Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1848-02-16

PRESIDENTS MISREPRESENTATION
OF SANTA ANNA.
1 s.. Laes 4doMse Of Representative offhe u. s.:
have carefully considered the resolution
OF the House Of Representatives Of the 18th
INST. requesting the Precedent to commu-
nicate 70 that House .tany instructions
when may have been given to any Of the
oflcers Of the army OF navy of the United
states, or other persons, in regard to the re-
turn Of President General Lopez de Sapta
Anna, or any other Mexican. to the Reoub-
lie of Mexico, prior or subsequent TO the or
der ofthe President or Secretary Of War.
liesucd ia January, 1916, fer the march Of
the army from the Nueces river across .tthe
stupendons deserts" which intervene 10 the
Rio Grande;s that The date OF all such in
sirnctions and ofders issued to Mr. Slidell,
at any time prior or subsequent to his de-
partnre Tor Mexico, Us minister plenipoten-
tiary OF .ha United States to that republic -
and requesting tho President also to ..com-
mu.ilcate allthe orders and correspondence
J or the government in relation to the return
OF Gen. Paroles to Mexico"
| transmit herewith, reports from the
1 Secretary of State, the Secretary Of War,
land the Secretary of the Navy, with the
documents accompanying the same, which
contain all The information in possession OF
the Executive which is deemed compatible
with the public interests 10 communicate,
/ For further information relating to the
return OF Santa Anna to Mexico, refer
you to my annual message of December 9Th
4 1915. The facts and considerations stated
in that message induced the order Of the
Il Nee % of hos go ~ h.
our squadron in the Gulf of Mexico--a COP
4 y of whichis herewith communicated
Il This order was issued simultaneously will,
the order to blockade the COAST Of Mexico
both bearing date the l3ih of May, 1916,
the day on which the existence of the war
with Mexico was recognized by Congress.
It was issued solely upon the views of pol
icy presented in that message, and withuut
any understanding On the subject, direct or
indirect, with Santa Anna O. any ether per
son. 4.
y General Paroles eyajed the vigilance o!
our combined forces by land and sea. and
f made his way back to Mexico from the ex-
lie into which he had been driven, landing
at Vera Cruz. after that city and the castle
OF San Juan d'Ulloa were in our military
occupation, as will appear from the accom-
: panying reports and documents. .#
The resolution calls for tho Instructions
, and orders issued to i:Is. Side!, at any time
prior or subsequent to his departure for
Mexico as Minister Plenipotentiary of the
, United States to that repubic.'' The Gus.
tomary aud usual reservation contained in
calls Of either house OF Congress upon the
Executive Ter information relnting to our
intercourse with foreign nations has been
, omitted in the resolution before me. The
call OF the House is unconditional. 1t is
/ that the information requested b. commu
nicated, and thereby be made pablo. wkesh
+ err, in the opinion of the Executive, who is
! charged by the Constitution with the duty
OF conducting negotiations with foreignpow.
ers, such Inflammation, when disclosed
would be prejudicial to the public interests,
= or not 1t has been subject Of serious de
/ Liberation with me, whether could, con.
sistently with my constitutional duty and
my sense of the public interests involved
and to be affected by it. violate an impor
tant principle, always heretofore held by
my predecessors, as should do by com.
plance with the request Of the House.
PRESIDENT Washington. in message t
the House Of Representatives of the 3Otl
OF March, 1895, declined to comply with a
request contained in resolution of tina.
body, to lay before them ga copy Of the in.
) Estractions to the minister of the u. States
who negotiated the treaty with the King o.
Great Britaln"-'together with the cores
pondence and other documents relative t.
: Inc said treaty, excepting such Of the SAID
I papers as any existing negotiations may
: render improper to be disclosed In az.
! signing his reasons for declining to comply
: with the coil. he declared that L" the nature
OF foreign negotiations requires caution and
: their success must often depend on secrecy;
ana even when brought to conclusion, q
iull disclosure of all the measures, demands
, an eventual concession, which may have
oecn proposed or contemplated. would be
: extremely lnpolitic; for this might have
, pernic.ons influence on future negotiations
or produce immediate Inconvenience, per
: haps danger and mischief, in relation L
other powers. The necessity Of such eau
tioh ana secrecy was one cogent reason 70
vestl1g the power OF lnnking treaties in The
r PRESIDENT, with the advice and consent O
0 the 'oenate; the principle on which thu
/ oody was formed. combining it to a small
!. number Of members To admit. then.
I fright IN the House Of Representatives to de
7 mano, aud to have, as a matter Of course
all the papers respecting negotiation will
. I" 4'oAS !ph power, would De 10 establish
!. dangerous precedent" In that case tn
instructions and documents called for rel.
! ted to treaty which had been conclude,
d and ratified by the President and Senate
a and the negotiations in relation to it ha,
: been terminated. There was an expires
& reservation, too, Excepting" from the cal
and such papers as related to "any existin,
i negotiations which it might be imprope
: to disclose. In that case, President Wash
ihgton deemed IT to oe violation of an i'm
portant principle. the establishment of
i dangerous precedent, :" and prejudicial t
> the public interests, to comply with the ca
= Of the House.
{. Without deeming it 10 be necessary, o
g the present occasion. To examine or iecid
} upon the other reasons assigned by him, fc
his refusal 70 communicate the informa,io
- renIlestsd hrrf l,a IIx,.,se,