Lower Sandusky freeman. (Lower Sandusky [i.e. Fremont, Ohio]) 1849-1849, 1849-02-24
TIE PROTOCOL,
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.

&4L11<AGL VI HE RREC1DAN1 l..
Sent to the Hoass Of Representatives February 8.
Tothe House Of Representatives. of the o. s:
In reply to the resolutions of the House of Rep
resentatives Of the 5th insts communicate here
with report from the secretary of state, accom-
panied with all the documents and correspondence
relating 10 the treaty of peace concluded between
the United States and Mexico. at Guadalupe Hi
dalgo on the I'd Of February, ls4s, and to the
amendments of the Senate thereto as requested
by the House in the said resolutions
Among the documents transmitted wiB be found
copy of the instructions given to the commission
erssof Mhe United States who took to Mexico the
treaty as amended BY the Senate and ratified by
the President of the United States. In my Mes
sage TO the House of Representatives, of the 29th
of July, fs4s. gave my reason for declining to
furnish these instructions in compliance with a
resolution of the House. that ain my opinion it
would be inconsistent with the public interests to
give publicity to them at the present time" Al
though it may still be doubted, whether giving
them publicity in our own country, and as nee
essary consequence, in Mexico, may not have a
prejudicial influence upon our public interests, vet
rs they have again been called for by the House,
aud called for in connection with other documents
10 the correct understanding of which they are
indispensable, have deemed ii my duty 20 trans
NIT them.
still entertain the, opinion, expressed in the
phcable to ali our important negotiations with for
egn powers could not fail to be prejudieal to the
public interest to publish the instructions to our
Ministers. until some time had elapsed after the
conclusion Of such negotiations" !"
In these instructions of the 18th of March, 1s4s,
it will be perceived 'hat the task assigned to
the commissioners Of the United States of consum-
mating the treaty Of peace, which was signed at
Guadalupe Hidalgo, on the second day of February
ID ho<vr fhz al un1 he MoYfc IN
Republic; and which on the 10th of March last
was ratified by the Senate with amendments
They were informed ~that this brief statement
will indicate to you clearly the line of your duty
You are not sent to Mexico for the purpose of ne
gotiating any new treaty. or of changing in any
particular the ratified treaty which you will bear
with you. None of the amendments adopted by
the Senate can be rejected or modified, except by
the authority of our body Your whole duty will,
then consist IN using every honorable effort to OBJ
tam from the Mexican government ratification of
the treaty in the form in which it has been ratified
by the Senate and this with the least practical
bic delay" "For this purpose, and most probably
viii. become necessary 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 viii perform, asmuch 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
Beside, they could not have any prrctical result as
your mission is confined to procuring a ratification
from the Mexican government 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 pro-
cure the ratification of the treaty as amended by
!. the Senate Their instructions confined them to
this point 1t was proper that the amendments to
the treaty adopted by the United States should be
explained to the Mexican Government, and expla-
nations were made by the secretary of state, in his
letter of the 18th of March, 1S4S, to the Mexican
minister of foreign affairs, under my direction. This
dispatch was communicated to Congress with my
message Of the 9th of July last communicating the
treaty of peace, and published by their order
This dispatch was transmitted by our commission
ers from the City of Mexico to the Mexican govern
ent, then at Queretaro on the 18th of April 1s4s,
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
Mexico, these explanations of the secretary of
state, and these alone, were before them.
The President of Mexico. on these explanations,
nthe Sth day of May, Is4S, submitted the amend
ed treaty to the Mexican Congress- and on the 25th
of May that Congress approved the treaty as
amended without modification or alteration The
final action of the Mexican Congress had taken
place before the commissioners OF the United
States had been officially received by the Mexican
authorities or held any conference with them, or
had any other communication on the subject of the
treaty except to transmit the letter of the secretary
Of state.
In their dispatch transmitted to Congress with
my message Of the 9th Of July last communicating
the treaty of peace dated Getty of Qneretaro May
IS. 1913. O'Clock P. NJ" the commissioners say
1--WE have the satisfaction to inform you that we
reached this city this afternoon at about O'Clock
and that the treaty as amended by the Senate of
the United States, passed the Mexican Senate
about the hour of our arrival BY vote of SO to 5.
1t having previously passed the house Of Deputies,
nothing now remains but to exchange the rati6ca-
tons of the Treaty"
On the next day. (the 26th May,) the commission
ers were for the first time presented to the Presi-
deut of the Republic and their credentials placed
in his hands. On this occasion the commissioners
delivered an address TO the President of Mexico,
and he replied. In their despatch of the Soth OF
May, the commissioners say: 1--WE enclose copy
of our address to the President and also copy Of
MS reply Several conferences afterwards took
place between Messrs. Rosa, Cuexas, Couto, and
ourselves which it is not thought necessary to re-
capitulate, as we enclose copy of the protocol
which contains the substance of the conversations
We nave now the satisfaction to announce that the
exchange of ratifcations was affected to-dav This