The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-06
AN AMERICAN.
Communicated
. OUR RELATIONS WITH MEXICO.

In my communication Of the Sd instant pro-
posed to give review Of our relations with Mexi-
co, and an explanation of Gov. Shannon's cores.
pondenee with Don Manuel c. Reion, the late Mex
lean Minister of Foreign Relations. | do this for
the purpose of placing that correspondence in its
true light before the American people, and because
there other considerations which render it des-
rable that the circumstances which led to that cor
respondence and yindcate its propriety, should be
better and more generally understood in the United
States. &4a
Our acquaintance with Mexico began under the
most favorable auspices The sympathy which her
struggle for independence met with amongst us; the
aacrity with which our clizens FASTENED to her
standard; the readiness with which arms, munitions
Of war, and money, were supplied by our people in
her aid; the manner in which our government took
her by the hand set the example Of recognising her
Independence, and urged on the governments of Eu-
rope to acknowledge her, and finally her adoption of
a constitution similar to our own, gave promises of
union friendship, good will and reciprocity Of feel
ing between us.
How has that promise been verified In every
negotiation, we have been met with insulting sus-
picions, evasve answers, and injurious delays. Our
past acts of Kindness soon forgotten; prof
fers and professions of friendship met with GOODNESS
and distrust. As early as 1929, such had become
the fixed features of our intercourse with that gov
eminent. In despatch to Mr.. Butler, dated 18th
October of that year, Mr.. Van Buren,, after giving
detailed review of the conduct Of Mexico, which
would recommend to the perusa of the advocates Of
Mexico amongst us, uses this language:
ssaeh Is believed 10 be- statement Of the
pursued by the government OF Mexico towards the United
States from the t establishment Of diplomatic relations
between the two countries to the period II would
give the President sincere pleasure il he could call to mind
single act OF the Mexican government which would
to relieve the unrendy aspect of its whole conduct He
deeply regrets that il is not in his Ia do and yet
does this statement furnish but imperfect sketch Of the
grounds Of complaint on the part Of the united states
II such was the aspect of our relations in 1929,
we have still less reason to be satisfied with them
since. Acts of injustice, oppression and cruelty to
Americans individuality general acts Of the Mexi
can government, having for their object the inter-
ruption of our commerce and the expulsion Of our
citizens, in violation of treaties and of good faith
old and just claims denied; new ones accommodating
faster than the old ones can be settled; promises
made to be broken; insulting charges, and still more
insulting threats, make up the whole account. Z
On the other hand, the conduct of our government
towards Mexico has been, from the first, frank,
straightforward, mild, consderate, and forbearng.
Patience and forbearance have throughout marked
our intercourse with her; and on question, save
perhaps that of Texas, which, for the moment, we
pass over, has the conduct of our government been
subject to the slightest suspicion reproach, unless
it be for too readily admitting the weakness of her
government and the confusion of her politics as an
excuse for her failing to do justice. The decree Of
the 14th July, lS43 banshing ''all natives Of the
United States" from the departments of California,
Sonora, Sinaloa, and chihuahua the retail law, q
gross violation Of treaty, and productive of great
loss to citizens; the various passport regulations,
many of which extremely vexatious in their char
acter, and also in direct violation of treaty,
intended operate particularly upon ns the runous
oppression of our merchants, of which the case of
MIR. Robinson, our consul at Guaymas, is an exam
ple the death of the captain of the schooner Rich
ard ST. John, at Tampco, caused by an unjust and
grouDdless Imprisonment for purposes of extortion
by the Mexican officers in fact the story of nearly
NH m
and the manner in which the remonstrances of
ministers are treated by the Mexican government
at contrast the conduct of the two governments,
and show that our forbearance has had the effect of
inviting injuries, instead of concilaung the good
viii Of that government or people. n
To trace the course of events up to the present
time and to state all the conspirng causes, would
require too much space for this communication.
But the germ Of the present state Of things is given
in the following extract from notes on Mexico, by
Mr.. Poinsett, made in the autumn of 1922 and be-
fore we had any representative in that country. He
says
here exists with all the governments OF Spanish America
great desire conciate Britain and although the
ments seek uniformly and anxiously to form diplomatic
atons and to connect themselves with that OF Great Britain
They are afraid of power Of thar nation and are aware
that their commercial require the support Of great
manufacturing and commercial people"
I'VE shall CLEAN something Of the commerce OF 'hose
countries, but the harvest will be Tor the British
shall take OCCASION hereafter, to trace the causes
which weakened the attachment, noticed by Mr.. Pom
sett, of the people of Mexico for u.s. and show how,
eventually, their feelings have been turned into the
channel which their masters wished. For the pres
ent, conclude with another extract from Mr.. Van
Buren's despatch to MIR. Butler, Of the 10th October
1899. II is as follows;
"This government, therefore, unable to discover any
grounds on which this hostile proceeding could found
shadow justification Is driven to the unpleasant coneu
sion the result Of sinister nrgues having their
object mislead the Mexican people and to force the
onal government to acts hostility againsta neghbong
nation friendly but jealous of its rights which strong
its desire for peace cannot allow itself to be injured
with IMMUNITY" sas atF -
ag G.. 4
WAsBMeroN, June 5, 1945.
'Ex gr The decree of the li July, 1913, banisbinS
all natives OF the United Staesn from California Sonora
sinaloa and Chhuahua the retail laws and the different
passport regulations. .Iftf