Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-12-22
FROM THE NATIONAL INTELLIoENcEn.
MIR. SLIDELL'S MISSION AND THE WAR.

The "Union'' defends its attack upon Mr.. Cla
for that passage of his late Speech in which he .
luded to Mr.. Slidell's Mission, with so much ten
city as to satisfy that there is design on foot
mystfy that whole matter. This impression
confirmed by the way i'm which the same passag
is referred TO in Louisville paper, CHE Courier
which, in stating the objections of the war party
Mr. Clay's speech, exhibits the same purpose I
discredit the averment Of Mr.. Clay, to the effec
that whilst Mr.. Slidell was yet acting in diplo
matte capacity in Mexico, the order was issued b.
the Executive for marching the army of the Unite,
States into the territory of Mexico west of the true
9 line of Texas. We feel ourselves bound, there
fore, TO correct the fresh into which the gu
nlon' has fallen in reply to The material part
of its last article is as follows:
''The application of Mr. Slidell to be received
by Mexicol in his diplomatic capacity, was at
once referred by President Herrera to his govern
ment council for their decision upon the question
On the 10th Of December the council rendered their
J'nel Negative dccision,' which Mr. Slidell, in
despatch under date of December II, communica-
Ted to the State Department here. This despatch.
ascertaining Mr. HidelPs rejection, was received
in Washington before the order directing General
Taylor to move towards the Rio Bravo was issued
on the 18th of January"
| The despatch of Mr.. Slidell of the 18th Of De-
/ cember, lS45, may may not have been received
III Washington -hoEero .ho oiier ipL question -rde
given 10 Gen. Taylor. Whether it was or was
not is of no consequence for that despatch does not
communicate any such thing as the final determ-
nation Or the Mexican Government not to receive
MIR. Sidell.. The despatch lies before u.s. as COM
munlcated by the Executive to Congress. We
have read 1t over carefully and the nearest approach
Mr.. SIdel makes to the pretended fact of his final
rejection is in the following sentence:
"a refusal TO treat with, or crei, to receive me
at all IN the only capacity of Minister Plenipo-
| Tertiary, Sc in which am authorized 10 act.
Lace
| q ought perhaps to say probable) euens. This
is contingency" sc.
| An event which was merely opossibleO or at
most ''probable" could not of course haze occur
red. The Government Of Mexico had not, there
fore, finally rejected Mr. Slide the 10th of De-
cember, at the date of Mr.. Slides despatch of
the 18th December. This Government, therefore,
most certainly, had information at the date of its
order to Gen. Taylor OF the refusal by the Mexican
Government TO receive Mr.. Slidell.
We have before us also Mr.. Secretary Buchar>
ans despatch In answer to this very despatch Of
Mr.. SlIdel, which shows the ground taken by tho
Union" to be utterly unsustainable, and esab-
fishes beyond doubt that the statement of Mr. Clay
That the order to march to the Rio Grande, Sc was
given before the Mexican Government had made
any final decision the subject, is as true as the
fact itself is important We quote from tho de-
spatch OF MIR. Buchanan follows:
'yEr. buchanan to Mn. !SidcN
"DEPARTMENT OF STATE;
Washington, January 90, 1876
Your dispatches Nos. 2 and 5, under date, re-
spectlveiy, the o0th November and Eth Decem-
her, have been received and shall await the, ar
rivai OF others by the fPorpoise' with much solicit
tude. Should the ,tienicnn Government Ely FINAL
LY REFUSING TO RECEIVE you, consummate the
act OF folly and bad faith of which they have af-
iorded such strong indications, nothing ,ciH THEN
remain J0r This Government bat to take the re-
dress Of the 'grongs Of its citizens into its orn
! hands.
SIN tie event Of such refusal, the course which
you have determined TO pursue is the proper
| 'One,'' SC.
SIN the mean time, the President, IN ANTIGUA
TON OF The jinal refusal Of the .Mercan Gopern-
ment TO feceiUe you, has ordered The arny Of Tea
as TO ADVANCE and take position on The left bank
OF the Rio Grande; and has directed that a strong
jeei shall be in,gediately assembled in Ms Gulf
VIII the 'Union,'' in the face of tbs evidence.
persist in its assertion that the order for the Army
TO march TO Mexico was 81 ven after the President
had received news of the refusal by the Mexican
authorities to receive Mr. Slidel2
| Does the Editor fthe ''Uniono want more evil
dence cot the same sort?'' In his own columns.
under date Of May 10 1896 is 10 be found another
despatch from Mr. Buchanan to Mr.. Slidell da,ed
on the twenty of January-fifteen DAYS after
the date OF the order to Gen. Taylor-which con-
tains these expressions: ''.Sho.tLd however, the
Mexican Government finally refuse 20 receiye
you ;" "you should wait patiently for final de-
cison on The question Of your reception; - after
this StO,lM the Mexican Government fnaItu re-
fuse 10 rcceiVe you, SC.
In the same paper we have despatch from Mr.
Slidell himself, dated at Jaapa, February 6-three
weeks after the order TO Gen. Taylcr-in which no
says:
''Since my despatch to tie 18th ultmo TJanua-
I'ry nothing has occurred 10 indicate the course
likely 10 be taken by the existing Government as to
my reception, but think it will be mainly con-
tToiled by the aspect CT the Mexican question"
1t was not until the fifteenth of Mafcii-t,so
,cIoIe months after the date of The orders to Gen
Taylor-that Mr.. Slidel was finally refused to be-
received in the capacity of Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plonpotenary by the Mexican Cow
er0ment, which refusal was officially communicated
to Mr. Buchanan in despatch of Mr. Slidell, da-
ted March iS, 1916.
SEVERE, BUT JUsT.-The n. Y. Tribune men
tons an incident which occurred in the Circuit
Court OF that city on Wednesday, in which a man.
summoned as juror, was severely reproyed by the
Court for making frivolous objections or excuses in
reference TO performing jury duty. Judge HIRAM
GRAY presided, ard the juror having exhausted al
most every suberluge, the Judge called him up in
open Court and thus addressed him:
''You have several times yesterday and to-da
asked the Court to excuse you from serving on tho
Jury, and have as often rendered different excnse
| have finally concluded to comply with vour re.
0uc -lrfu of 6 q,