Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-10-14
The Armistice at Mexico.
NUMBER TWO.


President Folks message of December
8, 1886:
stWhsn he Four Minister reached Vera Cruz
on the Both of November, 1916, he found thai
the aspect Of affairs had undergone an unhappy
change. The government Of General Herrera,
who was ut that time President of the republic,
was tottering to its fall General Paroles Ia
military leader) had manifested his determination
to overthrow the government of Herrera by a
military revolution; and one OF the principal
means which he employed to effect his purpose,
and render the government of Herrera odious to
the army and people of Mexico, was by loudly
condemning its determination to receive a minis
ter of peace from the United States to dismember
the territory Of Mexico by ceding away the de-
partment of Texas. The government of Herrera
is believed to have been well disposed to pacific
adjustment of existing difficulties; but, probably
alarmed for its own security and in order to ward
off the danger of the revolution led by Paroles,
violated its solemn agreement, and refused to re-
.ceiye or accredit our Minster-and this, although
Informed that he had been invested with full
powers to adjust all questions in dispute between
the two governments.
ssOn the 30th December, 1916, Gen. Herrera
resigned the Presidency, and yielded up the gov
eminent to Gen. Paroles without a struggle
Thus revolution was accomplished solely by the
army commanded by Paroles, and the supreme
power in Mexico passed into the hands of mill
tary usurper, who was known to be bitterly hos
tile to the United States"
although the prospect ofa pacific adjustment
with the new government was unpromising, from
the known hostility of its head to the United
States, Yet, determined that nothing should be
left undone on our part to restore friendly rela-
lions between the two countries, our Minister
was instructed to present his credentials to the
new government and asked to be accredited by it
in the diplomatic character in which he had been
Commissioned. These instructions he executed
by his note of the first of March, 1916, addressed
to the Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs; but
his request was insultingly refused by that Min
fstef In his answer Of the 18th of the same month.
No alternative remained for our Minister but TO
demand his passports, and return to the United
States.
81; @Scarcely hope Of adjusting our difficulties,
even at remote day, or of preserving peace with
Mexico could be cherished while Paroles re-
NAMED at the head of the government He had
acquired the supreme power by military revo-
luton, and upon the most solem pledges to wage
war against the United States, and to reconquer
Texas, which he claimed rs a revolted province
Of Mexico He had denounced as guilty of trea-
son all those Mexicans who considered Texas as
no longer constituting part of the territory Of
Mexico, and who we're friendly to the cause Of
peace The duration of the war which he waget
against the United States was indefinite, because
the end which he proposed, of the reconquest Of
Texas was hopeless. Besides there was good
reason to believe, from all his conduct, that il
was bis intention to convert the Republic of Mex
leo into monarchy, and to call q foreign Euro
pean prince to the throne. Preparatory to this
end, he had, during his short rule, destroyed the
liberty of the press, tolerating that portion only
odv tod hp gfah iqhm IF a
monarchy. The better to secure the success of
his ultimate designs, he had by an arbitrary de-
cree, convoked Congress-not to be elected by
the free voice of the people, but to be chosen in
manner to make them subservient to his will,
and to give him absolute control over their de-
alterations.
sUuder all these circumstances, il was believed
that any revolution in Mexico, founded upon OPP
position to the ambitious projects of Paroles,
would tend to promote the cause of peace, as
well as prevent any attempted European inter-
ference in the affairs of the North American con-
tinent-both objects Of deep interest to the United
States. Any such interference, if attempted,
must have been resisted by the United States.
My views upon this subject were fully communi
Gated to Congress in my last annual message. In
any erent IL pas certain that no change WhdteUer IN
the government Of Mezico, Schich soould deprive
fdredes Of poicer, could be for The ocorse, far as
the United States tOere concerned, sche highly
probable that any change must be for the better.
This was the state Of affairs existing when
Congress, on the 18th Of May last, recognized
the existence Of the war which had been COM
menced by the government of Paroles; and IL be-
came an object Of much Importance, with view to
a speedy settlement of our difficulties Snd The yestor-
alton of an honorable peace, that Paroles should
mot retain poicer IN Mezico.
Before that time there were symptoms of
revolution in Mexico, favored, as it was under
stood to be, by the more liberal party, and es-
pecially by those who were opposed to foreign
interference and to the monarchical form of gov
eminent. Santa Anna was then in exile in Ha-
vana, having been expelled from power and ban
ished from his country by revolution which oc-
CURED in December, 1874 but it known that he
had still considerable party in his favor in
Mexico. 1t was also equally well known that no
vigilance which could be exerted by our squadron
would in all probability, have prevented him
from effecting landing somewhere on the ex-
tensive gulf coast of Mexico, If he desired tc
return to his country. He had openly professed
an entire change policy; had exressed his regret
that he had subverted the federal constitution Of
1894, and avowed that he was now in favor of its
restoration. He had publicly declared his hostil-
ity, in the strongest terms, to the establishment
Of a monarchy, and to European interference in
snc alulIs Ol MS country. lnIOTnduOH 10 Jnls
effect had been received from sources beeDed TO be
reliable at The date Of the recognition of the exis-
tence, of war by Congress, May 13, 18461 and
was afterwards fully confirmed by the receipt Of
the despatch of our consul in the city Of Mexico,
with the accompanying documents,i which are
herewith transmitted" IA letter Of Santa An
mas of March 8, 1916, and bis plan of new Mex
lean constitution, are to be found in the same
documents with this message. "Besides, it was
reasonable to suppose that he must..see the rain
GUS consequences to Mexico Of a.war. with the
United States and that it would be his interest
10 favor peace"
cit was under these circumstances and upon
these considerations that it was deemed expe-