Newspapers / The Raleigh Register (Raleigh, … / Dec. 15, 1846, edition 1 / Page 2
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' I j , r -"ii'i " ' ' 1 1 i 1 ! - ) . ' I ; ' ." ' j . I ! i i ! 1 i . I V r i . 5 t . I? 'f rv n. t Ii i ! ' t ' I i 1 4 r r S - -51 ill "A 1: ft i i The President's " Message, rttlwrJlzais ef th StnaW qf thelitis f Rcfresacotxts - la ramnLs your labors in the scniee of tb pco- HbiUabjitof congratulation feu no period In oar past his' ory, when all the ele ments ofwtional prorarity hare been so fully de reloped. Since your I si seal m, n afflut.ng dia wansdion has visited tur country: general good health has prevailed ; abundance has crowned the - Coil of the husbandman ; an 1 labor m all its branches it feccrrfnS an ample T'SS se'ence, and the arts are rapidly-enlarging the means of ix2l hspplncs '.The progress bf oar country in h r career of greetne s. not only in theYast exten sion of u territorial liinilsariol the rapid increase of our population, bat in resources' and wealth, and ixjHthe happy condition of our people, is without ex ample in the history of stations. ' , j . ' ? -7 As the wis loin, strength, and beneficence of our free institutions are unfolded. CTery day adds fresh motives - to contentment, and fresh incentives to palrio ism. .- . . ,7. " I O or devout and sincere acknowledgements are due to the gracious Giter of all good, for the numberless blessings which our beloved country enjoys. . . f It V source of high satisfaction tP know that the ' relations-1 f the United States with all other nations, with a single exception, are of the most amicable character. &ncerely attached to the policy of peace, tariy adopted and steadily pursued by this govern ment, I hare anxiously desired to cultivate and cherish fnendsbip and commerce with every foreign power. The spirit and habits of the American pco jle are f ivorableto the maintenance "of such inter national harmony.' In adhering to this wise policy, a preliminary and paramount duty obriously consists in the protection of our national interests from en croachment or sacrifice) and our' national honor from repraach. These must be: maintained at any huard. They admit of no compromise or neg'ect and must be- scrupulously and constantly guarded. In their rigilant Timlication. collision and conflict with f jreign powers may sometimes bcoome unavoid able. Such has been our scrupulous adherence to the dictates of justice,' in all our foreign intercourse. tha though steadily and readily advaneing in pros perity and power, we have given nd just csu-e of complaint to any nation, and have enjoyed the bles sings of peace for more than th rty years. From a policy so sacred to humanity, and so saJuUry in its effeets upon our political system, we should never be induced voluntarily to'depart. t , The existing war with Mexico was neiiher desired nor provoked by the United States. Ou the con trary, all honorable means were resorted to to avert it -After .years of endurance of aggravated and un redressed wrongs on our part, Mexico, in violation of solemn treaty stipulations and of every principle of justice recognised by civilised nations, commenced hostilities, and thus, hy her own act, forced the war upon us. Long before the advance of oar army to the left Sank of the Rio Grande, wc had ample cause of war against Mexico; and had the United States resorted to this extremity, we might have appealed to the whole civilized world for the justice of our ' cause. ''' ' I deem it to be my duty to present to you, on the pres-nt occasion, a condensed retiew of the injuries .we had sustained, of the causes which led to the war, and of its progress since its commencement. This is rendered the more necessary because of the misap prehensions which have to some extent prevailed as to its origin and true character. The war has been represented a unjust and unnecessary, and as one of aggression on our part upon a weak and injured ene my. Such erroneous views, though- entertained by bat few, have been widely and extensively circulated not only at home, but have been spread throughout Mexico and -the whole world. A more effectual means could not have been devised to encourage the enemy and protract the war than to advocate and ad - here to their cats and thus give them "aid and comfort" ; - It is a soured of national pride and exultation, that the great body of our people have thrown no such obstacles-in the way of the government in prosecu ting the war successfully, but have shown themselves to be eminently patriotic, and ready to indicate their country's honor and interests at any sacrifice. The alacrity and promptness with which our volunteer forces rushed to the 'field on their country's call, prove not only their patriotism, but their deep con viction that our cause is just - The wrongs which we have suffered from Mexico almost ever since she became an independent Power, stnd the patient endurance with which we have borne thzm, are w.thovt a parallel in the history of modern civilized nations. There is reason to believe that if thue wrongs had been resented and resisted in the nrst instance, the present war might have been avoided. One outrage, however, permitted to pass w.ta impunity,- almost necessarily encouraged the perp ;trtioa of another, until at last Mexico seemed 10 attribute to weakness and indecision on our" parr, sv forbearance which was the offspring of magnanimi ty, and of a sincere desire to preserve friendly rela tions with a sister republic i Scarcely had Mexico achieved her independence, which the United States were the first among the na tions to acknowledge, when she commenced the sys tem of insuH and spoilation, which she has ever since pursued. - Uar citizens engaged iu lawful commerce were imprisons!, their vessels seised, and our flag insulted in her pests. If money was wanted, the lawless Sen are and confiscation of our merchant vessels and their cargoes was a ready resource ; and , if to accomplish their purpose it became necessary to imprison the owners, captain, and crews, it was done. Rulers superseded rulers in Mcxicu in rapid succes sion, but still there was no change in this system of depredation. The government of the United States made repeatel reclamations on behalf of its citizens, tut these were answered by the perpetration of new oatrages. Promises of iredress made by Mexico in the most solemn forms were 'postponed or evaded. l he files and records of the Department of State contain conclusive proofs of numerous lawless acts perpetrated upon the property and persons of our et'.zens by Mexico,' and of wanton insults to our na tional flag. The interpositiou of our government to obtain redress was again and again invoked, -under circumstances