Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-05-16
BY Special Messenger from Washington.
HIGHLY IMPORTANT

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS,
Up to ITS Adjournment. at =, nondsy Evs-
Important Message oCthe President-Meri.
CO and the United States The Country de.
ctared TO be in n state of War. Important
Debate in the Senate-fifiv thousand Vol
Mnieers and ten Millions Of Dollars poted
by the Hause
WAsHINeroN, May 18th. 1876.
81 o'clock, PM.
In the Senate to-day, soon after the reading 20
the journal, the following Message from tho
President Of the United States was received ana
read. The galleries and lobbies were crowded
TO suhocation.
The message, after stating the relations between
the U. s. and Mexico-the mission of Mr.. Slidell
as Minister, and his final rejection, proceeds to
say
In my message at the commencement of tho
present session. informed you that upon the
earnest appeal both of the Congress and conven.
ton of Texas. had ordered an efficient military
force to take position "between the Nueces
and the Del Norte." This hae become necessa.
ry to meet q threatened invasion of Texas by
the Mexican forces, for which extensive military
preparations had been made. The invasion was
threatened solely because Texas had determined,
in accordance with solemn resolution of the
Congress Of the United States to annex herself
to our Union and, under these circumstances, it
was plainly our duty to extend our protection
over her citizens and soil
This force was concentrated at Corpus Christi
and remained there until after had received such
information from Mexico as rendered it probable,
if not certain, that the Mexican government
would refuse to receive our envoy.
Meantime, Texas, by the final action Of our
Congress, had become an integral part OF our
Union. The Congress ofTexas by its act of De-
cember l9th 1896, had declared the Rio del
Norte to be the boundary Of that republic. Its
jurisdiction ha1 been extended and exercised be-
yond the Neuces. The country between that
the Congress and in the convention Of Texas,
had thus taken part in the act Of annexation it.
self, and is now included within one of our Con.
gressioral districts. Our own Congress had,
moreover, with great unanimity, by the act ap.
proved December 3lst, ls45, recognised the
eluding it within our own revenue system; and an
officer. to reside within that district, has been
appointed by and with the advice and consent Of
the Senate. 1t became, therefore, of urgent
necessity to provide for the defence of that por-
ITO" VI --- c"untry. Accordingly, on the thir.
teenth Of January last In... --.;nns were issued
to the general in command OF these troops ~ -.
L.. l-f L. >e L. nal
The movement Of the troops to the Del Norte
| was made BY the commanding general, under
positive instructions TO abstain from all aggres.
| sive acts towards Mexico, or Mexican citizens,
and to regard the relations between that repub-
| lie and the United States as peaceful, unless she
should declare war, or commit acts of hostility
I indicative of state of war. He was specially
directed to protect private property and respect
personal rights.
The army moved from Corpus Christi on the
llth OF March, and on the 2sth OF that month
arrived on the left bank of the Del Norte. oppo
site TO Matamoras, where it encamped on com
manding position, which has since been strength
ened by the erection Of field works. A depo
has also been established at Point Isabel, nea
the Brazos Santiago, thirty miles in rear of tn
encampment. The selection of his position wa
necessarily confded to the judgement ofthe gen
eral in command.
The Mexican forces at Matamoras assumed
belligerent attitude, on the 18th Of April Gene,
al Ampudia, then in command, notified Genera
Taylor 20 break up his camp within twenty-fo,
: hours and to retire beyond the Nueces river, ar
in the event of his failure to comply with thei
dema nds, announced that arms, and arms alon
must decide the question. But no open act
, hostility was committed until the oath Of Apr
/ On that day, General Arists, who had suecee
ed to the command Of the Mexican forces, cor
, munieated to General Taylor tina: "he consid,
ed hostilites had commenced and should proc
, cute them" Apartysaf dragons Of fsiaty.thr
men and officers were on the same day despate
ed from the American camp up the Rio del MOI
on its left bank, TO ascertain whether the Mexic
troops had crossed, or were preparing to Gre
= the river, "became engaged with large be
of these troops, and after short affair, in VIII
some sixteen were killed and wounded, appea
|. to have been surrounded and compelled to
render"
The President then refers to the grevit
wrongs perpetrated by Mexico upon our peo
during long period of years, and our forbt
ance on all occasions, and proceeds'
}. Instead Of this. however, we have been ea
e ing our best efforts to propitiate her good
n Upon the pretext that Texas, nation as indeI
: dent as herself, thought proper to unite its de