The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-12-19

1
an our dIihculties At the date Of my anDua
message to Congress, in December last, no doub
was entertained but that he would be received b,
ine Mexic IN government. and the hope was cher
ishe'i that all cause of misunderstanding between
the two countries would be speedily removed. Il
ihe confident hope that such would be the resul
of his mission, Informed Congress that iorb orr
al that time 10 ''recommend such ulferior meas
ures OF redress for the wrongs and injuries we hat
so long borne, as it would have been proper tt
make had no such negotiation been Instituted " Tt
my surprise and regret. the Mexican government
though solenny pledged To do so. upon the arri
val OF our minister in Mexico, refused to receive
and accredi him. When he reached Vera Cruz,
on the 18th Of November, ls45, he found that the
aspect OF affairs had undergone an unhappy
change The government OF General Herrera,
VINO was at that time President of the republic
was totterng tn it. fall General Paredes "a mill.
iary leader) had manifested his determination to
overthrow the government of Herrera by mill.
fsry revolution; and one of the principal means
which ne employed to effect his purpose, and rem
der the government of Herrera ooious TO the arn,y
and people of Mexico, was by loudly condemn
ing ITS determination to receive minister of peace
from the United States alleging that it was the in
tentlon OF Herrera, by treaty with the United
States, to dismember the territory Of Mexico, BY
eed'ng away the department Of Texas The gov
disposed TO pacific adjustment of existing diff
culties; but probably alaimed for It's own security
and IN order to ward off the danger Of the reyolu.
ton led by Paredes. violated its solemen agreement,
and refused to receive credit our minister. and
ths. although informed snat he had been in est.d
WIN iui power to adjust all questions in dispute
oet"eeh the TIC governments. Among the frlv-
oious pretexts Tor this refusal, the principal one
was, that our minister had not gone upon specia
mission, confined TO the question of Texas alone,
leaving all the outrages upon oor Gag and our cit
liens unredressed. The Mexican government
well knew that both our naiIonal honor and the
protection due to our citizens mperativeiy requir.
ed that the Two questions OF boan .ary and Indem-
nifty should be treated Of together, as naturally and
inseParably blended, aud they ought TO have seen
that this course was hest calculated TO enable the
United States TO extend to them the most liberal
justice On the 18th of December, ISI5, Gener.
al Herrera resigned the Presidency, and welded
up the government 10 General Paredes without
struggle. Thus revolution was accomplished
solely by the army commanded by Paredes, and the
supreme power in Mexico passed into the hands of
military usurper, who kno WI to be bitterly
hostile to the Uuied States.
Although the prospect Of pacific adjustment
with the new government was unpromising, from
the known hostility of its head to the UnIted
States, yet. determined that nothing should be left
undone on our part TO restore friendly relations be-
tween the two countries, our minister instruct
ed TO present his credentials to the new govern
ment, and ask to be accredited by il in the diplc-
matte character in which he had been commission
ed These Instructions he executed BY his note
of the first Of March, 1876, addressed to the Mex
ican Minister of Foreign Affairs, but his request
was insultngly refused by that minister ia his an
swer OF che 18th oi the same month. No aterna-
tive remained for our minister hut to demand his
passports, and return to the United States.
Thus was the extraordinary spectacle presented
to the civilized world of a government, in viola
ton of its own express agreement, having twice
rejected minister of peace. invested with full
powers TO adjust all the existing differences be-
tween the two countries in a manner just and hon.
orable to both. j am not aware that modern his
tory presents parallel case, in which, in time OF
peace, one nation has refused even to hear propo-
si,ons from another for terminating existing diff
culues between them.
Scarcely hope Of adjusting our difficulties, even
at a remote day, or of preserving peace with Mex
leo, could be cherished while Paredes remained at
the head of the government He had acquired the
supreme power by military rev volution, and upon
the most solemn pledges TO wage war against the
United States, aud TO reconquer Texas, which he
claimed as a revolted province of Mexico. He
had denounced as guilty of treason all those Mex
leans who considered Texas no longer constitu-
ting part Of the territory of Mexico, and who
were friendly to the cause Of peace. The dura.
ton of the war which he waged against the Uni
ted States was indefinite, because the end which
he proposed, Of the reconquest OF Texas, was
hopeless. Besides, there was good reason to he
lieve, from all his conduct, that it his inten-
ton to convert the republic Of Mexico into mon
archy, and TO call foreign European prince to
the throne. Preparatory TO this end, he had. dur
ing his short rule, destroyed the liberty of the
press, tolersiins that portion of it only which
OPENLY advocated the establishment of monar-
chy The better to secure the success of his ulti.
mate designs, he had, by all arbitrary decree, con-
voked aCongress-not TO be elected by the Tree
voice of the people. but to be chosen in manner
to make them subservient TO his will, and TO give
him absolute control over their deliberations
Under all these circumstances, ii was believed
that any revolution in Mexico. founded upon op-
position TO the ambitious projects OF Paredes.
would tend to promote the cause OF peace as well
as prevent any attempted European interference
in the Affairs of the North American continent -
both objects OF deep interest TO the United States.
Any such foreign interference, il attempted, must
have been resisted by the United States. My
views upon that subject were fully communicated
to Congress in my last annual message. In any
event, 1t was certain that no change whatever in
the government of Mexico which would deprive
Psredes ofpower could be Tor the worse, 80 far as
the United States were concerned, while il was
highly probable that any change must be for the
better
This was the state of affairs existing when Con-
grtss, on the 18th OF May last, recognised the ex
istence of the war which had heen commenced by
the government OF Psredes, and it became an b-
j-ct Of much importance, with view TO speedy
settlement OF our dc uiies and The restoration Of
an honorable peace. that Paredes should not re-
tain power in Mexico
Before that time there were symptoms of a rev.
oluiion in Mexico, avored as It was understood to
be, by the mure liberal party, and especially by
hose who were opposed TO foreign interference and
In the monarchial form Of government. Santa
Anna was then In exile in Havana, having been
expelle,.. from power and banisbed from his coun-
try by re soiuiiou which occurred in December,
ls44: but il was known that he had still consid-
erabIe par,y il h;s favor in Mexico. Ii was also
equally well known that no vigilance which could
be exerted by our squadron would. in all probabil-
ity, have prevented iim from effeciing landing
somewhere on the extensive gull coast OF Mexico,
n he desired to return TO his country. He had
openly professed an entire change OF policy; had