which no nation ought to disregard. It was hoped that these outrages would cease, and -that Mexico would be restrained by the laws which regulate the conduct of civilized nations in their in tercourse with each other after the treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation of the fifth of April, 1831 was concluded between the two republics ; but this nope soon proved to be vain. The oourse of seizure and confiscation of the property of our citizens ; the violation of their persons and the insults to our flag Jjorsuod by Mexico previous to thattime were scarce y suspended ibr even a brief period, although the treaty so clearly defines the rights and duties of the .respective parties that it is impossible to misunder stand or mistake thcnC In less than' seven years af terthe conclusion of that treaty our grievances had become so intolerable that,' In the opinion of Presi dent "Jacison, they should no longer be endured. In his message to Congress in February, 1837, he pre sented them to the consideration of that body, and declared that cThe length of time since some of the injuries have" been committed, the repeated and un availing applications for Tedress, the.wanto&.charac ter of scan of the outrages upon the property and person of ourcitirn, upon the officers and flag of tne united states, independent of recent results to tola government and people by the late extraordinary Mexican minister, would justify in the eyes of ail nations immediate yrziP In a spirit of kindness and forbearance,-however, he reromm ended "reprisals as a milder mode of- redress. -He- declared ; that war should not be used as a remedy "by just and generous nations confiding ia their strength for injuries eons- "kOWa " jnoraoiy Moiaeo," and aauea, 5tiaa occarred to me that, considering the present " raharra9so! condition, ef that country, we should act with both r wiaiom and moderation, by giving -to JJexic one tacre opportunity to atone for the past, before we take- repress into our own . ha&dsV .To aeold all misconception on the part of Mexicoy as J -JveiasnpnHecivBrDwn nauonat cnaracter rrotn reproach, this opportunity .ehould be given' with the ' avowed deiign aai fall preparation to take Immadi- al qjmausicyi i should not.be obtained on a re ; -reprtorpf txdrJnd forltlhrsendJ"recom-. stend last aa ac om pwsea authorizing repruau, ana ihe.nst orienawivrcBoi xa united stares, oy tte.eveao a refusal by the Mexican gorernmcatto ' ' - . m i bii . ii i ... p. - come to an aaicable adjustment of the matter In controversy between us, apon another demand there of, made from on board one of our vessels of war on the eo st of Mexico. C7 J Committee ef both Houses of Congress, to which thU message ef the President was referred, fully sus tained his views of the character of the wrongs which we had suffered from Mexico, and recommended that another demand for redress should be made bo fore authorizing war or reprisals.JThe Committee, on Foreign Relations of the Senate. In their report, say : w Alter sucn a uemano, snouiu prompt juucv be refused by the' Mexican government, we may ap peal to all nations not only for the equity and mod eration with which we shall have acted towards a sister republic, but for the necessity which will then compel us to seek redress for our wrongs, either by actual war or by reprisals. The subject will then be presented before Congress, at the commencement of the next session, in a clear and distinct form ; and the committee cannot doubt but that such measure i will be immediately adopted as may be necessary to vindicate the honor of the country, and insure ample reparation to our injured citizens' The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives made a similar recommendation. In their report they say that they c fully concur with the President that ample cause exists for taking redress into' our own hands; and believe that we should be justified in the opinion of other nations for taaiog sucn a step, out vacj arc "'j w " j experiment of another , demand, made in the most solemn form, upon the justice of the Mexican gov ernment, before any further proceedingsare adopted." No difference of opinion upon the subject is be lieved to have existed in Congress at any time. The Executive and Legislative departments con curred ; and yet such has been our forbearance, and desire to preserve peace with Mexico, that the wrongs of which we then complained, and which pare rise to these solemn proceeding not only remain unre dressed to this day, but additional causes of complaint, of an aggravated character, have ever since been ac cumulating. Shortly after these proceeding, a special messen ger was despatched to Mexico, to make a final de mand for redress; and on the twentieth of July, 1837, the demand was made. The reply of the Mexican government bears date on the twenty-ninth of the same month, and contains assurances of the 'anxious wish" of the Mexican government "not to delay the moment of that final and equitable adjust ment which is to terminate the existing difficulties between the two governments f that 'nothing should be left undone which may contribute to the most speedy and equitable determination of the subjects which have so seriously engaged the attention of the American government f that the "Mexican govern ment would adopt, as the only guides for its conduct, the plainest principle of public right, the sacred ob ligations imposed by international law, and the re ligions faith of treaties f and that "whatever reason aad justice may dictate respecting each ease will be done.". The assurance was further given, that the decision of the Mexican government upon each cause of complaint, for which redress had been demanded, should be communicated to the government of the "United States by the Mexican minister at Wash ington. - These solemn assurances, in answer to our de mand for redress were disregarded. By making them, however, Mexico obtained further delay. President Van Buren, in his annual message to Con gress of the fifth of December, 1837, states, that "al though the larger number" of our demands for re dress, and "many of them aggravated cases of per sonal wrongs, have been now for years before the Mexican government, and some of the causes of na tional complaint, and those of the most offensive character, admitted of immediate, simple, and satis factory replies, it is only within a few days past that any specific communication in answer to our last de mand, made five months ago. has been received from the Mexican minister f ana that "for not one of our public complaints has satisfaction been given or of fered ; that but one of the cases of personal wrong has been favorably considered, and that but four ca ses of both