Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-08-05
APPROXIMATION.
By the General Commanding the Arnv o.
the United States Of America to the Peo
pie of Merico:

pie OF MEXICO:
After many years of patient endurance.
the United States are at length constrained
tn acknowledge that war exists between
our Government and the Government of
Mexico. For many years our citizens
have been subjected to repeated insult and
injuries, our vessels and cargoes have been
seized and confscated, our merchants
have been plundered, manned, imprisoned.
without cause and without PREPARATION. Al
length your Government acknowledged
the justice of our claims, and agreed by
treaty TO make satisfaction, by payment of
several millions of dollars; bat this treaty.
has been violated by your rulers, and the
stipulated payments have been withheld =.
Our late effort to terminate all difficulties
by peaceful negotiation, has been reject
ed by the dictator Parades, and our Minis
ter OF Peace whom your rulers had agreed
to receive, has been refused hearing
He mas been treated with indignity and in
suit, and Paroles has announced that war
exists between US. This war, thus first
proclaimed by him, has been acknowl-
edged as an existing fact by our President
and Congress, with perfect unanimity, and
will be prosecuted with vigor and energy,
against your army and rulers; but those
of the Mexican people who remain neu-
trail will not be molested.
Your Government is in the hands Of tv-
rants and usurpers. They have abolish,
ed your State Government, they have
overthrown your Federal Constitution,
they have deprived you of the right of
suffrage, destroyed the liberty of the press,
despoiled you of arms and reduced you to
a state of absolute dependence upon the
power of military dictator. Your army
and rulers extort from the people by gre
vious taxation, by forced loans and militia
ry seizures, the very money which sustains
the usurpers in power. Being disarmed,
you were left defenceless, an easy prey to
the savage Camanches, who not only de-
stroy your lives and property, but drive in
to captivity more horrible than death itself
your wives and children. It's your military
rulers who have reduced you to this depIo-
rable condition. 1t is these tyrants, and
their corrupt and cruel satellites, gorged
with the peoples treasure by whom you are
thus oppressed and impoverished: some
OF whom have boldly advocated monar-
chical Government, and would place Eu-
ropean prince on the throne of Mexico. We
come to obtain PREPARATION for repeated
wrongs and injuries; we come TO OBJ.
tain indemnity for the past, and Sc
curIty for the future; we come to over
throw the tyrants who have DESTROY.
ed your liberties; but we come to make
no war upon the people of Mexico, mol
upon any form of free government they
may choose to select for themselves. 1t i:
our wish TO see you liberated from des
pots, to drive back the savage Camanches
to prevent the renewal of their assaults
and to compel them to restore to you from
captivity your lost wives and Children
Your religion, your affairs and churches
the property of your churches and cit
zens, the emblems of your faith and it:
ministers shall be protected and remain
invioate. Hundreds of our army, ant
hundreds of thousands of our people, are
members of the Catholic church. ln eve
ry State, and in nearly every city and vii
| age of our Union, Catholic churches exis
and the priests perform their holy func
tons in peace and security, under the sa
cred guarantee of our Constitution W.
come among the people of Mexico a
friends and republican brethren, and al
who receive us as such shall be protected
whilst all who are seduced into the arm,
of your dictator, shall be treated as enc
mics. We shall want from you nothing
but food for our army, and for this yOl
shalt always be paid in cash the full value
1t is the settled policy Of your tvrants +
deceive you in regard to the policy an
character of our government and people
These lyrants fear the example of GU
free institutions, and constantly ende 4
vOr TO misrepresent our purposes, and in
spre you with hatred for our republica
brethren of the American Union. Civ
US but the opportunity TO undeceive you
and you will soon learn that all the repre-
sensations of Paroles were false and wer
only made to induce you to consent t
the establishment of despotic Govern
ment.
In your struggle for liberty with tn
the Spanish monarchy, thousands of OF
countrymen risked their lives and she
their blood in your defence. Our ow
commodore, the gallant Porter, maintaine
in triumph your flag upon the ocean, an
our Government was the first to acknow
edge your independence. With pride an
pleasure we enrolled your name on tn
list of independent republics and sincere
ly desired that you might in peace EMO
all the blessing ola free government. SUI
cess on the part of your tyrants again
the army of the Union is impossible, bi
if they could succeed it would only be