The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-11
rwENTY-SINTH CONGRESS.
First session.
Mo.pAr, Nay II, lS+6.


~ ~hish ~as rad BY me Secretary Of the Senate,
q foIlo~s
n ~ Sssss 81
Hs~- Il Representative
The sxisting sss q ne rsianoos bst~een the
Uni,sd sa.As. AID Msx,eo. r,Pdsrs n proper that
COagrsss In my sse-.~xs al ihs commencement
q yosf psessa ssmSa. The ss.ls a. tss.s relations
the causes ~heh - N ne sa.psnsisa % DIPLOMATS
,stssoour-s bst~ssa ths TOO eoaairsas In March,
lstS, and ths Ieas-osnnnss< and snredse.sed
wFoars and nisr.s COMMITTED By the Mexican
Soysramtui On su1.as ~ tAs usissa ss.l~. N sAss
persons aid Prop~ry. ~sr ersssy 80 feuh.
AZ the fsrts and esssieas ~hssh ~ers thsn lad
bsf0ss yoa ~ss o.r~fsEy ecn.adenvd, ! cannot bss-
tee sxps.-~ my psss~~i osusssssss ~ me coalition
q sa.ifs sp % 49, a@s, sA~n by rrssrnas yoa 10
The stseee ass.rs - s.s.l.s.h p.aas With
Mexico, Sa hb~s.l and hoassabls Isssas, and The
readiness % this government % rsxalsls and
adjust oaf boundary. and othss eaasss of daf-
ference s'tA that ps~s. Ga sseh hir sad squiss-
bic Pnneiples 9. you'd l-~d N Tsr~sssni relations
q The most frsnaly nature ,naaesd IN sspasm.
Der last 10 sork the reoVsniag a diplomatic rela.
uons Aet~eea the t~o osuniuss. Every measure
adopted on our psr had Coz a. obisni tho farther
snos of ths-s desired rs-a,.. "a communicating N
Congress saeosnci statement ~ ths ,ajur,es Which
we had suffered hem Mexico, and ~h'oh have bssh
accumuaiins during period % more lhan twenty
years, every expnessson that could land IN lnfame
the people 81 Msxico, os defeat or delay pacrhe
result, carefully avoided. An envoy % the
United States rpairsd 70 Mexico Wiih fall powers
to adjust every ssisuag difference. But though
present on the Mexican soil, by agreement between
the two governmental, invested with foil powers,
and bearing evidence Of the most friendly dispos,.
lions, his mission has been unayailing. The Mex
can government only refused 70 receive him, oF
listen his propositions but, after ong-eohtinusd
series Of mensees, have AT last Invaded territory
and shed the blood Of our felloS-oitEsns our
soil.
Il nov becomes my duty TO state more IN detail
the origin progress, and failure Of that MISSION. IN
pursuance Of the instructions given Ia September
last, an inquiry made on the thirteenth Of De-
tober, In ls45, the most friendly terms, through
consul IN Mexico, Of the minister Of foreign AZ
fairs, whether the Mexican government would re-
ceiye an envoy from the United States intrusted
with full powers to adjust all the questions in dis
pute between the two governments" with the assu-
that should the answer be IN the affirmative
such an envoy would he Immediately despatched 90
Mexico" The Mexican minister, on the fifteenth
of October, gave an affirmative answer TO this in.
qulry, requesting al the same time, that our naval
force at Vera Cruz might be Withdrawn lest It's con-
tnued presence might assume the appearance Of men,
and coercion pending the negotiations. This force
was Immediately Withdrawn. On the 10Th Of Noyem-
Der, lS45, Mr.. John Sidel Of Louisi, INA, was com.
missioned by envoy extraordinary and minis
ter penipotentiary Of the United States 10 Mexico,
and was intrusted with full powers 10 adjust both
the questions Of the Texas boundary and Of indem-
MITIGATION our citizens The redress Of the wrongs
of citizens naturally and inseparably blended T..
self with the question OF boundary. The settlement
of the question in any correct view Of the sub
ject involves that Of the other. | could not for n
moment, entertain the idea that the claims OF our
much injured and long suffering citizens, many Of
which had existed for more than twenty years,
should be postponed or separated from the settle.
ment Of the boundary question.
Mr.. Sldell arrived at Vera Cruz on the Both
of November, and was courteousy received
by the authorities of that city. But the government
Of Of General Herrera was then toteIng to its fall
The revolutionary party had seized upon the Texas
question to effect hasten its overthrow. It's de-
termination to restore friendly relations with the
United States, and to receive minister to nego-
late for the settlement Of this question, was violent
ly sssaled and was made the great theme of denup-
citation against it. The government Of General
Herrera, there is good reason to believe was sim
cerely DESTROYS to receive minister; but il yielded
to the storm raised by its enemies, and on the 2lst
of December refused to accred Mr.. Slidell upon the
most frivolous pretexts. These are so fully and
ably exposed in the note of Mr.. Sidel of the Gath
of December last to the Mexican minister Of foreign
relations, herewith transmitted, that deem it unpe-
cessay to enter into farther detail this portion of
the subject.
Five days after the date of Mr.. Sidelrs note
Gen. Herrera yielded the government to Gen. Pa
redes without a struggle, and on the Both of De-
cember resigned the presidency. This revolution
accomplished solely by the army, the people
having taken little part in the contest and thus the
supreme power in Mexico passed into the hands of
a military leader.
Determined TO leave no effort untried to effect an
amicable adjustment with Mexico, I directed Mr.. |
Slidell to present his credentials to the government,
Of Gen. Paredes, and ask to be officially received
by him There would have been less ground for
taking this step had Gen. Paroles come into power
by regular constitutional succession. In that
event his administration would have been consd-
cred but mere constitutional continuance of the
government Of Gen. Herrera, and the refusal of the
latter to receive our ninister would have been
deemed conclusive, unless an intimation had been
given by Gen. Paroles Of his desire to reverse the
decision of his predecessor.
But the government Of General Paroles owes its
existence to military revolution, by which the
subsisting constitutional authorities had been sub.
verted. The form Of government was entirely
changed, as well as all the high functionaries by
whom it was administered
Under these circumstances, Mr.. SlidelI, in ODE
dence to my direction, addressed a note to the
of the ls of March last asking to be received hv
that government in the diplomatic character 20 which
he had been appointed. This minister in his re-
ply, under date of the 18th Of March, reiterated the
arguments Of his predecessor, and in terms that
may be considered as giving just grounds of offence
to the government and people of the United States,
denied the application Of Mr. Slideil. Nothing
therefore, remained for envoy but to demand his
passports and return To his country.
Thus the government of Mexico, though solemn
y pledged by official acts in October last to receive
and accredit an American envoy, violated their
pghted faith and refused the offer Of a peaceful
adjustment Of our difficulties Not only was the
offer rejected, but the indgnity of its rejection was
enhanced by the manifest breach Of faith in refusing
to admit the envoy, who came because they had
bound themselves to receive him. Nor can IL be
said that the offer frutsss from the want Of on
portunity Of discussing it: envoy was present
on their own soil. Nor can it be ascrbed to want
of sufficient powers our envoy had full powers to
adjust every question Of difference. Nor was there
ment were unreasonable permission was not even
given our envoy to make any proposition whatever.
Nor can it be objected that we, on our part, would
not listen to any reasonable terms Of their sugges-
ton: the Mexican government refused all negotia
ton, and have made no proposition Of any kind.
In my message at the commencement of the pres-
ent session. j informed Won thai .ra. lie .az-...