descriptions, out of all those formally pre sented, and earnestly pressed, have as yet been de cided upon by the Mexican govenment.', Presi dent Van Buren, believing that it would be vain to make any further attempt to obtain redress by the ordinary means within the power of the Executive, communicated this opinion to Congress, in the mes sage referred to, in which he said, "On a careful and delirate examination of the ccntents,,, (of the cor respondence with the Mexican government) " and considering the spirit manifested by the Mexican government, it has become my painful duty to re turn the subject as it now stands, to Congress, to whom it belongs, to decide upon the time, the mode, and the measure of redress.7' Had the United States at that tims adopted compulsory measures, and taken redress into their own hands, all the difficulties with Mexico would probably have been long since ad justed, and the existing war have been averted. Magnanimity and moderation on our part only had the effect to complicate these difficulties and render an amicable settlement of them the more embarrass ing. That such measures of redress under similar provocations, committed by any of the powerful na tions of Europe, would have been promptly resorted toby the United States, cannot be doubted. The na tional honor, and the preservation of the national character throughout the world, as well as oar own self-respect, and the protection due to our own citi zens, would have rendered such a resort indispensa ble. The history of no civilized nation in modern times has presented within so brief a period so many wanton attacks npon the honor of its flag, and upon the property and persons of its citizens, as had at that time been borne by the United States from the Mexican authorities and people. - But Mexico was a sister republic, on the North American .continent occupying a territory contiguous to our own, and was in a feeble and distracted condition ; and these considerations, it is presumed, induced Congress to forbear still longer. Instead of taking redress into our own hands, a new negotiation was entered upon with fair promises on the part of Mexico, but with the real -purpose, as the event has proved, cf indefinitely postponing the reparation which, we demanded, and which was so Just due. This negotiation, after more than a year's delay, resulted in the convention of the eleventh of April, 1S39, for the adjustment of claims of citi zens of the United States of America upon the gov ernment of the Mexican republic." ' The joint board of commissioners created by this convention to ex amine and decide upon these claims was not or ganized until the month August, 1S40. and under the terms of the convention they were to terminate their duties within eighteen months from that time. Four of the eighteen months were consumed in pre liminary discussions on frivolous and dilatory points raised by the Mexican commissioners ; and it was not until the month of December, 1840, that they commenced the examination of the claims of our citi zens upon Mexico. Fourteen months only remained to examine and decide upon these numerous and complicated cases. In the month of February, 1842, the term of the commission expired, leaving many claims undisposed of for want of time. The claims which were, allowed by the board, and by the umpire authorized by the convention to decide in case of dis agreement between the Mexican and American com missioners, amounted to two millions twenty-six thousand cna hundred and thirty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents. There were pending before the umpire when the commission expired additional claims luch iad. been, examined and awarded by the American commissioners, and had not been al lowed by the Mexican commissioners, amounting to nine' hundred and twenty-eight thousand six hun dred and twenty-serea dollars and eighty-eight cents, upon which he did not decide, allerinr that his au thority had ceased with the termiaatlon of the joint CTmmiGsiou. zesiues vnese cisima, mere were others of American citfxesa amounting to three millions three hundred: and thirty-six thousand eight hun- area ana inmj-eerfa aoiiars ana nve cents, -which had been submitted to the board, and upon which they had not time to decide before their final ad journment.'' : The sum of two mulwa twenty six thoneand ene hundred and thirty nine dollars sixty eight cent, which had been awarded te the claimant, was a li quidated and ascertained debt due by Mexico, about whjch there eonld be no dispute, and which she war bound to pay according to the term ef the conven tion. Soa jifler the final awards for thia'amaunt Cad beea wada.'th Mexican Government aked for a psfpQt-inrit ef the time ef making paymrat, al- leging that it would be inconvenient to make the pay ment at lh time stipulated. I a the spirit of forbear ing kindness toward a shirr rrpublio Which Mexico baa so loag abased, the United Stales SWinjitly com plied with o-r requeat A second coaveutSon was accordingly cludd betwaeu the tw'o-geverameata on the 13ih of January, lc$43, which upou U face declares, that "a new arrangetneul ia eutered into for i ..r .i p. ik. .i thiaCouvenUou, all ih iaterevt doe tm Uie. award whteb had been made favor ef the claimants nu per the convent iou of the 1 1th ef April 183, was to ba nald to Ihrm ou tha 30 lb of Aonl. 18-13. aad "the principal of tb aaid award, and the interest aacra-i ing thereon," waa etipulated to be paid iu 5 year ia equal mstalnieoLeovery three months." Notwith .tending litis new convention Was eutered into at the requeat of Mexico, aud for the purpose of relieving her from erobarraaemeut, the claimant have only re-j ceiven tne luiereM uue on n uiuitcuui im amii, 1843, and three of the twenty iuetalmeats. Alrho the paymeut of the rum tbu liquidated, and coufea-, sedly due by Mexico to oar citixeu a ioderauity for acknowledged acts of outrage aud wroug waa secur ed by treaty, the obligatiou of which are ever held -sacred by all just uatioua, yet Mexico ha violated this solemn eugageineul by failing -and refusing to make the paymeut f3te twe inalalmeuU due in A pril aud July, 1M44, under the peculiar circuinalancea couuected wilh tbent, baa been aaaumed by the Uni ted Stale aud discharged to the claimauU, but Ihey are alill due by Mexico, lint ibi is not all of which we have just cause of eomplaiut To provide a rem edy for ibe claiiuauls whuue cases were not decided by the joiut coinmiaaion uuder ih convruiion of A pril the llth, ltOJ, ii was espreaely. atipuUted by the b'th article of ihecouvenliOu of Hie 14Ui of Jauu ary, 1843, " thai a new convention shall be entered iuto for the altleiueni of all cUiim of the. Govern ment and citizens of the Uuited filiates