The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-12-19
THE G A L e DON MAN.

lac p.t,re those orders were issued, the dei
na,ch ofour minister to MeXicO, transm'uh
,he decision of the consul of the government
ofMexico, advising should be mol DC teoeMo
and also The despatch of our consul reSiu'h
In the civ af Mexico-tiye former bearing ua'
On The J5tb. md the latter oil The Ieth OF Oe
cember. ls45. copies of both ofwhich accom-
panied INV message TO Congress OF inc 80
of Mny Iast--were received al the IePaIlp',n
of state. These communications rCnuo'. ~
highly probable IL not absolutely cer1HIn, u,u
our minister would not be received Ly ,n
goverpInent-of General Herrera. II was AIS
we'll known that but little hope could be gu
tertained ola different result from GenerH
Paredes, in case the revolutionary movement
which he was prosecuting shonld prove sue
cessful, as was highlyiprobable. The partisnns
of Paredes as our minister, in the despatch
refarred 10. states breathed the fercest hostll-
ity against the United States, denounced Inc
proposed negotiation as treason, and openly
called upon the troops and the people TO put
down the Government ofHerrera by force
The re-conquest of Texas, and war with the
United States, were openly threatened. These
were the circumstances existing, when It was
deemed proper 10 order the army under the
command of General Taylor TO advance 10
the western frontier of Texas, and to occupy
/
The apprehensions ola contemplated Mex
lean invasion have been since fully justified
by the event. The determination Of Mexico
| TO rush into hostilites with the United States
WINS afterwards manifested from rhe whole
tenor of the note of the Mexican minister OF
foreign affairs TO our minister, bearing date on
the twelfth of March 1896 Paredes had
then revoIutionized the government, and his
minister, after referring TO the resolution Tor
the annexation of Texas, which had been ad-
opted by our Congress in March lS45, pro-
ceeds 10 declare that ga fact such as tins, or,
TO speak with greater eXactness,so notable an
act ofusurpation, created an imperions nee,
essity that Mexico, for her own honor, should
repel il with proper firmness and dignity
The supreme government had before hand
declared that il would look upon such an act
as casus belG; and, as consequence OF
this declaration, negotiation was, 10y It's very
nature at an end, and war was the only re-
course of the Mexican Government"
Itappears, also. that on the fourth of April
following, General Paredes, though his min
lister of war, issued orders to the Mexican
general in command on the Texan frontier to
"attack" our army "by every means which
war permits" To this General Paredes had
been pledged to the army and people of Mex
leo during the military revolution which had
brought him into power. On the eighteenth
fApril, 1916, General Paredes addressed
letter TO the commander on the frontier, IN
which he stated TO him, tat the present date
| suppose you at the head of that valiant ar
my,are preparing for the operations ola cam
paign;" and "supposing you already on the
theatre of operations, and with all the forces
assembled, il is indispensable that hostilities
be commenced. yourself taking the initiative
against the enemy"
The movement of our army 10 the Rio
Grande was made by the commanding gener-
al under positive orders TO abstain from all
aggressive acts towards Mexico. or Mexican
citizens; and to regard the relations between
the two countries as peaceful, unless Mexico
should declare war, or commit acts OF hostili-
~ indicative of n state of war; and these
orders he faithfully executed. Whilst occu-
pying his position on the east bank ofthe Rio
Grnnde. within the limits of Texas, then re-
Gently admitted as one of the states of our
Union, the commanding general of the Mex
lean forces, who, in pursuance oft orders
of' his Governments had collected large ar
nv on the opposite shore of the Rio Grnnde,
crossed the river, invaded our territory, and
commenced hostiiities by attacking our for
ces.
The U. States never attempted to acquire
Texas by conquest. On the contrary, at an
chieyed their independence, they sought to
he annexed to the U. States. At general e.
lection in September, 1886, they decided with
great unanimiiy in favor of"arnexation;' and
in November following, the Congress of the
republic authorized the appointment ola
minister, to bear their request to this govern
ment. This government, however, having re-
manned neutral between Texas and Mexico
during the war between them, and consider
ing 1t due to the honor of our country, and
our fair fame among the nations of the earth,
that we should not at this early period con-
sent to anne ation, nor until II should he man.
ifest to the whole world that the reconquest
ofTexas by Mexico was impossible, refused
TO accede to the overtures made by Texas.
On the 18th of April, 1914, and after more
than seven years had elapsed since Texas
had established her independence, treaty
was concluded for the annexation ofthat re-
public TO the u. States, which was rejected
by the Senate. Finally, on the list of March
| 1915, Congress passed joint resolution for
annexing her TO the U. States, upon certain
preliminary conditions to which her consent
was required. The so'emuities which char
acterized the deliberations and conduct of
the government and people of Texas, on the
deeply interesting questions presented by
these resolutions, are known to the world
The Congress, the Executive, and the PEG.
pie of Texas, in a convention elect ed for thai
purpose, accepted with great un'Animity the
proposed terms of annexation; End thus con
summated on her part the greet act of restor
ing to our federal Union vast territory which
had been ceded to Spain by the Florida treat
more than asquarter of a century before.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Parts of the Message are undoubtedly wei
written. hut there are nassa pps sO imDerfac