Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-02-02


wade and seize upon our soil, and did actually
cross our Western boundaries, attack our men,
and murder our citizens before an American
sword was drawn from lis scabbard and
The weli-lousht battles Of Palo Alto and Re-
SAGA dc la Palma, which took place a short
time alter The removal OF our army 10 The
Rio Grande, prove, most inconlestab.y, that Mr..
Polk was right in his "aprIehensions OF con-
Iempaled Mexican invasion;" and had he, in
view ofall The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of hostility on
The part ci Mexico, (Which he has so clearly sci
lorlh in his message "lad The nallering JUNCTION
10 his soup that all poriended no ev-had lie
suffered himself 10 b. lullcd into false belief OF
security against The weakness Of Mexico" and
have made no preparation 10 resist threatened
invasion, we'll might the American people have
demanded his Impeachment, according 10 The or
ganic law'oi The land
But alter ALL II seems, according 10 The re-
viewers town showing" that the war was not
caused al last by The removal OF our army To The
Rio Grande, but that il grew out OF "silly blum
del" on The part of Mr.. Polk "upon point Of eli
-9uene," relating 10 the character The mission OF
MIR. Sldcll, or perhaps, Qor the Reviewer
does not seem 10 be certain which, out
Of an uawifiingness on The part of Mr.. Slide "lo
dock his tail of some OF lis srpeInuous feathers"
And he does so discourse "o'er his exteriors with
such greedy intention, thai The appetite of his
pen does seem 10 scorch him up like burning
glass" And he no doubt would have left him
entirely taliiess but for fear OF mixing his own
supc,fucGs ta'e even more 50 than that of Mr..
SlihclI-and lest, also, he might tail To give 10
MIR. Poll. The full measure OF his deserts; for he
endcavorS 10 convict him III further "misrepre-
senlalion and ialsehood' in regard 10 this matter
also; ard in doing so, he enters into very learn
ed dissertation TO show The difference between an
Envoy or Minister PIenipolenliary and Com
missioner, from which we dednce-thal. il Go
vernnen vest one OF her citizens with p'cnarv
porcys 10 negotiate with foreign Stale, touching
matters IN Dispute between them, mat such
Phnipo'tatiary has no authority IN nrgoiiatc
about any thing; and that The Government
10 which he is sent ought no. 10 arcredil him,
because that wond I've rccogniiion on her
part OF fie'ldiV rciations between the two Co.
yernmens, which ought 10 be negavcd IN peace
as rel as ~ 1ear. And 10 prove Iia, This is The
position Of the reviewer, lei Us look lor one mo-
m'nt 10 what he says.
Mr.. Sldell was commissioned as Envoy OF
Minister 10 Mexico, with tall powers 10 adjust
Ill guestioas IN dispute bctrec c fice Governments
And yet, according 10 the reviewers mod Of rea-
sonlng, he could not lreal with The Mexican Co
vernment about the difficulties growing out oil
the question OF annexation" because his powers
were plcnary as 10 all on Sims in clspulc, and
mol restricted 10 the particular question OF an
ncxaton. The absurGity VI such proposition
requires no demonstration.
But The Review says tha, the recco,ion OF
"FuH Minister" is recognition OF friendly reia-
lions between Tie Two Governments aud that iot
This reason Mexico could mol have received Nj.
Slideli; and as we were mol al war with Mexico al
that ime the reviewer OF course means 10 say that
il is proper 10 negative The idea Of fiend,y reia-
toas in peace as well as in war-a principle
which am sure is opposed 10 tie polio which
our Government has always pursued and q tina,
also which even Mexico has pypies;ed IL pr,sne.
But, why is lir Polk again charged with ,!e-
ccpiion and ialsehpnd ? Because he says aiat
Mexico agreed 10 receive IN Envoy from The U
States, entrusted with "fnH pcmcrS 10 ddjus Ill
ne gu,aions in dispute between lh- lro Govern
menis," whcn, according ID lie reviewer, she only
agreed 10 receive IN commissioner 10 sele an or.