agaiust the Kepublic of Mexico, which were uot Cuuily dedded by Uie late comuuMMiou. which met iu ibe . City of Waahiogtou, aud of all claim of the goveruioeui aud citizrua of Mexico, agiiinxt Ihe Uuited Slale." Iu couformity wmIi Uii stipulation, a third con veulion wa coucluded aud vigued at the city of Mex ico on the 2Uth of November 1843, by the plenipo tentiaries of the two Uoveromenteby which proruiou waa made for ascerlainiH4Kl paying theae claims. Iu Jauuary 1844 ihi convenliou wa ralined by the equate of the United State with two ameuduiouia, which were mauifesily reaaonable iu their character. Upon a refereuce ol the amendineiil proposed to the Government of Maxico, the aam evaaiou. difficul lie, aud delay were iuterpoied which have mo lonjj maiked the policy of that Government toward the Uuited Stale. It ha not even yet decided whe.her it would or would not accede to them, although the liuhject has been repeatedly preiwed upon its conside ration. . .... Mexico ha thus violated a second lime the faith of treaties, by failing or refusing to carry into effect ibeaixth article of the convention of January, 1843. Such is ibe history of the wrong which we have suffered and patiently endured from Mexico through a lonv series of year. So far from atfordiug reason able satisfaction for the iujurie aud iiwulu w had borne, a great aggravation of them consuls iu the fact, lht while the United Stales, anxious to pre serve a good understanding with Mexico, have beeu constantly, but vainly, employed in seeking redress for past wrongs, new outrage were constantly occur ing which have continued to increase our. causes of cumulainl and to swell tbe amount of our demand. .While the citixeu of the United Stale were couduc- ling a lawful commerce with Mexico under the gua ranty of a treaty of amity, commerce and naviga tion," many of them have suffered all the iujury that would have resulted from open war. This treaty, in stead of affording protection lo our citizen, has been tbe means of inviting ihem into the port ef Mexico lhat they might be, a they have been iu uumeron instances, plundered of their property and deprived of ihrir persoual liberty if they dared iusut on their rights. Had the unlawful seizure of American pio perlr , aod the violation of persoual liberty of our cit izeus, to say nothiug ef the insults lo our flag which have occurred in ibe port of Mexico, taken place on the high seas, they would themselves long iuc have cousiiluted a state of actual war between tbe two couutries. Iu so long suffering Mexico to violate her most solemn treaty obligations, pluuder our citizens of their property, and iuipriaou their persons without affording them any redre, we hav failed to perforin one of the first and highest duties which every gov ernment owe to its citizens ; and the cousequeacr has been, that many of them haw been reduced from a state of atSuenc t bankruptcy. The proud name of Amencau citizen, which ought to protect all who bear it from insult aud injury throughout ibe -world, ha afforded no such prolectiou to our citizens in Mex ico. We hid ample cause of war against Mexico long before the breaking out of hostilities. But eveu then we fore bo re to take redress into our hand, un til Mexico herself became the aggressor, by invading our soil in hostile array, aad shedding the blood ol our citizens. Such are the grave causes of complaint en the part of the Uuited Slates against Mexico causes which existed long before the annexation ef Texas to the American Union ; and yet, animated by the leva of peace, and a irragnauimoua moderation, we did not adopt those measures of redress which, under such circumstances, are the justified resort of injured na tions. The annexation ef Texas to thaUuited States con stituted no just cause of offence lo Mexico. The pre text that it did so i wholly iueoucislonl, and irrecon riliabl with well authenticated facta connected with the revolution by which Texas became indepeudem of Mexico. That thi may be the more manifest, it may be proper to avert to the causes and lo the his tory of the principal events of that revolution. Texas coustituted a portion of the aucieul province of Louisiana, ceded to tha Uuited State by France in the year 1803 Iu tha year 18121, the Uuked States, by lha -Florida treaty, ceded lo Spain all that part of Louisiana within the present limit of Texas ; and Mexico, by the revolution which separated her from Spain, and rendered her an independent nation, succeeded to the rights of the mother country over thi territory. Iu the year 1624, Mexico established a federal constitution, under 'which tbe Mexican Re public waa corupoed of a number of sovereign State confederated together in a Federal Uniou simitar to to our own Each of these Stales had its own Exe cutive, Legislature, and Judiciary, and for all, except federal purpa-es. was as independent of the general government, aud that of the other Slate, as i Penn sylvania or Virginia unJer our constitution. Texas and Coahuila united aud formed one of these Mexi can State. The State constitution whirh they adop ted, and which was approved by the Mexican con federacy, asserted lhat they were ' free and indepen dent of he other Mexican United Slates, and of eve ry other power and dominion whatsoever," aud pro claimed the great priucipe of hnman liberty, that "the sovereignty of the Slate resides originally and essen tially in the general mam of the individuals who com pose it" To the government under this coustitutiou as well as te that under the federal couatintiou, tbe people ef Texaa Owed allegiance. ; Emigrants from foreign countries, including the U. States, were invited by the colonisation laws ef the tate and of the federal government to settle in Tex as. ." Advantageous terms were offered to induce them to leave their own county and become Mexican citi sen. This invitation wa accepted by -many of our citizens in the full faith that in their urw home they would be-governed by lawa enacted by repreeenta live elected by themselves, and lhat their liveciib erty and property would b protected by constitution al guarantee similar te those, which existed in the republic they had left Under a government thus or ganized tbey continued nalil tbe year 1835, when a military re volution broke out in the city ef Mexico, which entirely subverted the federal aad State con stitution and placed a military dictator at the head of the Government " ,' ' ''''."' By a sweeping decree of a Congress subservient to the will of the dictator, the several Stale constitu tion wetetabolwbed, and the State thenwelves con verted into mere department of tbe Central Govern ment The people ef Texaa were on willing to sob mit to thi usurpation. - Reetstane to och tyranny oecame a high duty. I exa waa fully absolved from all allegiance to th Central Government ef Mexico from the moment that goverameat had abolWbed her Stale constitution, and in it plae substituted an arbitrary and deapotio central Government. " Scab were tbe principal causes ef the Texaa revo lution i. , The people, ef Texa at one determined up- v!