Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-12-17


sion.
But Mexico herself has never placed the
war which she has waged upon the ground
that our army occupied the intermediate terri
tory between the Neuces and the Rio Grande.
Her refuted pretension that Texas was not IN
fact an independent state, but a rebellious pro-
vince, was obstinately persevered in; and
her avowed purpose in commencing war
with the United States was to reconquer lex
as, and restore Mexican authority over the
whole territory-not to the Neuces only, but
to the Sabine. In view of the proclaimed
menaces of Mexico to this effect, deemed it
my duty, as measure Of precaution and de-
fence, to order our army to occupy position
on our frontier as military post, from which
our troops could best resist and repel any at
tempted invasion which Mexico might make.
Our army had occupied position at Cor
August, l645, without complaint from any
quarter. Had the Neuces been regarded as
the true western boundary of Texas, that
boundary had been passed by our army many
months before it advanced to the eastern bank
of the Rio Grande. In my annual message
of December last, informed Congress that,
upon the invitation of both the Congress and
Convention of Texas, had deemed it proper
TO order strong squadron to the coasts of
Mexico, and to concentrate an efficient mill
tary force on the western frontier Of Texas, to
protect and defend the inhabitants against the
%I,,o r. Il,
sage informed Congress that the moment the
terms of annexation offered by the United
States were accepted, the latter became so far
a part of our own country as to make it our
duty to afford such protection and defence
and that for that purpose our squadron had
been ordered to the Gulf, and our army ''tC
take position between the Neuces and the
Del Norte,'' or Rio Grande, and s'to repeI
any invasion of the Texan territory which
might be attemptedby the Mexican forces"
1t was deemed proper to issue this order, because
soon after the President of Texas, in April, 1S45
had issued his proclamation convening the Con
gress of that Republic, for the purpose of sub
mitting to that body the terms of annexation pro-
posed by the United States the Government Of
Mexico made serious threats of invading the
Texan territory.
These threats became more imposing as it be-
came more apparent, in the progress of the ques-
ton, that the people of Texas would decide in
favor of accepting the terms of annexation; and
finally, they had assumed such formidable char
acter as induced both the Congress and Conven-
tion of Texas to request that a military force
should be sent by the United States into her ter
ritory for the purpose of protecting and defend
ing her against the threatened invasion. 1t
would have been violation of good faith toward
the people of Texas to have refused to afford the
aid which they desired against threatened in.
vasion, to which they had been exposed by theil
free determination to annex themselves to oul
Union, in compliance with the overture made tc
them by the joint resolution of our Congress.
Accordingly, a portion of the army was order.
ed to advance into Texas. Corpus Christi was
the position selected by General Taylor He
encamped at that place in August, lS45, and the
army remained In that position until the 11th Of
March, 1916, when it moved westward, and or
the 2Sth of that month reached the east bank o.
the Rio Grande opposite to Matamoras. This
movement was made in pursuance of orders from
the War Department, issued on the 30th of Janu.
ary, 1916. Before these orders were issued, the
dispatch of our minister in Mexico, transmitting
thedecsion Of the Council ofGovernment of Mex
leo, advising that he should not be received, and
also the dispatch of our consul residing in the city
of Mexlco-the former bearing date on the l7tl
and the latter on the 18th December, 1S45, cop.
les of both of which accompanied my message tc
Congress of the 1lth of May last-were received
at the Department of State. These communica
tons rendered it highly probable, if not absolute
ly certain, that our minister would not be receiv
ed by the General Government of General Her.
rera. 1t was also well known that but little
hope could be entertained of different result
from General Paredes, in case the revolutionary
movement which he was prosecuting should prove
successful, as was highly probable. The parti
sans OF Paredes as our minister, in the despatch
referred to- states, breathed the fiercest hostility
against the U. States, denounced the proposed ne
gotlation as treason, and openly called upon the
troops and the people to put down the government
of Herrera by force. The re-conquest of Texas
and war with the u. States, were openly threat
ened. These were the circumstances existing
when it was deemed proper to order the army
under the command ofGeneral Taylor to advance
to the western frontier of Texas, and occupy {
position on or near the Rio Grande.
The apprehensions of contemplated Mexi
can invasion have been since fully justified BY
the event. The determination of Mexico to rusl
into hoStllitles with the u. States was aflerwart
maitested from the whole tenor of the note of tht
Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs to our min
lster, bearing date on the 18th of March, 1916
Paroles had then revolutiolized the Government
and his Minister, after referring to the resolution
for the annexation of Texas, which had beer
adopted by our Congress in March, l845, proceeds
to declare that 'a fact such as this, or to speal
Wtli greater exactness, so notable an act of usur
pau )n, created an lmperiouS necessity that Mexl
co, or her own honor, should repel it with prop
er frmness and dignity The Supreme Govern
mer had beforehand declared that it would ool