Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-26

States, 10 dlsmember the territory OF Mexicosby
ceding away the department Of Texas. eThsgov.
ernrnens Of Herrera Is believed 10 have beenswell
disposed to pacific adjustment OF existing diff
culties; but probably alarmed for its own security,
and in order TO ward of the danger OF the revo
luton led by Paroles, violated its solemn agree.
ment, and refused TO receive or accredit our min.
lister; and this, although informed that he had
been invested with full power TO adjust all ques
tons in dispute between the two governments
Among the frivolous pretexts for this refusal, the
principal one was, that our minister had not gone
upon special mission, confined to the question
Of Texas alone, leaving all the outrages on our
flag and our ctzens unredressed. The Mexican
government we'll knew that both our national
honor and the protection due to our citiz ems. i'm.
peratively required that the two questions Of boun
Diary and indemnity should be treated OF together,
as naturally and inseparably blended. and they
ought 10 have seen that this course was best cal.
culated to enable the United States to extend to
them the most liberal justice. On the hrIieth
Of December, 1S45, General Herrera resigned
the presidency, and yielded up the government 10
General Paroles without struggle. Thus
revolution was accomplished solely by the army
commanded by Parades, and the supreme power
in Mexico passed into the hands OF military
the United States. '"
Although the prospect Of a pacific adjustment,
with the new government was nnpromisiDg, from
the known hostility Of its head to the United
States, YET determined that nothing should be left
undone on our part to restore friendly. relations
between the two countries, our minister was in
struc:ed to present his credentials to the gov
eminent, and ask to be accredited by it ia the
diplomatic character in which he had been COM
missioned. These instructions he executed by
his note Of first March, 1916. addressed to the
Mexican Minister Of Foreign Affairs, but his re.
quest was Dsultingly refused by that minister in
his answer Of the twelfth OF the same month";
No alternative remained for our minister but to
demand his passports, and return to the United
States. at~' .'. rlrc'..I
Thus was the extraordinary spectacle presented
10 the civilized world, OF government, in viola
ton oil its own express agreement, having twice
rejected minister OF peace, invested with full
powers to edjustl all the existing differences be-
tween the two countries in manner just and
honorable 10 both. am not aware that modern
history presents parallel case, in which, in time
Of peace, one nation has refused even to hear
propositions from another for terminating existing
difficulties between them.
Scarcely hope Of adjusting our Difficult.
ties, even at a remote day, or of preserv.
ing peace with Mexico, could be cherished
while Parades remained at the head of the
government. He had acquired the supreme
power, by military revolution and upon
the most solemn pledges to wage war
against the United States, and TO e.conquer
Texas, which he claimed as q revolted
province of Mexico. He denounced as
guilty Of treason all those Mexicans who
considered Texas as no longer constituting
a part of the territory of, Mexico, and who
we're friendly TO the cause of peace. The
duration of the war which he waged against
the United States was indefinite, because
the end which he proposed, Of the recon
quest of Texas, was hopeless. Besides.
there was good reason to believe, from all
his conduct, that it was his intention to
convert the republic of Mexico into mon-
archy, and to call foreign European prince
to the throne. Preparatory to this end, he
had during his short rule, destroyed the
liberty of the press, tolerating the portion
of it only which openly advocated the
establishment of monarchy. The better
to secure the success of his ultimate designs,
he had, by an arbitrary decree. convoked a
Congressman to be elected by the free
voice of the people, but to be chosen in a
manner to make them subservient TO his
will, and 10 give him absolute control over
their deliberations. ..-
Under all these circumstances, il was be.
lieved that any revolution in Mexico, foun-
ded upon opposition 10 the ambitious pro-
jects of Parades, would tend to promote
the cause of peace as well as to prevent
any attempted European interference in
the affairs of the North American CONT
nent--bo,h objects of deep interest to the
United States. Any such foreign interfer- |
ence, if attempted, must have been resisled4
by the United States. My views upon the
subject were fully communicated to Con.
gress in my last annual message. In any
event, it was certain that no change what.
ever in the government of Mexico which
would deprive Parades of power could
be for the worse, so far as the United States
were concerned. while it was highly proba-
BILE that any change must be for the better.
This was the state of affairs existing
when Congress, on the thirteenth Of May
last, recognized the existence of the war
which had been commenced by the govern
ment of Parades; and it became an object
of much importance, with a view TO a
speedy settlement Of our difficulties and
the restoration of an honorable peace, that
PaI AIDES should not retain power in Mex
leo. ...
Before that time there were symptoms of
a revolution in Mexico, favored, as il was