-"?"3- 7tomlth I a rettfftane important and exciia reehta," ROwefeVthey lfid not omit to place thair liberties opou a secure had frm neut foundation, Tbeyaleetd member to a -vntiour who, in ifco tnevlVor .March, 1836, issned a f.mal declaration that.lhetr political eon aexiou With tli; Mexican nation has ferever ended, -and that the peVple f Texas do new couatitute a race. sovcaKKM; tod tNvarcifDCNT atrosuc, aod are folly invested with all tha righta and attributes which properly be lelJudVadeht nalkn.,-.They also adopted for, tliaU- govarrfmautm liffcral republican onliiuUon. -About the ame time Saiita Anna, then the dictator of Mexico, invaded Texas who a numerous arnty for tit amramm f ubdaiag her napU. aud enforcing 9- fbedieaoe lo 'm arbitrary and deapotic government 4n tha 31Vbf April 136. ho Was tne by the Texan 'iifcinolJierS.aBd on that daV. wa achieved by them th mentorable'viciory of San Jacinto, by which they eooqoered their independence. Considering the oatnbeie engaged oninepVetive sides, bUtory does hot record a mure briiiiaat achievement . Santa An na hbnWif was among-the captive. ! J " ' la'lha l&oatA of May lb36. Santa Anna acknowl edged, by a treaty Whh the Texan authoriti. in th most sotsro trw - the Toll, entire and perfect in dependenco T the .Republic of Texaa." It i true h wa then a prur Cf war, but it i equally true, that he had failed to reconquer Texas, and had met with aignal defeit ; that hi authority had not been, revoked, and that by virtue of thi treaty he obtained hi persona! r-leaa. . By it hostiliiie were suspend ed, aod the 'army Which had invaded Texa uuder Comma ud returned hi pursuance of thi arrangement unmolested, to Mexico. - From the day that the battle of San Jacinto was fought until tbe present hour, Mexico ha never poa sesaed the power lo reconquer Texas. In the lan guage of Ihe Secretary of State of ihe United States, in a despatch to our minister in Mexico, under date of th eighth of July. 1342, "Mexico may have chosen Jo consider, aud may still choose te consider Texas as having beeu at all limeMUCe 1835, aud as continuing, n rebellious province ; but the world ha been obliged to take n very different view of the mat ter. From the time of the battle of San Jaciuto, iu April, lo36, to the preut moment, -Texas ha ex hibited the same external signs of natioual iudepeu deuce u Mexico herself, aud with quite a much stability of government. Practically free aud inde pendent, acknowledged a a political vovereignty by the principal Power of the world no hostile foot finding rest within her territory fornix or seven years, aud Mexico herself refraining for atl that period from auy further attempt to r -establish her iwu authori ty over that terriiory.it cauuol but be surprising to Hud Mr. do BecaMe-jr' Ctbe Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico,) complaiuing that for that whole peri'jd citizens of the Uuited States, or it goveru meut, have beeu favoring the rebel of Texas, and supplying them with vessels, ammunition, and money, aa if the war for the reduction of the province of Tex a had been constantly prosecuted by Mexico, and her success preveuted bv these influences from a- broad." In ih same despatch the Secretary of State affirms lhat since 1837 the Uuited Slates, have regarded lexas an as independent sovereignty, much a Mexico; and that trade and commerce with citizens of a governineut at war with Mexico cannot, on that acco-.iu', be regarded aau intercourse by which assistance and succor are given to Mexican rebel. The whole current of Mr. de Bocauegra remarks runs iu the same direction as tf the indepen dence of Texaa bad not been acknowledged. It ha been acknowledged it wa acknowledged in 1H37 agaiust th reinoustrauce aud protest of Mexico; and most of the acta of any importance, of which Mr. de Bocauegra complain, flow uecesaarily from that re cojuitiou. He speaks ef Texas as still being " an integral part of the territory of the Mexican repub lic,lbut he can uot but understand that the Uuited Statls do not so regard it Th real complaiul of Mexico, therefore, u, in eubalauc, neither more nor lea than a complaint against the recognition of Tex an independence. It may be thought rather late lo repeal lhat eomplainl, aud not quite just to confine it lo tbe United Slate, to the exemption of England, Franc, and Belgium, nule the Uuited State, hav ing been the first lo acknowledge the independence of Mexico herself, are to be blamed for etting au example for the recognition ef that of Texas." Aud he added, that " Ih constitution, public treaties, and th laws oblige the President to regard Texaa as au independent State, and its territory as no part of the territory of Mexico." Texaa had been an indepen dent State, with an organized government, defying the power of Mexico to overthrow or reconquer her for more than ten years before Mexico commenced the present war agaiust the United States. Texa had given auehevideuce to tbe world of her ability to maiotaiu her separate existence a an independent uatiou, lhat she had beeu formally recognised a such, uot euly by the Uuited States, but by several of the principal powers of Europe. These powers had en tered into treaties ef amity, commerce, and nav igation with her They had received and accredited her ministers and other diplomatic agent at their re spective court, and they had commissioned minis, ten and other diplomatic agents on their part te the government of Texas If Mexico, notwithstanding all this, and her utter inability to subdue er reconquer Texas, still stubbornly refused to recognize her as an independent nation, she wa none the less o en that account Mexico herself had been Teoogniatd as an independent nation by th United States, and by other powers, many year before Spain, of which, before her revolutiou. she had been a colony, would agree to recbgnixe her as such ; and yet Mexico , was at that time, in tbe estimation of the civilized world, and in fact, none the less ah independent power because Spaiu still claimed-her as a colony. If Spain had continued uutil the present period to assert that Mexi co was one of her colonies in rebellion against her, thi would not have made her so, or changed the fact of her independent existence. Texas, at the period of her annexation to the United State, bore the came relation to Mexico, that Mexico bad borne to Spain fr many yeara before