The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-12-25
Cont med Lran. EnrA Lage.l

49, hcS"Hsc SUM diiFt, uie ticsldPHt III
Texas. in April. lSi5, hal issued his
proclamation conveHiug the Congress OF
INA, republic. Tor the purpose of submit
ting to lha. body the terms of annexali IN
proposed by the U. States, the govern.
mem Of Mexico made serious threats Of
invading the Texan territory. These
threats became more Imposing as il be-
came more apparent, in the progress Of
the question, that the people OF Texas
would decide in favor or accepting the
terms of annexation; and finally, the 8 had
assumed such formidable character, rs
induced both the G ngress and Gown
'ion oil Texas 10 request that military
force should be sent bv the United States
into her territory for the purpose Of GRO
,ecling and defending her acsns, the
threatened invasion. Il would have beer
violation of good faith towards the peo-
pie OF Texas 10 have refused to alT,r,l the
aid which they desired agains. threaten.
ed INVASION. To which they had been ex-
posed by their free determination /, an
mex themselves to our Union. in commit
ance with the overture made 10 them BIZ
the joint resolution Of Congress.
Accordingly, a portion Of the army was
ordered TO advance into Texas. Corpus
Christi was The position selected by Gen
Taylor. lie encamped a, that place in
August. lS45, and the army ronained in
tha! position until the eleventh Of Nav
1916, when il moved westward. and
on he 25th Of that month reached the
east bank OF the Rio Granlc, opposite to
Ma!amoros. This mnvemen, was made
N pursuance of orders from the War De-
partment. issued on the 18th Of January,
1919. Before these orders were issued,
the despatch of our minister in Mexico.
transmitting the decision Of the Council
OF Government of Meyico. advising that
he should not be received. and also the
despatch of our Consu! rrsilng 10 the
city OF Mexico-ihe former bearing date
on the i7th. and the latter on the lB,h of
December, 1915 copies of both of which
accompanied my message to Congress of
the | til OF May llS.-wcre received a,
the Department Of STATE. These commu.
nicalions rendered i! h ghly probable, if
not absolutely certain, tha, our minister
wonld no! be received by the Government
OF General Herrera. IL was also known
that but I!le hope could be eu.artaned
oil a different result from Gen Paroles, IL
case the revolutionary movement which
he was prosecuting should prove succass-
fal as was highly probable. The par,i
Fans of Pareass, as our minister in the
despatch referred to, states, brea,hed the
flercesl hostility against the United States.
denounced the proposed negotiation as
treason, and openly called npon the troops
and The people TO pu, down The Govern.
ment OF Herrera by force. The recon.
quest Of Texas and war with the United
States were openly threatened. These
were The circumstances existing, when
l. was deemed proper to order the army
under the command OF Gen. Taylor to
advance on the western frontier of Tex.
az, and occupy position on or near the
Rio Crande.
The aPprehensions of contemplated
Mexican invasion have been since ruly
justified by the event. The determine.
non OF Mexico 10 rush into hos,iilies
with the United States was afterwards
manifested from the whole tenor of the
note of the Mexican Minister Of Foreign
Affairs to our Minister, bearing date on
the l2Ih MSch, 1916 Paroles had then
revolullonlzed the government, and his
minister. after referring to the resolution
for The annexation Of Texas, which had
been adopted by our Congress in March,
1915, proceeds 10 declare that fact such
as this, or to speak with greater exact
ness, 50 notable an act OF usurpa;ion. Gre
ated an imperious necessity that Mexico.
Tor her own honor, should repel it with
proper hrnness AMI dignity The su.
premc government had beforehand lecllr.
ed tha, II would look upon such an act
as casus 6eW; and, az consequence
OF this declaration. negotiation was, BY its
very nature, at an eAl, and was the only
recourse Of the Mexican government.
IL appears. also, that on the fourth of
April following, General Paroles. through
his minister Of war, issued orders to the
Mexican general in command on the
Texan frontier TO "a,tack" our army "hy
every means which war permits" TO
this General Paroles had been pledge;
10 the army and people of Mexico during.
the military revolution which had brought
him into power. Ga the 18Th of April.
1916, General Paroles addressed a letter
TO the commander on that frontier, in
which he stated to him "a! the present,
date | suppose you a. the head of thai,
valiant army, either fighting al,eady, or
preparing for the operations of cam
paIgn;" and surprising you already on
the theatre Of operations, and with all the
forces assembled, it is indispensable ,ha,
hos,ili.ies be commenced, yourself taking
the initiative agains, the enemy"
The movement Of our army to the Rio
GranlS was mada by the commanding