Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-12-17

nature, at an end, and war was the only recourse
oil the Mexican Government.
II appears, also, that on the 4th of April fol-
LOWING General Parodes, through his Minister
OF war Issued orders to the Mexican General
III command on the Texas frontier to & attack"
our army Shy every means which war permits"
10 this General Paroles had been pledged TO
the army AMI people of Mexico during the mil
tary revolution which had brought him into
power. On the 18Th of ApFil, 1916, General
ParedeS addressed Letter he Commander
on that frontier, in ,slli9h is Led to him, sat
the present date aliips ~ the head of
that yaliasE elllle aK already, or
pfella US &c campaign p
aua g !,l,s'a yss lsaay on The theatre of
oP'5asaeaelf a1li 37itl I'll The forces assembled,
tkl@ eAss allat hoStties be common
~ liking the initiative against the
lhe movement of our army to the Rio Gran
aS'was made by the Commanding General UNI
der positive orders to abstain from all aggres-
sive acts toward Mexico, or Mexican citizens,
aud to regard the relations between the two
countries peaceful, unless Mexico should de-
clare war, or commit acts of hostility indicative
of state of war and these orders he faithful
ly executed. While occupying his position on
the east bank of the Rio Graude, within the linn
its Of Texas, then recently admitted as one of
the States of our Union, the Commanding Cen
eral of the Mexican forces, who, in pursuance
OF the orders of his Government, had collected
large army on the opposite side of the Rio
Grande, crossed the river, invaded our terrific
ry, and commenced hostiliteS by attacking our
forces.
Thus, after all the injuries which we had re-
ceived and borne from Mexico, and after she
had lnsultngIy rel ected minister sent to her
OH a mission of peace, and whom she had sol
EMMY agreed to receive, she consummated her
long course of outrage against our country by
commencing an offensive war aud shedding the
blood OF our citizens on our own soil.
The United States never attempted to acquire
Texas by conquest. On the contrary, at an
early period after the people of Texas had a.
chleVed their independence, they sought to be
annexed to the United States. At general e.
lection in September 1896, they decided with
great unanimlly in favor of " annexation ;" and
in November following the Congress of the Re-
public authorized the appointment of a minister
to bear their request to this Government. This
government, however, having remained neutral
between Texas and Mexico during the war be-
tween them, and considering it due to the hon
or of our country, aud our fair fame among the
nations Of the earth, that we should not at this
early period consent to annexation, nor until it
should be manifest to the whole world that tho
re-conquest of Texas by Mexico was mpos-
sihle, refused to accele to the overturcs made
ter more than seven years had elapsed since
Texas had established her independence, treat
was concluded for the annexation eff that Re
public to the United States, which was RE- ected
by the Senate. Finally, OIL the first of March,
1915, Congress passed Joint resolution for all
nexng her to the United States, upon certain
preliminary conditions to which her assent was
required. The solcmnties which characterized
the deliberations aud conduct Of the government
nI ho aSfinr
questions presented by these resolutions are
known to the world. The Congress, the Exc
cutive and the people of Texas, in Conven-
ton elected for that purpose, accepted with
great unanimity the proposed terms at anneXa-
ton and thus consummaed on her part tho
great act of restoring to our Federal Union
vast territory which had been coded to Spain by
the Florida treaty more than quarter Of CEN
fury before.
After the joint resolution for the annexation
of Texas TO the United States had been passed
by our Congress, the Mexican Minister at
Washington addressed note to the Secretary
of State, bearing date on the 9Th March, 1915,
protesting against it rs /" an act of aggression,
the most unjust which can be found recorded in
the annals of modern history namely, that of
deSpoing friendly nation, like Mexico. of
considerable portion of her territory )" and
protesting against the resolution of annexation;
as, an integral portion of the Mexican territory,
is agreed and admitted into the American Un-
ion - and he announced that, a conse-
quence, his mission to the United States had
terminated, and demanded his passports, which
were granted. 1t was upon the absurd preteXt,
made by Mexico, (hersef indebted for her i'll
dependence to a successful reyoution,) that
the Republic of Texas still continued to be,
Notwithstanding all that had passed, a province
Of Mexico, that this step was taken by the Mex
lean Minister.
Every honorable effort has been used by me
to avoid the war which followed but all have
have proved vain. All our attempts to preserve
peace have been met by insult and resistance on
the part of Mexico. My efforts to this end COM
menced in the note Of the Secretary of State
ofthe 10th Of March, 1915, in answer to that of
the Mexican Minister While declining to re-
open discussion which had already been ex-
hausted and proving again what was known to
the whole world, that Texas had long since IA
chieved her independence, the Secretary of
State expressed the regret of this Government
that Mexico should have taken offence at the
resolution of annexation passed by Congress,
and gave assurance that our " most strenuous
efforts shall be devoted to the amcable dust
ment of every cause of complaint between the
two Governments, and to the cultivation Of the
kindest and most friendly relations between the
sister Republics"
That have acted in the spirit Of this assur-
ance, will appear from the events which have
since occurred. Notwithstanding Mexico had
abruptly terminated all dill lonatc intercourse
with the United States, and ought, therefore, to
have been the first to ask for its resumption,
yet, waving all ceremony, embraced the earl
lest favo0able opportunity " TO ascertain from
the Mexican Government whether they would
receive an envoy from the United States en-
trusted with fall mower to aduSt all the nues-