Spain acknowledged her in dependence, with tbi important difference that, be fore the annexation ef Texaa to . the Uuited States was consummated, Mexico herself, by a formal net ef her government, had acknowledged the indepeu dance of Texa a a nation. It i true, that in the act of recognition she prescribed a condition which he bad no power or authority to impose, that Texas should uot annex herself to any other Power; but lb could not detract in any degree from the reco. nition which Mexico then made of her acluaNnde pendence. Upon thi plain statement of fact, it is absurd for Mexico to allege, a a pretext for com mencing hostiliiie against the United State, that 1 exa is alill a part of her territory. But there ar those who, couceding nil this to be true assume the ground that the true western boun dary ef Texas m the Nueces, instead of the Rio Grande ; and that, therefore, in marching our army to the east bank or the latter river, we passed the Texan line, aad invaded the territory of Mexico. A simple statement of facts, known to exist, will con clusively refute soch an assumption. Texas. s ce ded to the United Stale by France in 1803, ha been always claimed as extending west to the Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo. This fact ia established by the nnthor ty f ar most eminent statesmen at a" period when the que ion was a well if not better understood than it ia at present. During Mr. Jefferson' administra tion, Meoar. Monroe, aud. Pickney, who had been sent on n special mission to Madrid, charged among other things, with the adjustment of boundary be tween the two countries, in a note addremed to tha Spaoixh Miuiner of Foreign Affairs, under date of the twenty eighth of January, 1805, assert that the boundaries ef Loniviana. a ceded to the Uuited But by France ar the river Perdido on the east, and the river' Bravo en the west ;" and ihey dd! that fact and principle which justify this conclu sion are so satiaf act ary to our government a I eon eiace H that the United States have not n better right to the island of New Orleaaa, under th ceavien referred lo. than tbey have to the whole district of territory which is above described.' , -' Down lo the conclusion of .the Florida treaty, in ebrnarv. 119. bv which thi territarv ... Spain, tb United State. aerted and maintained their territorial right to this extent - In the month Of Jane ItilS. dnrinv Mr Monrn.'. - l . , . Muwireuofl, ; information, having been received that a n a tuber of foreign adventurer had landed - at Galveston, with th avowed purpose of fbrmiug a settlement in that . Vicinity, a special messenger was despatched by the I government of th Unitrd Stale.; -whir instruction should they be found there - or any other place mth ofthe Rio Bravo aod witbto the trritaSaimeTby Hem ine oecrctarr el state, to warn thui in al the United States." He was instructed, should they ? co adrUihg that he should not be received arwi i nr aanh of thai-river. to5YUhe despfttekof our ri KI??"??' be found in the country known 1? tnem " the .urpriao wit fchicb the Presl JT t.trL fthfuit anihnrii wbv ubh awn r""" --" - 77.7 VI Z iy iron) u vuncu o UrtHorlal liak. Snd mentcan be made without their aanctie . iiewa iira, m it", Z"'"-. siT " , .V ' J messige to Congress r.r upon which .lawful ettIeM.iao llthof Majjbst-were received at the C instructed to call upon them to avow under what highly probable, if not absolutely certain, that our national authority they profess to act," and to give , Minister would not be received by the Government theiri due warning " that the place is witbiu tha U- 1 of Gen. Herrera. It was also well known that but sited Sutea, Who will suffer ntf permanent settlement little hope could be entertained of a different result to be made there, tfhdef any" authority other than from Gen.Paredes, in case the revoiutionarv moti..' their "own " tAa lati a the eighth of Jniy, 1842, the ment which he was prosecuting should nrove aue" Secretary of State of the United States, in a note ad- s cessful, as was highly -probable. ; The partisans of dressed to out minister its Mexico, maintains that, by Faredes, as our Minister, in the despatch referred to the Florida treaty of 1819, the territory as far weal states, breathed the fiercest hostility against the u' a the Rio Grande was confirmed to Spain. In that States, denounced the proposed negotiation as trea note he atate that, " by the treaty of the twenty- son, and openly called upon the troops and the pec secoud of Februrary. lfc"19, between the United gj to put down the Government of lierrei by force States and Spain, the Sabine; wa adapted as the line. The reoonquest of Texas, and war with the Unked of boundary bet ween the two Powers. Up to that States, were openly threatened. These were the cir period. no considerable colo a izatioii bad been effect- cumstances elistingf when it was deemed proper to ed in Texa'; but the territory between the Sabine order the army under the command of Gen. Taylor and the Rio Grande being confirmed to Spain by-the to advanee to the western frontier of Texas, and oc treaty, application were :made to that. Power for , cupy a position on or near the Rio Grande. -grants cf land and such grants, or permission of aet- -The apprehensions of a contemplated Mexican in llenieut. were in fact made by the Spanish author!- Tasion have been since fully justified by the event ties in favor of citixeu of the United Stale proposing The determination of Mexico to rush intd hostilities to emigrate to Texas in numerous families, before with the United . States was afterwards manifrsted the declaration of independence by Mexico." . from the whole tenor of the note of the Mexican" Mi The Texas which was ceded to Spain by the Florida ; nister of Foreign Affairs to our Minister, bearing treaty of 1S1 9, embraced all the country now claim- date on the 12th of March, 1846. Paredes had then ed by the State of Texas between the Nueces! and revolutionized the governmentiind his Minister af the Rio Grande. The republic of Texas always ter referring to the resolution for the annexation of ; claimed this river as her western boundary, and in Texas, which had been adopted by our Congress in her treaty made with Santa Anna in May, 1S36, he March,' 1845, proceeds to declare that a fact such recognised it as such. By the constitution which as thia or, to. speak with greater exactness, so nota Texas adopted in March, 1836 senatorial and repre- ble an act of usurpation, created an imperious neces tative districts were organized extending West of sity that Mexico, for her own honor, should repel it the Nueces. The. Congress of Texas, on the 19th of. wish, proper firmness and dignity; ; The Supreme December, 1S3G, passed -an Act to define thebonn- j Government had beforehand declared that it would daries of the republic of Texas," in which they de- . look upon such an act as a casus belli ; and, as a con clared the Rio Grande from its month to its source sequence of this declaration, negotiation was, by ita to oe uieir Douuaary, ana oy tne saia act tney ex- rA kat Woivil an 1 nn1it!oi ini-iui4iinn Atm1i tend their "civil and political jurisdiction," over the country up to the boundary.