The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-10-06
SPEECH OF NIX. JOHN A. DIX,


or NEW YORK,
an RIM 10 snab. The President Of the United States TO take
temporary military occupation Of fueaia'
In SENATE MAY II, ls4S
Mr. DIX said
NJ par,mEsr 4: | said Yesterday, when | offered the
amendment which you have just announced as the question
Sr,, TO be decided by the Senate should be quite willing
H., ,be vote should be taken upon II without discussion
@ that il the debate proceeded, should have something
20 saw in support Of my notion md the whole subject
10 10 be further discussed and many inquiries have been
addres me- by members OF this BODY IN relation 70
h narcuIar object of the amendment, that feel myself
called on to explain it. l SHALL at the same nme avail
myself of the opportunity to make some remarks upon the
General question In doing feel that shall labor
Under some disadvantage, wss not present during the
first week the discussion and have not had time aimee TO
ssd the printed report; that it is possible may, in the
remarks shall make cover ground which las already bsen
The question presented to US by the bill consider
ing is no, itself very simple one and it appears to me
thai converted perhaps not unnecessarily, into
one Of sll greater compexy shall endenvor, in what
have to say dvest of some at least OF its complications
The STATE of Yucatan is distracted by internal Con-
ac between the different classes OF which her popula
non consists She has applied and to other nations
for aid and she tenders her political sovereignty to any
Power which will take her under its protection Sir there
n be no higher evidence of the hopeessness of the cond
ton to which she reduced and recollec no other in
stance in modern times, least in which State has offer
ed to surrender nationality foreign Power, for the
purpose of being protected against ITSELF The President
has called our to the subject in special message
and think he would have been ndefensble 1t ne mad not
done He submits proposition to us, but leaves to
the judgment of Congress to determine what measures shall
be adopted to prevent Yucatan from becoming the colony
of European Power and the white race from ex
termination expulsion. The COMMITTEES on Foreign Re
aons of the suggestion of the President has
repored bill authorizing him to take temporary posses
sion or occupation of the country, and providing arms
munitions war; ordnance and troops for that purpose
The first suggestion which occurs to us s that this IL an
internal dispute in which, under ordinary circumstances
we could properly take part We insist on the prlnc-
pie of non-inervenon in the affairs of other independent
States We hold every violation of this principle to be an
offence against the order and the common tram
ouly of civilized society. We insist upon its observance
BY other nations Our first duty, them observe 1t our
selves
Is there anything in the peculiar relations of Yucaan to
the United States and Mexico which would authorize us
to nterpose and perform high duty of humanity with
out violating the rule have statedi Upon the solution
of this question: the proprety of interference MAIN
" depends. In my Judgment from the examination
which have been able give to the subject the clrcum
do warrant interference, In some efcient
mode and shall be happy If can succeed IN making TINS
conviction as apparent mind OF the Senate 1t is to
my own In attempting to do so, will be necessary to
examine the relations past and present. OF Yucaan to Mex
ico and the existing relations OF both to u.s.
Yucaan believe, comprehended in the vice
royalty of Mexico under the old Spanish dominona all
events excepting for purposes of She was under
separate government captan-generalcy, and commu-
nicaed directly with the of Madrid. In 1921, she
succeeded establishing her Independence without the aid
of Mexico and when the empire formed under ltur-
the fall of lubide, and the dissolution of the EMPIRE she
again independent When the constitution OF 1874
was adopted by the United Mexican States, she became
member of the confederation with the distinct declaration
that her connexion with should continue only long
that constitution preserved involate In 1884, when
the constitution Of 1921 subvered by Santa Anna she
became independent third time. But army was sent
against her by Santa Anna believe under the command Of
his bother-n-aw Merida the capital was aken her mill
tia dsbanded of her principal citizens banished and
she was in fact reduced the condition of military des
,npdcr the anh OrItV nj he
Mexico. The attempt was made on Texas, who was
happily successful than her southern sister In repe!n
This state of things continued until 1910, when Yuoatan
threw off her subection proclaimed her constitution and
on the point of declaring her Independence, when
negotiation was entered into with Mexico, which re-
suited in l84I in treaty, leaving her part of Mexico,
but with separate respect TO her consttu
ton and laws and believe especially in regard to her
which left independent of the general
system Of the republic This treaty, though executed by
commissioners both sdes and agreed to by Yucatan,
ratified by Mexico; and IN 1872 another army
sent into Yucatan Merida was again invested Gam
peachy bobarded for several MONTHS but the fol-
lowing year, the Mexican forces defeated or with
drawn and the close Of l843 she became again united
Mexico with reservations OF sovereignty beyond
those possessed by the other Mexican States In conse-
quence of the bed faith of the Mexican government and
the differences that constantly spnngIng up between
them she declared the first of January lo46 the con-
nexon dissolved and March of that year, when war
between the United States and Mexico considered I'M
mnen refused furnish and money on the requi-
on of the central government In August 1910, ABOUT
two months after the commencement OF the war an extra
ordinary Congress convoked Yucaa chiefly through
the influence of friends of Santa Anna, who then In
Cuba and by majority of vote he was declared to be
the President of Mexico This Decree however, soon
after annued and the declaration of the first Of January,
S46 revived and ratified with the popular sanction
From the of the therefore, except for
the very brief period have menoned Yucatan has MAN.
tanned attitude of strict neutrality
Notwithstanding these repeated changes, doubt whe-
her the of the political relation of Yucatan with
Mexico be considered complete Her withdrawal from
the Union has been sanctioned by Mexico nor Is
quite apparent that her POSITION past present. carries
with the attributes of effective and unqualified indie
pendence In qualified sense indeed, she may be saId to
have been independent but have constantly treated her
part of the Mexican republic, though abstaning from
Of hostility against her of her refusal to take
part in the war against She complains that while not
considering her enemy, we have nevertheless not
treated her friend neutral. We have occupied the
port of Laguna the island of Carmcnonc OF the islands
which nearly shuts lake Terminus from the southern
portion of the Gulf of Mexico The ground Of this occu
patton, on part was, that trade in conraband was
carried between that port and Tabnsco which was hos
tile to US, and which borders on lake Terminus
Such them is the political condition of Yucaan in
tegra portion of Mexico having no active participation II
the against u.s. and MAINTAINING for the most part,
strict neutrality. The peculiar relation In which fucaar
stands Mexico and u.s. undoubtedly complexities thu
question Of interference in her domestic AFFAIRS W.
have entered into a treaty with Mexico; and although W.
are not permitted here speak definitely with regard to III
shpuatons, enough has been made public IN legitimate
way show that precluded from undertaking any
hostile enterprise against any portion Of the Mexican terri
tory people, An armstice has been agreed on, and Il
now force preparatory the evacuation of the country
In the treaty ratified. These facts have become
matters of public nooriety, not through the action OF TIM
body but through the Of the governments, egit
ma,ey performed in execution of the preliminary articles
agreement Under these circumstances, 1t appears to