accomplish its object result.
II led in the convention Of the twentieth Of October
J. of that year. By the third article of that cohyen-
! ton, was sagreed, that any country that may
be claimed by either party on the northwest coas,
d of America, westward of the Stony mountains
shall, together with its harbors, bays and creeks
! and the navigation Of all rivers within the same,
be free and open for the term Of ten years from the
date Of the signature Of the present convention
the vessels citizens and subjects Of the two Pow
ers; il Being well understood that this agreement
/, lis not to be construed to the prejudice Of any
: claim which either of the two high contracting
parties may have to any part Of the said country,
nor shall it be taken TO affect the claims Of any
other Poweror State to any part Of the said coun-
fry; the only object of the high contracting par
ties in that respect being, to prevent disputes and
! differences among themselves"
, The negotiation of 1924 was productive of no
result, and the convention Of 1918 was left !un.
, changed. n
The negotiation Of 1926, having alos failed to
effect an adjustment by compromise, resulted in
the convention of August; the SIXTH 1927, by
which It was agreed to continue in force for an in
definite PERIOD the provisions Of the third article Of
the convention oftbs twentieth Of October, 1918;
and it was further provided. that cit shall be COM
petent, however, to either of the contracting par
ties, in cass either should think fit, at any time az
ter the twentieth of October, 1928, on giving due
notice Of twelve months to the other contracting
party, TO annul and abrogate this convention; and
it shall in such case, be accordingly entirely an
nulled and abrogated after the expiration ofthe
said term of notice." In these attempts to adjust
the controversy, the parallel Of the fortyninth de-
gree of north latitude has been offered by the u
States 10 Great Britain and in those of 1918 and
1896, with a further concession of the free navi-
cation Of the Columbia river south Of that latitude
The parallel of the forty-ninth degree. from The
Rocky mountains to its intersection with the
northeastenmost branch Of the Columbia, and
thence down the channel Of that river to the sea,
had been offered by Great Britain, with an saa::
Jon Of small ds:s.el :czTitcsy north Of the Co
llumbia. Each Of these propositions had been re-
. tjecfed BY the parties respectively.
In October. lsi3, the Envoy Ex;raorii.ary and
Minister Plenipoten,iary Of the United States in
|,