Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-04-29
Our Mexican Relations.

manner which is calculated to arouse the
pride and indignation Of our people Our
government will, no doubt, in its own
good time ascertain all the facts Of the
transaction from Mr.. Slldell himself,
weigh its duty to itself and to the world,
and decide what course it owes to its
honor, and to it's right. The Executive
will take all proper time to make up its
opinions, and recommend the proper
measures for their adoption to the Congress
OF the United States. ..... ...
Meantime we are furnished, through
the Mexican prints, with the correspon-
dece which has closed the negotiation
between our minister and the Mexican
minister Of foreign relations. We lay
them this evening before our readers
They will be particularly struck with the
dignity and ability which have through>
out characterized the conduct Of Mr.. Sis
dell, as we'll as with the eophisms which
WE emanated from the Msxican minis.
The world will see how fiimsy are the
exceptions which the Mexican governs
meut have taken TO the reception Of Mr..
Slidell. They profess themselves willing
to treat with him as Texan negotiator,
but not as envoy extraordinary and min
lister plenipotentiary, to adjust all the
points of difference between the two
countries again into collision' Where
is the wisdom of this course? Can we
permit our citizens to be cut off from the
indemnify to which they are entitled by
specific treaty1 Can we permit their
unsettled claims to remain unadjusted
forever? Where 10 the wisdom of this
species of nego:iation' Why try to
close up one breach, and leave others to
remain open at the hazard of involving
the two countries in future wars Be-
sides, as our minister justly remarks
"rhe Mexican government cannot
shift the responsibility of war upon the
United States. by assuming that they are
the aggressors. A plain unanswerable
fact responds to all the subtleties and
sophistries by which it is attempted to
obscure the real question. That fact is,
the presence in Mexico Of a minister Of
the United States, clothed with full powsr
to settle all the questions in dispute bst'0sen
the two nutio,ss, and among them that of|
Teas. Their complaints are mutual; the
consideration Of them cannot be seperated,
and they must be settled by the same nego.
tiation, or By the arbirament ohich Mersco
herseJ has elected"
Another objection trumped up by the
Mexican minister to a negotiation with
Mr.. Slidell is, that "a part other terri-
tory is occupied by the soldiers of a
nation who intends, without any right
whatsoever, to make herself master OF;
because her ports are closed by the
squadrons Of that same nation" And
again he remarks-''the United States,
which, under frivolous pretexts, avoid
the conclusion Of an adjustment, and at
the same time that they-propose peace,
order their squadrons and their troops to
close our ports and invade our frontiers;
and now require Of US an impossible
humiliation, in order to have pretext,
if not motive, to enter upon hostilities." "
A similar insinuation is thrown out in
the denunciatory proclamation Of Gen.
Paredes, which we published yesterday.
Will the Mexican government please to
recollect how grossly regardless these
statments are ofthe factss We withdraw
our sduadrons from Vera Cruz. when
Mr.. Sldell arrived in Mexico, about the
5th Of December. Our troops did not
advance en- inch towards the Rio Grande.
The negotiation opened under these au.
spices. That government, however, be-
gan to sophlslicate, and show an unwill>
ingness to receive our minister.
These were under the government Of
Herrera, just reelected President Of the
republic. We demonstrated against his
discourtesy, and he answered our expos
tulations by menaces Of war. But these
not being violent enough, revolution
broke out under Paredes with pronunci-
amentos breathing mere defiance, and
bolder threats OF war against the United
States. What course were we to adopt?
Whilst our minister was communicating
with his own government, about his re-
ception, we heard rumors that even his
person might be in danger. War was
threatened against everything American.
We knew not when the blow might fall
upon Texas. upon our citizens IN Mexi-
CO, our commerce on the seas--evsn up
on our minister. In the midst of these
revolutionary symptoms. what were we
to do? Wehave advanced our troops on
our own soil upon the banks of the Rio
Grande, to look after the Mexicans, who
threatened US from Matamoras. We
sen. a small squadron to protect Out
minister and our countrymen, both by
sea and land. Our troops and our
squadron were distinctly instructed to
respect the rights of the MsxIcans-to|
use no force-not 10 fire gun except
we were attacked. Our minister was de-
tanned in Mexico--we spared no means
10 adjust the differences with Mexico
we risked even little character lest we
might shut the door too hastily, and cut
off the last hope Of negotiation. 1t was
pot m intimidate Mavico than as ParaS