The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-05-22


ing The Mexican government no, only
refused to receive him, or listen to his
propositions, but, after a long continued
series al menaceS, have at last invaded
our territory aud shed the blood Of our
leIIow'cIIlzens on our own soil
1t now becomes my duty to state more
IN detail the origin, progress, and failure
at that mission. In pursuance of the in.
S'rnc'IonS given in September last an IN
curry was made, on the thirteenth of De.
Iober, IN iSi5, in the most friendly terms.
through our consul in Mexico, OF the min.
lister OF iurrlgn affairs, whether the MeA-
lean government "would receive an envoy
tom the unlled States inlru>tcd with full
powers To adjust all the questions in dis
pu'e between the two governments :"
with the assurance that "shou!d the an.
Swcr be IN the affirmative, such envoy
would be Immediately despatched to Mex.
'co. The Mexican minister on the if.
'tenih OF October, gave an affirmative an.
s"er 10 tins inquiry, requesting, at the
same time, that our naval force at Yer,
Cruz might tie Withdrawn lest It's con.
unued presence might assume the appear-
ance ct menace and coercion pending the
negotiations. This force was immediate
~ withdraw. On the lOIh of Novem-
her, 1915, Mr.. John Slidell, of Louisiana,
was commissioned by me as envoy en-
Iraordnary and minister plenipotentary
I oi the United States 10 Mexico, and was
3 lnirusted with tall powers To adjust both
the question Of the Texas boundary and
OF ndemnlicalion to our citizens. The
redress OF the wrongs of our ctlzrns nat
uraIIy and lnseparaby blended itself with
the question of boundary. The settle
menl OF the one question in any correct
view of the subject involves tina, of the
other. could not. for a moment enter.
tain the idea that the claims of our much
injured and long suffering cillzens, many
vi which had existed for more than TWEEN.
~ years, should be postponed, or separa-
ted from the settlement Of the boundary
question.
Mr.. Slldell arrived at Vera Cruz on
the 30th of November, and was cour.e.
ousIy received by the authorities OF that
city. But the government Of Gen. Her
rera was then lettering to It's fall. The
revolutionary party had seized upon the
/ Texas question to effect or hasten lis
overthrow. It's determination to restore
/ friendly relations with the United States,
and to receive our minister, to negotiate
for tie settlement of this question, was
Violently as.ailed, and was made the great
theme Of denuncation against it. The
government of Gen. Herrera, there is
good reason to believe, was sincerely de.
sirOus to receive our minister; but il
yielded to the storm raised By its enc.
mics, and on the 2lst of December relus.
cd 10 accredlt Mr.. SIIIell upon the mos,
frivolous preteXts. These are SO fully
and ably exposed in the note Of Mr.. SIl.
dell of the 24,h Of December last TO the
Mexican minister Of foreign relations.
herewith transmitted, that deem it I'M
necessary TO enter into further detail on
this portion Of the subject.
Five days after the date of Mr.. Slidelrs
note, Gen. Herrera yielded the govern.
ment to Gen. Paroles, without a strug.
gle, and on the 30lh Of December resign
ed the Presidency. This revolution was
accomplished solely by the army, the
people having taken lille par. in the con-
test; and thus the supreme power in
Mexico passed into the hands Of a militia.
~ leader.
Determined to leave no effort untried
to effect an amicabe adjustment with
Mexico | directed Mr.. Slldell to present
his credentials to the government Of Gen.
Paroles, and ask to be officially received
by him. There would have been less
ground for taking this step had Gen. Par.
edes come into power by regular con-
slltutIonal succession. In tina, event his
administration would have been consid-
cred mere constitutional continuance of
the government Of Gen. Herrera, and the
refusal Of the latter to receive our minis.
ter would have been deemed conclusive,
unless all ntlmaliOn had been given by
Gen. Paroles Of his desire 10 reverse The
decision of his predecessor.
But the government Of Gen. Paroles
owes It's existence to military revolu.
ton. by which the subssling cons,ilu.
tonal authorities had been subver,ed
The form Of government was entirely
changed, as well as all the high function.
aries by whom it was administered
Under these circumstances, MIR SlidelI,
in obedience to my direction, addressed
note TO the Mexican minister Of foreign
relations, under date of the LIST of March
last, asking TO be received by that govern
ment in the diplomatic character to which
he had been appointed. The minister in
his reply, under the date Of the l2lh OF
March, reiterated the arguments of his
predecessor, and in terms that may be
considered as giving just grounds Of Of.
fence to the government and people of tie
United States, denied the application OF
Mr.. Slidell. Nothing, therefore, remain