- D uring a period of more than nine years, which intervened between the adop tion of her constitution and her annexation a ; one of :he States of the Union, Texas asserted aud exercised many acts-of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the ter ritory and inhabitants west of the Nueces. She" or ganized and defined the limits of counties extending to the Rio Grande. She established courts of justice and extended her judicial system oyer the territory. She established a custom-hou, and collected duties, and also post offices and post roads, in it She es tablished a land office, and issued numerous grants for land, within its limits. ' A Senator and a Repre sentative residing in.it were elected to the Congress ofthe republic, and served as such before1 the act vf annexation took place. In both the Congress and Convention of Texas, which gave their assent to the terms of annexation to the United States, proposed by our Congress, were representatives residing west of the Nueces, who took part in the act of annexation itself. . This was the Texas which, by the act of our Congress of the twenty-ninth of December, 1S45, was admitted as one of the States of our Union. Thai the Congress of the' United States understood the State of Texas which they admitted into the Union to extend beyond the Nueces is apparent from the fact that on .the thirty-firsVof December, 18-15, only two days after the rict of admission, they passed a law " to establish a collection district in the State of Texas," by which they created a port of delivery at Corpus Christi, situated west of the Nueces, and be ing the same point at which the custom-house, uuder 1 fil. .1 I II 1 ... t T iub um 3 ui uui rcjiuuucj uau uccu locaieu. anu di rected that a surveyor to collect the revenue should be appointed for that port by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. . A' sur veyor was accordingly nominated and confirmed by the Senate, and has been ever since in the perform ance of his duties. All these acts of the republic of l exas, ana or our congress, preceded the orders for the advance of our army to the east bank ofthe Rio Grande. Subsequently, Congress passed an act "es tablishing certain post routes," extending west of the im ueces. l ne country west or that rivervnow constitutes a part of one ofthe Congressional districts of Texas, and is represented in the House of Repre sentatives. The Senators from that State were chosen by a legislature in which the country west of that river was represented. In view of these facts, it is difficult to conceive upon what ground it can be maintained that, in occupying the country west of the Nueces with oar army, with a view solely to its security and defence, wc invaded the territory of . v-k . . . . ... ' mexico. nut it wouiu nave oeen still more difficult to justify the Executive, whose duty it is to see that the laws be faithfully executed, if in the face of all these proceedings, both of the Congress of Texas and of the U nited States, he had assumed the responsl bility of yielding up the territory west of the Nueces to Mexico, or of refusing to protect and defend this territory, and its inhabitants, including : Corpus nrisxi, as weu as me remainaer or j. exas. against vac turtateueu Mexican invasion. - B at Mexico herself has never placed thi war which she has waged upon the ground that oar army occu pied the immediate territory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande. Her refuted pretension that Tex as was not in fact an independent State, but a rebel lious province, was obstinately persevered in ; and her avowed purpose in commencing a war with the United States was to reconquer Texas, and to restore Mexican authority over the whole territory not to the Nueces only, but to the Sabine.- In view of the proclaimed menaces of Mexico to this effect, I deem ed it my duty, aa a measure of precaution and defence, to order our army to occupy a position on our fron tier as a military post, from which our troops could best resist and repel any attempted invasion which Mexico might make. ; - Our army had occupied a position at Corpus Chris ti, west or the n ueces, as early as August, with out complaint from any quarter. Mad the n ueces been regarded as the true western boundary of Tex as, that boundary had been passed by.onr army ma ny months before it advanced to the eastern bank of the Rio Grande. ' In my annual message of Decem ber last, I informed Congress, that upon the invita tion of both the Uongress and Convention of Texas, I had deemed it proper to order a strong squadron to the coasts of Mexico, and to concentrate an effici ent military force on the western frontier of Texas, to protect and defend the inhabitants against the me naced invasion of Mexico. . In that message I inform ed Congress, that the moment the terms of annexa tion offered by the United States were accepted by .Texas, the latter became so far a part of our own country as to make it our duty to afford such pro tection and defence ; and that for that purpose our squadron had been ordered to the Unit, and our ar my to u take a position between the Nueces and the Del Norte," or Rio Grande, and "to repel any inva sion of the Texan territory which might be attempt- It was deemed proper to issue this order, because, soon after the President of Texas, in April, 1S45, had issued his proclamation convening the. Congress of that Republic, for the purpose of submitting to that body the terms of annexation proposed by the United States, the Government of Mexico made serious threats of invading the .Texan territory. .These threats became more imposing as it became more ap parent, in the progress ofthe question, that the peo ple of Texas would deckle in favor of accepting the terms of annexation : and, finally, they had assumed such a formidable character, as induced both the Con gress and Convention of Texas to request that a mi litary force should be sent by the United States into her territory for the purpose of protecting and de fending her against the threatened invasion. - It would have been a violation of good faith toward the peo ple of Texaa to have refused to afford the aid which they desired against a threatened invasion, to which they had been exposed by their free determination to annex themselves to our Union, in compliance with the overture made to them by the joint resolution of our Congress. - j--. . .. , ; v Accordingly, a pCrfkm of the army was ordered to advance into Texas: Corpus Christi was the posi tion selected by GenuTaylor. He encamped at that puce in August, J845, and the army remained in that position until the llth of March, 1846, when it moved westward, and on th 28th of that month reach ed the east bank of the Rio Grande opposite to Mat amoraav This movement was made in pursuance of orders from the War Department, issued on the 13th of January. 