Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-24
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l,.,,I :, Ma,;,, uas instructed to inquire OF
,bc Minister of Foreign Affairs whelner lle r.,n,
;can Goyernmenr would receive an Envoy III -,
The United States. with iull powers " aujas.
matters in DISPUTE between The TWO I'D n
Herrera, who was then President Mae mon.nl in
peace, and his Minister answered. oa'
The affirmative. No,ember 1915
The President, therefore, in Nove amUo, erIra,
commissioned MIR. John SiideH - - Ie,;co
entrusted with full mower TO adjust all e1Stlns aIl.
6cullies. MIR. Sidcl arrived at vera H. ua1rara
3Oth OF November. But the government - The
was then in very precafious shua'ion
revolutionary party had seized upon .ne IeAIs
question to iniame The anmosily OF inc Peupie
against Herrera and his soveIin,lIn,en. H..
The most frivolous pretcxts Mr.. Siiaei was d. 'as'
rejected. The government oil he'iea" Wi liz
after overlhrown, because he was am" pa.ados
posed towards The United States dnu : "iso
succeeded him, fully determined y sa.,J ,h .' ,ho
ecu,ion the previous threa; oil Mexico, 'nd' .nc
annexation OF Texas would be signal ior war
against the United States. No wonucl 'nei'' lna'
Paroles also rejected Mr. Slideii, wnen ne pre-
scented his credentials and asked 10 NC ou.C'ahy
received. Paroles, himself, expressly SLAVES tne
reason why he rejected him. he says: ~ me
yery lime MIR. Slidell presented himself The troops
Of the United States occupied cur terri!oIy.
Now Mr. SIdell presented himself inc SUN OF
November 1645, and Gen. Taylor oia MOI tn n1r
from Corpus Christi until the o'n 81 ndIen, io.o
So the expression tour territory mus "eeessA'',
ly have referred u Texas. Inc annexation "
Texas then, together with The Occupation OF u Dy
our lroops was line cause OF Mr.. Sliell's rejection
Bu, 90 further. say, that the very cause mat
induced Paroles 10 reject Mr.. SlideiI, would nave
caused him 10 make war against inc ohi'ed
States, though Gen. Taylor and his army had
been confined TO the heart o. Texas ana nau never
seen the Nueces, much less The RIo Granae.-
Does any one doub, in Let Paroles speak for
himself In his discourse pronounced at The in
srallalion Of The general Congress extraordinary
in Mexico the 9Th of June, lS4O, ne employs Inc
following language: "Wben This administration
came into power il found itself lace 10 lace with
an engagement entered INTO By The preceaing cue
(Herrera'sl 10 receive a minister from The Unite!
States, 10 treat on he Texas question. The 40
yernmenl. firm in lis just cause and resolved
never to yield 10 The spotatioH of that part Of rs
territoru was preparing for war, yet anxious 10
spare il il might, the etuson OF blood, delermih-
Ell TO hear what this PlenipntenIiary hal 10 pro-
pose" Now, Paroles here distinctly declares,
that before Gen. Taylor moved from Corpus
Christi, the Mexican Government was resolved
never 10 Weld 10 the spoiation OF Texas bur was
preparing for +; Tor his administration came
into power" in the fall of l545, some three months
before General Taylor advanced upon the Rio
Grandc. But, "tc make assurance doubly sure,
Paroles proceeded 10 concentrate considerable
number Of forces on The Rio Grande, because Of
his resolution 10 never 'yeld to the spolaion" OF
Texas. In The face. then, ofihe.e facts, the con-
clu,ion is irresistible, that Mexico was bent on
war, and war she would have-and that, too, be-
cause independent Texas thought proper 10 unite
hprS Sfer iirS M NJ
What, therefore, vas the duty Of The President in
this emersency2 Texas having become one
OF the United STATES, The Constitution made II
incumbent On The President 10 extend his protec-
ton over her SOIL and 10 defend her from foreign
invasion. Bn, here an important question arises.
As Texas was threatened with an invasion on the
West, how far did Texas extend in that drec-
toni Now, while not the slightest doubt rests
upon my mind lhalhe Rio Grande is her West
ern boundary, as cur opponents consider II de-
batable question, fur the sake OF argument merely,
lei il he so. As oar soldiers in the battles o the
Rio Grande seizei upon the Mexican cannon
and turned hem against the enemy, so will
now rout our Wig opponents with their own
artillery. We viii suppose, then, that Inc Presi-
dent had instructed Gen. Taylor not 10 advance
beyoId the Nuece., nor 10 consider Texas inva-
ded unless the Mex cans, with an armed force,
crossed that river We have already seen thai
The Mexieans wer concentrating upon The Rio
Grande Tor the purpose Of crossing that river.
We will suppose .hen, that while Gen. Taylor
was stationed on tho Nutces, the MeIicans
should have crossed The Rio Grande-should
have taken possession ot The adjacent country,
and fortified Point Isabel-oi course, in the case
supposed, General Taylor would have had
no authority 10 attack lhem-would the course
OF the President have been approved by The
Whiss2 No-cerainly not They would have
charged him with being guilty OF the mos!
stupendous usurpalion; that although Texas de-
clared in her Declaration OF Independence, and
By an act Of her Congress- that The Rio GfanGc
i nr' western boundary; that although Con
gress had recognized -o~.''., net~>th -
Nneces and the Rio Grande, h. including Il with
in our own revenue sys;cm, the President had,
without any regard 10 The treaty making power,
decided that tie Nueces, and not the Rio Grande,
is the Western boundary OF Texas. Ina, this
would have been The course OF the Wings is evil
dent, from The fact that they have been always
most clamorous in their opposition 10 what they
call the exercise of irresponsible one man pow
cr." We are bound 10 conclude, then that il a
Mexican army had crossed the Rio Grande
while Gen. Taylor was North OF the Nueces, The
Wings would have justified The expulsion OF The
enemy from this disputed ground. But what
reasons would they have assigned for such e1-
pulsion7 shall not answer for the Whigs; but
this is certain. tina, whatever would have justified
The expulsion OF the Mexicans from this disputed
territory, justified the occupation OF il 10 prevent
them from coming on il.
GILES OF AMELIA.