Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-12-11

in which the country west Of that river was
represented. In view OF all these facts, it is
difficult TO conceive upon what ground II can
be maintained that, in occupying the coL1try
west of the Neuces with our army, with
view solely to its security and defence, we IN
vaded the territory of Mexico. But 1t would
have been still more difficult to justify the Ex-
eeutive, whose duty it is to see that the. laws
be faithfully executed, if in the face OF allthes
proceedings, both ofthe Congress OF Texas :, q
of the IT, S., he had assumed the responslblh-
ty of yielding up the territory west OF the
Neuces to Mexico, or of refusing to protect
and defend this territory and its inhabitants,
including Corpus Christi, as well as the re-
mainder of Texas, against the threatened Mex
lean invasion.
But Mexico herself has never placed the
war which she has waged upon the ground
that our army occupied the intermediate ter
ritory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande.
Her refuted pretension that Texas was not IN
fact an independent State, but rebelllous
province, was obstinately persevered IN; and
her avowed purpose in commencing war
with the United States was to reconquer lex
as, and to restore Mexican authority
ces only. but to the Sabine In view of the
proclaimed menaces of Mexico to this effect, l
deemed it my duty, as a measure of precau-
ton and defence, to order our army to occupy
a nosition on our frontier as a military post,
from which our troops could best resist and re-
mel anv attempted invasion which Mexico
might make.
| -,,oc@ nf fl,o NuncaS 2S early as
| August. 1845, without complaint from any
ouapter. Had the Neuces been regarded as
the true western boundary of Texas, that boun-
darv had been passed by our army many
months before it advanced to the eastern bank
| of the Rio Grande In my annual message OF
December last l informed Congress that, upon
the invitation of both the Congress and Con-
yention of Texas, had deemed it proper to
order a strong squadron to the coasts OF Mex
| leo. and to concentrate an efficient military
| force on the western frontier of Texas, to pro-
tect and defend the inhabitants against the
| menaced invasion of Mexico. In that mes
sage informed Congress that the moment the
| terms of annexation offered by the United
| States were accepted by Texas, the latter be-
came so far part OF our own country as to
make it our duty to afford such protection and
defence; and that for that purpose our squad
ron had been ordered to the Gulf, and our ar
my 'sto take position between the Nueces
| and the Del Norte," or Rio Grande, and "to
| repel any invasion OF the Texan territory which
might be attempted by the Mexican forces"
It was deemed proper to issue this order,
because, soon after the President OF Texas, in
| April, 1915, had issued his proclamation con-
vening the Congress of that republic, for the
purpose of submitting to that body the terms
of annexation proposed by the United States,
the government of Mexico made serious threats
of invading the Texan territory.
These threats became more imposing as it
became more apparent, in the progress OF the
question, that the people of Texas would de-
eide in favor OF accepting the terms of annex
alton and, finally, they had assumed such a
| formidable character, as induced both the Con-
gress and Convention Of Texas to request that
military force should be sent by the United
States into her territory for the purpose of pro-
tectng and defending her against the threaten
ed invasion. It would have been violation
of good faith towards the people of Texas to
have refused to afford the aid which they de-
sired against threatened inv9s on, to which
they had been exposed by their free determi-
nation to annex themselves to our Union, in
compliance with the overture made to them
by the joint resolution of our Congress-
Accordingly, portion of the army was or
dered to advance into Texas Corpus Chris
ii was the position selected by General Tay-
lor He encamped at that place IN August
1915, and the army remained in that position
until the eleventh Of March, 1916, when il
moved westward, and On the twenty -eighth OF
that month reached the east bank of the Rio
Grande opposite to Matamoras. This move
ment was made in pursuance OF orders from the
war department, issued on the thirteenth of Jan
nary. 1916. Before these orders were issued
the despatch of our minister in Mexico, trans
hitting the decision of the Council of Govern
ment of Mexico, advising that he should moi
be received, and also the despatch of our con-
sui residing in the city of Mexico-the for.
mer bearing date on the seventeenth, and the
latter on the eighteenth of December, 1845
copies of both Of which accompanied my mes
sage to Congress of the eleventh of May las
were received at the Department of State
These communication rendered it highly pro
babIe, if not absolutely certain, that our min
lister would not be received by the Govern
ment of General Herrera. 1t was also wei
known that but little hope could be entertain
ed of a different result from General Paroles
in case the revolutionary movement which hi
was prosecuting should prove successful, a:
was highly probable. The partisans of Pare
des, as our minister, in the despatch referre;
to, states, breathed the fercest hostility agains
the United States, denounced the proposed ne
gotiation as treason, and openly called upo1
the troops and the people to put down tn
government of Herrera by force. The recon
quest of Texas, and war with the United States
f were openly threatened. These were the Cir
cumstances existing, when it was deemed pro
per to order the army under the command o
General Taylor to advance to thewestern from
tier of Texas, and occupy position on or nea
the Rio Grande
The apprehension of contemplated Mexi
can invation have been since fully justified BY
q, the event The determination of Mexico to rusl
into hostilities with the United States was af
E forwards manifested from the whole tenor o
the note of the Mexican Minister of Foreigl
l Affairs to our minister, bearing date on tn
e twelfth of March, 1916. Paroles had the
revolutionized the government, and his minis
ter after referring to the resolution for the an
/ nexation of Texas, which had been adopte
: by our Congress in March, 1S45, proceeds t
!, declare that s'a fact such as this, or, to spea
: with greater exactness, so notable an act c
: usurpation, created an imperious necessity thi'
\ Mexico, for her own honor, should repel
e with proper firmness and dignity. The Su
1 preme Government beforehand declared tina
n it would look upon such an act asi ca
: sus belli and, as a consequence of this dc