American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-12-12

commenced hostilIties, and to adjust these
questions was the avowed object Of the propos-
ed negotiation. II is, then, with no little as
| tonishment that the President has perceived
from the communication of his excellency that
the Mexican government had 80 far misappre-
hended the meaning of the undersigned as to
suppose that this government either desired or
intended to withdraw from the negotiations for
peace the causes, on either side, which led To
the existing war, and 10 consider them merely
'as thing that is past and belongs to his
tory" Very far from it. THIS would have
teen TO abandon the just and acknowledged
claims of our INF red citizens, for violations OF
their personal liberty and seizures of their pro-
perty, continued throughout many successive
| years, and which, in the opinion of President
Jackson, so long ago rs February, 1897, would
| have justified "in The eyes of all nations, i'm
mediate WaIn
This misapprehension on the part OF the
Mexican government appears the more re-
markabe as it is an inference drawn by them
from that part Of the note Of the undersigned
most conciiatory in its character. In this note,
which was intended as mere preliminary TO
the opening Of negotiations, it was desirable to
avoid all irritating topics. For this reason the
language employed was: "Ia he present COM
tend to delay or defeat the restoration Of peace.
The past is already consigned to history; the
future, under Providence, IS within our own
power" And yet it is from this las sentence,
disconnected from all which precedes it, tnat
the Mexican government have inferred a dis
position on the part Of the government Of the
United States TO AVOID, in the progress OF the
negotiation, the discussion oil the questions out
of which the war originated 1t is NEST GER
tain that no such disposition exists; aud Ms
undersigned feels assured that he need add no.
thing more TO convince the Mexican govern
menl that, in this particular, they have placed
an erroneous construction upon his Ian
guage.
Conscious that in making the overtures for
peace no has performed hug duty, the Presi-
dent will now await with patience and with
hope The final decision Of The Mexican govern
ment.
In making this overture thus early, he was
in no small degree Influenced by The conside-
ration, that the longer the war shall lust The
greater will be the difficulty Of concluding a
satisfactory peace, Oh account Of the heavy m,
creased expenditure which lis continuance will
render indispensable. He will, however, hold
himself always ready to terminate it upOn
principles of impartial Justice. Having, in the
first instance, used all proper efforts to avoid
hOStilities, and having now proposed to open
negotiations for the conclusion of a Just and
honorable peace, nothing is left for hun but to
acquiesce in the decision communicate ed by
your exceency, that, until changed by the
act Of the Mexican Congress, the relations be-
tween the two countries will remain EN- the
same state in which they were found by his
| exceency the commander-in chief OF the lIbe-
rating army. when he took charge of the exc.
cutive power of the nation" la the attitude
thus assumed by Mexico, the United States can
appeal to the whole world that 10 alternative
remains for them but to prosecute the war with
vIgor until the disposition which they haveso
signaIy manifested TO bring it to a speedy ter
mlnation shall be met by corresponding SEN
timent on the part of Mexico, and the negola-
ton which they have invited shall be brought
to happy conclusion.
The undersigned avas himself of the pre-
sent occasion to offer to his excellency the min
lister Of foreign affairs of the Mexican republic
the assurance of his most dlstingu shed cons'
deralion.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
Department of State,
Washington, 26th Sept, l846.