The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-10-16
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
SATURDAY NIGHT, OCT. Is, ls47.


III our uucle IN lbufsdays union we ulsposeu vi
Mr.. Websters third "preext' and "after- thought
third in his orier OF arrangement, first in oursthe mat
ter OF the claims Of our citizens upon Mexico. We
proved concusvey that they were neither ''pretexs
nor afterthoughs put forth by the President in JUST
hcaon OF the war 'no than it declared"
asserted by Mr.. Webster And therefore the logical
induction necessarily followed that, respect to the
claims, Mr. Webster had wlfully misrepresented and
illuminated the President We were particular 10
charge him with wlfuiy disappearing the President
because he pretended to refer to "facs and crcum-
stances IN proof OF the Misrepresentation and calum
MES which he had thus deliberately, and ''wih malice
aforethought," uttered and published as the truth
We will now examine his credibity with regard to
the second 'pretert" and "after- though" which he
alleges the President put forth in justification of the
"no sooner than it declared" and which, being
"pretext," of course falsely and frauduenty put
forth to deceive Congress and the country That 'pre
text and afer thought was, the refusal by Mexico to
receive minister out by the President settle our
difficulties with that power
The first point of inquiry is, whether the President
ever assigned the refusal OF Mexico to receive Mr. Sill
DELL the minister alluded to- as cause or preiex' in
justification of the war And. in reference to this matter
them we must find these pretexts" and after
thoughts" if they be found any where. We first
fer his annual message communicated Congress
the I'd day of December 1915, and there find that the
President notifies Congress that he has sent an envoy
extraordinary and minister plenipotenary Mexico,
clothed with full powers adjust and denitively settle
all pending differences between the two countries" and
he adds the minister appointed has out his mis-
sion, and is probably, by this time, the Mexican
capital"
Thus does the President notify Congress that he has
commissioned and minister to Mexico, clothed
with full powers to settle all the difficulties between the
two countries.
The result of that mission is well known. The
Mexican government refused to receive the minister,
according its previous agreement; and he returned
home without accomplishing any part of the object OF
his mission The fact of this refusal by the Mexican
authorities to receive minister, sent to Mexico for
the express purpose of peaceably settling difficulties
with that power and the total failure of the mission
was communicated to Congress by the President in his
war message OF May nth, 1885, which before the
war was recognised or declared By Congress, and, OF
course no after thought" Did he assign this refusa
on the part of Mexico to receive minister as cause
or pretext' in justification OF the war Let us
what he saws in reference to this matter He introduces
it as follows:
sThe strong desire to establish peace with Mexico lib
era and honorable tems and the readiness Of this govern
men to regulate and boundary and other
of difference with that power, such fair and equitable
principles as would lead permanent relations Of the
friendly nature, induced in September last seek the
reopening of diplomatic relations between the
tries Every adopted part had for its OBJ
ec the furtherance of these desired results In commune
ameuf of he piur
which we had suffered from Mexico and which have beer
accommodating during period OF more than twenty
every expression that could tend nane the people
Mexico, defeat delay pacific result, carefully
avoided envoy Of the United States repaired Mex
co with full powers adjust every existing difference
But though present the Mexican SOIL by agreement be
tween the governments invested with full powers
uidence of the friendly dispositions his mission
has been unavaiing. The Mexican government only
refused receive him. listen to his propositions but
ong-contnued series Of menaces, have Inst invaded
our territory and shed the blood OF felowczens
our own SOIL"
The President then proceeds to give minute history
of the origin and progress of the mission to its final ter
minaon by the refusal the part of Mexico receive
our minister, in violation of solemn agreement to tina
effect and the return Of Mr. Slidell to his own country
and then closes that topic Of the message the following
language
"Thus the government of Mexico, though solemnly
pledged by official October last receive and ac
credit American envoy violated their pghted faith
and refused the offer of peaceful usment OF our diff
cues. Not only the offer rejected but the ingnity
of its rejection enhanced by the manifest breach OF
faith in refusing to admit the envoy, who because
they had bound themselves receive him. Nor be
said the offer fuess from the opportun
ty of discussing it. Our envoy present their own
soil Nor be ascribed of sufficient powers
Our envoy had full powers adjust every question of diff
ference. Nor there for com plant that our propo
a
given envoy to make any proposition what
Nor it be objected that we part would
listen any reasonable of their suggestion The
Mexican government refused all negotiation and have
made proposition Of any kind"
And that is all the President says about the mission
in his war message. Now, is there anything to b.
found in the passages which have quoted to the eff
feet that the refusal of Mexico to receive our mini
was cause or "pretert' in justification of the war
Not word. In the message of May 18th, 1916, the
President put the no such ground, but upon the
fact Gas Mr. Webster, with truth for once, says) that
Mexico had commenced the war by invading terrific
ry and shedding american blood upon American soil
We again copy the passage which we quoted in our last
article. The President says:
'But now after reiterated Mexico has passed
the boundary United States has invaded territory
and she'd Amerc blood upon the American soil She has
proclaimed hostties have commenced, and that the
two nations now at war
GAS war exists and, Notwithstanding all our efforts tc
avoid it, crisis By the act of Msrco herself we are called
upon, by every consideration of duty and PATRIOTISM tc