The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-12-25

The Unit,d s ates never attempted 10
acquire Texas by conquest. Ga The con
rarv, at az early period, after the people
of Texas had achieved their irdepend.
ence, they sou- hl 10 be ann"Xed 10 the
United S,aes. Alta general c!Sction in
September, 1895, lhey decided "tth great
unanimi'v IN favor &c "auuexa,ion = and
IN n vcmh,r following, the Congress at
HE replb!l, authorized the appointment
Of a minister /, bear their rrQac,t tn this
Iio,t7nmnnl. This Government, how
ever, having remained neutral be,"eon
Texas and Mexico, during The war be-
tween them, ami considering ii due to ihe
honor ni our country, and our lair tame
among the nations OF the earth, that we
should no, a, this early period consent to
annexation, nor until il should be mani
fes, 10 the whole world that the recon
quest OF Texas by Mexico was impossi.
Bile. refused 10 acceGe the overturcs made
Ivy Texas. On the l2h Of April, 1874,
and after moe than seven years had etap-
srd since Texas had established her In
dependence. a treaty was concluded Tor
The annexation of that republic 30 the
United States, which was iOec,ed by lle
s na,e Finally, On HE hrs, If Norch,
1915. Congress passed JOINT reso'n'Ion
Tor anncxing her to the United STATES.
upon certain preliminary conditions Ia
which her assent VS. req aired. The So
lenni,ics which characterized he Gelitcr-
atinne and conduct Of the government and
people OF Texas, on the deeply interest
~ questions presented by those resolu-
lions, are known to the world. The
Congress, the EXccalivP, and The people
or Texas, IN convention elected for that
purpose, accepted with great unanimi'y
The proposed terms of annexation; and
thus consumn aed on her par, the great
ac, OF restoring to Our federal Union a
vast territory. which had been coded 10
Spain hy the Florida treaty, more than a
quarter OF a century before.
After the JOINT resolution for The annex.
alton of Texas to the United States had
been passed by our Congress. the McXi.
can Minister a, Washington addressed a
note to the Secretary Of State, bearing
date on the sixth Of NJ Tch, 1915, pre-
testing against itas "an act Of aggression,
the most unjust which can be found re-
corded in the annals Of modern history,
namely I; that Of dcspoiIng friendly ma
lion. like Mexico, Of considerable pnr-
lion Of her terTilory;' and protesting
against the resolution OF annexation, as
being an act "wierety the province OF
Texas, and integral portion Of the Mezl-
can territory, is agreed and admitted INTO
the American u ion :" and lie ann un-
ced that. as a consequence, his mission
10 the United States had terminated, and
demanded his passports, which were
granted. Ii was upon the absurd pre-
text, made by Mexico, (herseli indebted
Tor her independence to successful rev
olulion) that lie republic Of Texas still!
continued to be, notwithstanding all tina,
had passed, a province of Mexico that
his step was taken by the Mexican min
ister.
Every honorable effort has been used
by me TO avoid the war which followed,
but all have proved vain. All our attempts
TO preserve peace have been met by in
suit and resistance on the part Of Mexico.
Ny efforts to this end commenced IN The
note Of the Secretary of State Of the tenth
of March, 1915, in answer to that of the
Mexican minister. Whilst declaring to
reopen discussion which had already
been exhausted, and proving again what
was known TO The whole world, tia; Tex
as had long since achieved her inlepen-
dence, the Secretary Of State expressed
the regret of this government that MeXl-
co should have taken offence al the reso-
luton of annexation passed by Congress,
and gave assurance that our "most siren.
nous efforts shall be devoted TO the ami
cable adjustment, Of every cause of CON.
plant between the two governments, and
to the cultivation # the k,ndest aud most
friendly relations between the sister re-
publics "
That have acted in the spirit Of dis
assurance, will appear from the events
which have since occurred, Notwllh.
standing Mexico had abruptly tcrmroa,ed
all diplomatic intercourse with tie Unl-
TED States. AMI ought, therefore, TO have
been the tlrs, io ask for its resumption,
yet, waving all ceremony, embraced
the earliest favorable opportunity "to as
certain from the Mexican Government
whether they would receive an envoy
from the United States intrusted with tall
power to adjus all the questions in dis
pu,c between the Two governments. Ia
September, lSi5, believed the rropi.
,ious mnmcn, for such and overture had
arrived. Texas, by the enthusiastic aud
almos, unanimous will Of her people, had
pronounced in favor of annexation Mex
leo herself had agreed TO acknowledge
the indie, cadence Of Texas, subject to a
condition, il is true, which she had no
rigl, to impose and no powor to enforce
The last lingering hope Of Mexico, il she
sill could have retained any, that reXa,