Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-02-19
The Prosoc0l subject.
WASHINGTON, Feb. s, 1875

10 the House OF Representatives. Of the u. States.
In reply to the resolutions of the House Of
Representatives, Of the 9TH instant, commulli-
cate herewith report from the Secretary OF
State, accompanied with all the documents and
:. correspondence relating to the treaty of peace
l. concluded between the United States and Mexi-
: CO, at Guadalupe Hidalgo, Oh the 81 Of Februa-
nv, 1913, and to the amendments OF the Senate
> thereto as requested by the House in the said
resolutions.
Amongst the documents transmitted will be
found u copy OF tho instructions given to the
!: Commissioners of the United States who took to
Mexico the treaty as amended by the Senate
In my message to the House of Representatives
- of the Goth OF July, 1S4s gave as my reason
for declining to furnish these instructions in
compliance with d resolution of the House, that
Gin my opinion it would be Inconsistent with the
public interest to give publicity to them at the
spresent time1 Although it may still be doubt
ed whether giving them publicity i'll our own
y country, as necessary consequence i'll Mexico,
may not have preiudicial influence pub
lie interests, yet as they have been again called
for by the House, and called for in connexion
with other documents to the correct understand
ing Of which they are indispensable, | have
=. deemed it my duty to transmit them
still entertain the opinion expressed in the
message referred to, 1'that, as general rule sp-
plicabe to all cur important negotiations with
Foreign Powers, it could not fail to be prejudi-
cia to the public interest to publish the instruc
tons to our Ministers, until some time had e.
apsed after the conclusion of such negotiations'
In these instructions Of the 18th of March,
1913, it will be perceived ''that the task was as
: signed to the Commissioners of the U. States of
y concentrating the treaty of peace, which was
signed at Guadalupe Hidalgo on the I'd day OF
February last, between the United States and
the Mexican republic, and which on the 10th
March last was ratified by the Senate with a
\ mendments."
They were informed "that this brief statement
will clearly indicate to you the line of your au-
ty. You are not sent to Mexico for the purpose
= Of negotiating any treaty, or Of changing in any
particular the ratified treaty which you viii bear
with YOU. None of the amendments adopted by
the Senate can be rejected or modified except
by the authority of that body. Your whole duty
will, then, consist in using every honorable ef-
fort to obtain from the Mexican government a
ratification of the treaty in the form in which it
has been ratified by the Senate, and this with
the least practicable delay 'EFor1h purpose,
it may, and most probably will, become neces-
sary that you should explain to the Mexican
Minister for Foreign Affairs or to the authorized
agents of the Mexican Government the reasons
which have influenced the Senate in adopting
these several amendments to the treaty. This
duty you will perform as much as possible BY
personal conferences. Diplomatic notes are to
be avoided unless in case OF necessity. These
might lead to endless discussions and indefinite
delay Besides, they could not have any prac-
stical result as your mission is confined to pro-
= curing ratification from the Mexican Govern
( ment of the treaty as it came from the Senate,
and does not extend to the slightest modification
:. in any of its provisions
The Commissioners were sent to Mexico to
procure the ratification OF the treaty as amended
5y the Senate. Their instructions confined them
= TO this point 1t was proper that the amend
ments to the treaty adopted by the United States
should be explained to the Mexican Government,
and explanations were made by the Secretary OF
. State, in his letter of the 18th of March, 1913,
to the Mexican Minister OF Foreign Affairs I'M
/, der my directions. This despatch was commu-
nicated to Congress with my message of the 9Th
of July last, communicating the treaty of peace,
and published by their order This despatch
was transmitted by cur Commissioners from the
city of Mexico to the Mexican Government, then
at Queretaro on the 18th Of April, 1913, and its
receipt acknowledged ON the 10Th of the same
month. During the Whole time that the treaty.
as amended, was before the Congress of Mexi-
co, these explanations of the Secretary Of State,
and these alone, were beforethem.
The President of Mexico, on these explana-
tions, on the 9th day OF May, 1s48, submitted
the amended treaty to the Mexican Congress,
and on the 25th of May that Congress approved
p the treaty as amended, without modification OF
alteration. The final action OF the Mexican Con-
gress had taken place befoIe the Commissioners
of the United States had been officially received
by the Mexican authorities, OF held any confer
ence with them, or had any other conlrnunica-
ton on the subject Of the treaty to transmit the
letter OF the Secretary OF State
In their despatch, transmitted TO Congress with
my message OF the 9th of July last communica-
fhn ofp 1atp1 itu IF