Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-12-26

If the annunciatOn in the PresidPnt'f
Message Of the departure OF an Envoy Ex.
traordmary to Mexico struck every body
with something ike surprise from It's sud.
denness, not less sGrprse was generally
felt in the South at the ci cumsGNces oI
his departure; the secresy, the couceak
ment Of person and purpose, with which
the Minister was, a6 it were, Smugged on
board OF one OF our yes srIs of war and
spirited away leaving cloud Of mystery
behind him, which had scarcely began to
clear off at the place Of his rmbarkation
before the Prcsidcnts's Message came to
djenerse it.
Nhy aItthis prccipjtancy, this nrystiica-
ton OF the ruhiic' every one must have
asked himself. The Joint resolution Of
Congress for the Annexation Of Texas did
indeed direct the opening Of negotiation
with Mexico; and not merely as to the
limits Of annexation, but rs to annexation
itself. The peaceful consent Of Mexico
was to he procured, if possible; and even
an equivalent tN her supposed injury
might have brcnsypuated, (as it bad been
'repeatedyoiiered.) notmerely for her clalr
on Texas proper, buttor any further terri
tory. fut the Executive put aside both
these effects Of his instructions; proceed
ed to annexation without negotiation, sub
stItutInb for It Il naval and mdll6ry force,
and, so far from negotiating Tor tcundary,
cldmlng all question On thasubier to have
| been settled by hts own Hct-.dCCarng to
Congress, in his message, that "the juris-
diciloa Of the United States, which was,
&c. has passed the Capes Of Florida and
been PEACEFULLY EXTLNDED 10 the Del
N0rc"
On the score Of territory, then, having
surely nothing further vet to demand, and
"unncxation' not having to he treated a.
tout any longer, MIR. SIideII must have
gone ont in thisgrcat haste upon sompolhcr
business The other business, which the
President also informs Congress in his mes.
sage that the Minister was instructed 10
bring to conclusion "at the earliest prac.
licahIe PERIOD" could not be the claims O
the two Governments upon each other.
that being Il matlerTequiring much delibe,
, INlOl Nnu 'uIlSIutIdtlOIl u UPldliS' NCt--
But, what is probably the object Of this
mission, concealed from Congress and moi
alluded TO in the message, isindicated from
so many sources that we begin TO give ere.
dit to it, though it seems hardlyto be wor.
thy Of belief that, before having finished
the "annexation' OF one greet foreign ter.
ritory, the President should, without con.
sulling Congress, or even the Senate, have
set himself to work to negotiate Tor another
Not to keep ou readers in Ignorance
however, of what others say and believe
on the sutiect, we submit tor their inIor.
nation lhr following extract Of letter
from Washington to the New York Courier
and Enquirer
"If am correctly informed, as doubt
not | am, there is strong probability that
our territory in Tint tTuarter will before a
period not very distant be- enlarged by the
annexation Of California. Nv information
IS, that,Nr, Sldellis charged with the pur,
chase ot that department Of the ~ Y car
ContedtrutloM and the embarrassed li.~si
ron and the necessitics of theCentral Goa,
ernmcnt, together with the disturbed con
dinonof three p"ovinces, encourage the oe
lief that ,Haxico Gh not he disiucinpd ,
listen, and perhaps arcPde TO, the PROPOSE
tons he is aulho, lied to make"