1846. Before these orders were issued. the despatch of pur Minister in Mexico, transmitting urviMw vi iuc council oi vrovcronicufc u it Mexlcw-the former bearing dateon the 17th andtK - Utter on the 1RM. r.r n v A . ' and th t . "wemgeK 1040, copies Of both mens ox oiate.. a nese communication rpmti ; j iuuun,Miui cuu,aim war was tue ouly recosrso I of the Mexican Government " 1 Kof the Mexican Government. 4 it appear?, also, that on the 4th.of Anril fblW,W Gen; Paredes, through his Minister of War, issued orders to the Mexican General in command on the Texan frontier to "attack" our army "by every means which war permits." To this Gen. Paredes had been pledged to the army and people of Mexico during the military revolution which had brought .him into power. On the 18 th oL April 1846, Gen. 'Paredes addressed a letter to theConamandec onthat frontier, in which he stated to him "at the present date I suppose you are at the head of that valiant ar my, either fighting already, or preparing for the op erations of a campaign " and "supposing you alrea dy on the theatre of operations, and with all the for ces assembled, it is indispensable that hostilities be commenced, yourself taking the initiative against the enemy." 7 y;v-. The movementof our army to the Rio Grande was made by the Commanding General under positive or ders to abstain from all aggressive acts towards Mex ico, or Mexican citizens, and to regard the relations between the two countries, as peaceful; nnless Mex- ' ico should declare war, or commit acts of hostility in dicative of a state of war ; and these orders he faith fully: executed. Whilst occupying his position on the east bank of the Rio Goande, within the limits or i exas, then recently admitted as one ofthe States of our Union, the Commanding General of the Mex ican forces, who, in pursuance of the orders of his Government, had collected, a large army on the op posite shore of the Rio Grande, crossed the river, ia- I vaded our territory, and commenced hostilities by at tacking our forces.. Thus, after all the injuries which we had received and borne from Mexico, after she had insultingly re jected a Minister sent to her on a mission of peace, and whom she had solemnly agreed to receive, she consummated her long course of Outrage against our country by commencing an offensive war and shed ding the blood of our citizens on our own sdiL v (To be concluded on Friday) ; ; BANK OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. A lilVf HF.tf It nf Paiif no. Aa..r Ar. ikalftl m a ae v v aw wa wa wa ay-v s waa IUV VOKIiai fW Slock having been declared for the. last lialf ycir the same will be pnid ut the llank, on tirst Monday in Jauuary.uext, aud at the Branches fifteen day thereatter. . . C. UEWU Y, Cashier. Dec 14. 1846. . ; y ' 1UU 3t Gaylord5s Patent Gutter. IWISd to pnure.fn AKentor Agent, lo travel through the tiiate i f Virginia, Geurgia, Alabama and Mississippi, for tbe purjoe of uiepostng of Kignis lr ti Deal ny, etryw and staix uutter in the United Stalest-being that patented by C a. Uitlorp, of Connet-ticot To persons; coming well recommendedt tbe most liberal . wages wilt be given. ' Letter, addressed to : me, at Chapel Hill,1 (pot paidj will be promptly attended to. I tr i I ubj in a lw Certificate fur the purpose ofj showing the estimaliuii in which "Gaxxoan Patent" is held, where it is beat known.': ' - j i DAVID RYAN, i - Chapel Hill, Dec. II; I86 100 tJl Lv.xcaauae, Dee 1st, 1846. - Mr David Ryan, Sir : In teply to yours f the 23rd ult. enquiring the success of the -G ay lord Patent Cutting Machine," the right ot which for ibis 'I Wn and County I bousht from you, I have nly to say that I nave mide oiil oue four or five, and. thry have been universally approved of. Had I not been engaged iu thfc manufacture of more heavy wura, I should nave made more, a F intend to do. regarding Ihem as the "ne plus uilra" of Culling Machine.' ' ' Very respectfully ' ; , ' y Your ooedienl servant . V ' JAM&d McXAMEE; ;,: .: Iron Founder and Macbtuitt. We, the Subscribers, certify that we coaalder Gev lord' raient Hay, draw and Stalk (Juiier; for dura bility, efficiency iu t olling, aud the case wiltfcwhich it i propelled, a much superior to any we have r ued or seen. "" ' - NORTHROP KELLOGG, LEMON E HfcJ.NDUV, FKEDERICK W. SlZER, '- t'r JOH. GAYLUKD. - Gaylbrd Bridge; No 15,1816. " ,' '- New Mitrwan, Ut., Nov.4 1846. ' Tbi certifie that at ih late Fair of the Amenctn , InsUtuie inf New York City, I saw and used Uaj- , lord' Patent 8traw Cutter,' and tested it severely several time with the various kind of Fodder, Hay, 8iiaw ai'd Sulks, and found it to perform faster and easier thsn any one of the many exhibited 'ihcrs. ; I consider it tbe least likely to get out of order, of any machine iu vented to cut fodder. . , -.; ? ORRA WARNER. This may certify that I have been acquainted with Mr. U. t Gay lord's Patent Straw Cutter in iu va nous stages ot invention ' - . & . t - . tsiiice he has completed and brought hi machine , before lb public, it , ban become in tbi vicinity , very popular.' I have used bi roar bine 'and consider it tbo best ooacbiu extanl for cutting fudder.-v t-, -, .... . WILLIAM ftUBERTS.. - IVew MUford, not. xa, ioo. . Mr. David Ryan, Sir : I hav tried Mr. C S, Gay- lord Patent nraw Cotter, and am fully satisned that ia pnneipi and practical utility, it i the beat cutter niw in use. For durability, case, ana speed in it execution, I never have sen any that would compare at all with it . I have examined very many Straw Coitots, and never have seen one that would cut theaame amount of Jira w. Hay or Corn atalk in a given time, wnn out requiring from three fourth mora, to d.obl th monnt of power lhat thi doe.' So well uued am I of the practical ntilitj ? the Machine, that I have jcoBtracteu with the Patentee for the p"riviJe of bui:u1pg-thm. and am now" making preparation to build hug qoaiiUlic ' Yours treiy, . FttANKLlXV afcnxM. . " .-- - Machinist - GsjlorUV Bridge, Coon Nov. S5,"oe'-
The Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 15, 1846, edition 1
2
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