The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-12-17

I
j. by the Plenipotentiaries of the two Govern
d nents, by which provision was made for al
pertaining and paying these claims. In Jan
n uary, 1874, this Convention was ratified b.
G the Senate of the United States with tw
e amendments, which were m nitestly reason
: able in their character Upon reference Q
: the amendments proposed TO the government
e Of Mexico, the same evasions, difficulties ant
: delays were interposed which have so lonl
e marked the policy OF that government toward
: the United States. 1t has not even yet decid
: ed whether it would or would not accede t.
| them, although the subject has been repeat
} eddy pressed upon its consideration.
! Mexico has thus violated a second time the
! faith Of treaties, by failing or refusing to car
ry into effect the sixth article Of the Conven
ton OF January, l843,
Such are the grave causes of complaint on
, the part Of the United States against Mexico
causes which existed long before the annex
alton OF Texas to the American Union and
yet, animated by the love OF peace and a mag
unanimous moderation we did not adopt those
measures of redress which, under such circum-
stances, are the justified resort OF injured la
tons.
The annexation of Texas to the United
States constituted no just cause OF offence to
Mexico The pretence that it did so is wholly
inconsistent and irrcconcilable with well au-
thentcated facts connected with the revolu-
ton by which Texas became independent
| That this may be the more manifest, it may
be proper 10 advert to the causes and to
the history Of the principal events Of that rev.
olution
| Texas constituted portion of Louisiana,
coded to the United States by France in the
year 1903. In the year 1919, the United
States, by the Florida treaty, coded to Spain
all that part Of Louisiana within the present
limits Of Texas; and Mexico, by the revolu-
! ton which separated her from Spain, and
rendered her AN independent nation, succeed
ed to the rights of the mother country over
this territory. In the year 1924, Mexico es-
tablished Federal Constitution, under which
the Mexican Republic was composed OF Il
number Of sovereign states, coniederated to-
gcther in federal Union similar to our own
Each of these states had its own Executive,
legislature and judiciary, and, for all except
federal purposes, was rs independent OF the
general government, and that OF the other
States, as is Pennsylvania or Virg MIA under
our Constitution. Texas and Coahuia united
and formed one of these Mexican States
The State Constitution which they adopted,
and which was approved by the Mexican con-
iederacy, asserted that they we c free and
independent of the other Mexican United
States, and Of every other power and domin-
ion whatsoever; and proclaimed the great
principle Of human liberty that "the sover-
eighty of the State resides originally and es-
sentially in the general mass OF the indiyidu-
ais who compose it."
BY sweeping decree of Congress subscr-
Went to the will of the dictator, the several
State Constitutions we're abolished, and the
States themselves converted into mere depart
mvnts of the Central Government. The peo-
pie Of Texas were unwilling 10 submit to this
uSurpation. Resistance to such tyranny be-
came high duty. Texas was fully absolvcd
from all allegiance to the Central Government
of Mexico from the moment that Govern
ment had abolished her State Constitution, |
and in its place substituted an arbitrary and |
despotic Central Government. !
an revolution. The people Of Texas at once
upon resistance, and flew to arms
In the midst OF these important and exciting
events, however, they did not omit to place
their liberties upon a secure and permanent
foundation. They elected members to Con-
ventioa, who, in the month of March, 1886, |
issued a formal declaration that their "politi- |
cal connection with the Mexican nation has |
forever ended, and that the people of Texas |
do now constitute a FREE, SOVEREIGN, and |
REPUBLIC, and are fully in
vested with all the rights and attributes which |
properly belong to Independent nations -
They also adopted for their governments lib |
eral republican Constitution. About the
same time, Santa Anna, then the dictator of
Mexico invaded Texas with numerous army
for the purpose of subduing her people. and
obedience to his arbitrary and des-
i,otic government. On the 2lst Of April, / $3.50,
he was met by the Texan citizen soldiers,
and on that day was achieved by them the
victory of San Jacinto, by which
they conquered their independence. Con-
siderng the numbers engaged on the respect.
i've sides, history does not record more bril-
liant achievement. Santa Anna himself was
among the captives.
In the month of May, 1886, Santa Anna
by treaty with the Texan
in the most solemn form, " the full,
entire, and perfect independence of the Re-
public of Texas" 1t is true he was then
prisoner Of war, but it is equally true that he
has failed to re-conquer Texas, and had met
with signal defeat that his authority had not
been revoked, and that by virtue of this trea-
ty he had obtained his release. BY it hostil-
tiles were suspended, and the army which had
invaded Texas under his command returned
in pursuance of this arrangement, unmolested,
to Mexico
From the day that the battle of San Jacinto
was fought until the present hour, Mexico
has never possessed the power to re-conquer
Texas. In the language of the Secretary of
State of the United States, in dispatch to
our Minister in Mexico, under date Of the sth
Of July, 1912, Mexico may have chosen to
consider and may still chose to consider Texas
as having been at all times since 1885, and as
stu continuing, a rebellious province; but
the world has been obliged to take a very
different view of the matter. From the time
of the battle of San Jacinto, in April, 1886,