,aing dispute about bonnda,p?" Now, how Mexi
co could have agreed To receive 4 commissioned
10 seIlle dispute ahou: matter concerning
which there had been and was 10 ccniro-
ver>v, is TO, easy 10 determine. And
rs he reviewer has undertaken Ia say for
.EcricO, that she did agree 10 receive a com
missioner 10 adjust paittenicr dispute obout
boundary, il is certainly incumbent upon him 10
about bopndary-for Mexico, upon her rejection
OF Mr.. Siell, did not consent 10 inform us what
il was-ana ! am sure hat Mr.. Polk is wholly
Ignorant in the premises But what was il hat
Mexico did really agree 10 do? Il was enquired
Of her hy Mr.. Polk whether she would receive
an "Enr0y from The CGited .St0tcs, entrusted tciM
fuN para 10 adjust all lie gucsi0qs in dispute be-
trcen Inc tro Governments" And The reply
was, that sic rra5 disposed 10 rccciuc The comnls.
sioacr Of The United States, who may come TO this
capital wuh Jul poper 10 settle Tic present. dispute"
She agrees then 10 receive 'fhe commissioned, !"
with lu power 10 settle lie present. dispute
What Commissioner did she mean2 She evidently
refers To some particular commissioner, il there is
any meaning in words; and as this was said in
reply 10 letter in which particular minister
(or commissioned, il The reviewer please is re-
ierred TO- how could Mr.. Polk come 10 any other
conclusion than that she had given Favorable
response" and would accredit an envoy IRON
him vested with full powers 10 sellle the questions
nj present. dispute between The two Governments
Can i be said tina, The Mexican minister used
the word commissioner in different and more
restricted sense than that which he placed upon
The word "cnvoy," used by Mr. Buchanan and Mr..
Blackl Such presumption could mol arise
even if he had used The words a commissioner in.
scad oi The commissioner, which must cvi.ienlly
word envoy would define, or else The letter Of the
Mexican minister's iargon. An envoy isdefned
10 be "a person depuled By Prince or Govern
mcnt 10 negotiate treaty or transact other bust
ness win a foreign Prince or Govern
menu ard the word is usually applied TO a
''pnblic minister sent on a special occasion."-
And This was The sense in which Mr.. Polk used
the word, and is the specified character OF the
mission oil Mr.. Sldell, and OF the commission
under authority of which he pre- onled himself al
the Mexican capital And the pecial purpose
of his particular mission was to adjust with the
Mexican Government The various questions Of
The then present dispute between The Two Govern
menlS To do this satisfactorily, he must OF ne
cessly have been clothed with plcnary powers,
and therefore il i, that he was commissioned as
plenipclenisIy. And in this he would have
lrudddn precisely in The footsteps Of such men as
Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, James Bay
ard and Albert GallaIin, who were clothed and
commissioned with just such powers as we're en-
trusted To MIR. Slidel-and who, as plenipo;eniia-
ries, Or commissioners il the reviewer prefer il, J
had almost an Infinite variety oi questions in
volving matters Of the then present. dispute be-
tween the Two Governments, about which 10
negotiate and come 10 terms OF adjustment
and there was no necessity, then, for Mr..
Slide TO dock his tail" in order 10 dimi-
nlSn MS Statue ~ mat Ol Inc DISTINGUISHED
negotiations of the treaty of Chem; and il the
Mexican Government, had displayed the same
noble ana liberal spirit towards Mr. Slidell as the
English Government did towards Msssrs. Clay,
Adams, BayaI and Gallalin, she would nave
received him and used all honorable efforts to adj
just The val ous questions in dispute between US;
and snch as could no! be adjusted they would have
reserved, as the English and American plenipo-
tenliaries did, fer future negotiation. But il is
said, thai 10 receive ia resident minister" is re-
cusntion oil friendly relations, and as applied 10
Mexico, il of course means that if she had re-
ceived Mr.. Slidel,, il would have been an admis-
sion on her part that there we're no questions be.
tween thai Government and Ibis 10 settle Well
This is really a "novey in diplomacy" 10 me.
and ought certainly 10 be regarded as "poinl Of
etiquette" only, upon which no nation would be
Unsuitable in refusing an amicabe settlement Of
The difficulties in which she may he involved
There might be some force, however, in This OBJ
lection, ii we had been actually involved in war
with Mexico, and MIR. Siiell had been sent 10
that Government, under commission a. envoy, or
"t,A minister" without reference 10 the accom-
rlishment of any particular Objects bn only 10
communicate with our Government in relation 10