t f
J :---.
r in
'AGBICE
AL.
' ! - 3!
I.
-3
Observations 'communicated at i the request
ofcjloiu II. Ij.:FAlsmrlh,byJZ. C;
j llcrpick, librarian of 'Yale College, Con-
' ricclicutJ -y.- - - i .:
TIIE HESSIAN FLY. 7
KTh I nsctjcommonly called the JVm
7r wh chf lias for so ;many years ravaged
the "wheat, fields ofouricountrjv appears
to hava been; wholly unknown here before
the American Revolution. 7lt is j ijsualJy
stated jthat the insect was first notfcc$ in
the, year, 1770 or, 1779, on iStatcn Island
and the, westerly end of Long llsland, and
was generally supposed to have. becninr
troduced among straw brought hither by
the Hessian troops in the service of Great
Britain.'! 1'he : ravages of the insect soon
1 ' r
attracted: gc
as the ! year
neral attention ; and as early
1778, serious apprehensions
in England that the destroy-
were fxcite(
er might be
jcon veyed thither in some car-
go of i wheat The alarm there, was so
grcaf,!
matter
iat the bo vemment took nn thn
I the Privy Counci 1 sat day after
djay, anxiously; debating what measures
shouldj (4 iJ(opted;to Ayard off the danger
of a calamitv more to be dreaded, as thv
Iff f ff an lb? Plague orlpestiierice
expresses iwjjre sent off in all directions to
the ofilcers of the customs at the outports,
i respecting the examination of cargoes ;
ill i
ucspuigiies vvnuen 10 tne ambassadors in
Frattcfjqsjtria Prussia, tul jAmerica, to
gain tlip? information, of . the want of which
they vtferj ndw so sensible ; and so impor
tant was- the business deeined, that the
minuteii of the council, and the documents
collated from, fill upwards of 200 octavo
pages (Kirby and Spence, ;ii 50 On
the 25th pf4 June of that year, an order in
franco iijio Great Britain of wheat raised
in anir of the ; territories of the United
out the muchldreaded enemy. Soon after
the arrival of the news of this order, the
supreme bxedutive, council bf Pennsylva
nia addressed a letter of inquiry to th
Philadelphia Society. 'fprT Promoting,'Ag.
; ricultre Avho promptly replied that the
plant cjf the yheat alone was injured, and
that the Jtnseit was not piropagated: by
sovving the trrain which crew on fieMs in-
fectcd with it.
b - L
nrohihitfoh was doubt.
less based on the erroneous representation.
Ik . .! . . . . : ' w
of Sirij)sephf Banksand jj)f. Blagden,
Which they continued to enforce; even af-
, ter they V
verc
jetter i nst rucf ed by Dr. Cu r
liciently remarkable, that;
wheat Was prohibited an
rie. I
IF i
houghl
ntrfci
s su
the
t iitjwas allowed to jbq stored ; so
Mil
that the Hess
an fly, if concealed among
;1he gilaihV
would, after all, have had a
good Opportunity to escape; into the coun-
try. Infcight
or. ten months, the Govern
the imprisoned 'wheat at
ment j bought
primcf cot, kiln-dried it, and re-sold it at
greatloS,.arid almost immediately took
off the. prohibition. .(Memoir of Curric,
In the course of a few vears after this.
the liesfcian nv -was found in e.vnrv nnrt
ill: ' - - ' "
i country where wheat was cuhiva-
'rom the period of the'Rc volution
downtojthc present time, no jnsect in the"
j land hasitcei fed so much publicattention,
or fajled. out so many scores of pages
Pervatic n " ad: speculation. - These
I arc t J he j found scattered th rou gh maga
I 2inesl Agricultural journals, and common
I ncwsMWrs.TBut, in dffiance'of them all;
ine Mcssianjjfly continues its destructive
-ajHf ' is Probably as little mider the
; actual ontr( l of man as it washalf a cen
jlUry hgij.'-; ?;V-L: -- f
! ;XyJicl.hfcf this insect was an original
f habitant of Jiis country, pr was imported
'M M$ dA 8Wi.cW is a question not
yet settled. At the time of the discussion
Avhich
!jl t the prohibitory I order, an ex
iquiry in Europe resulted : iii the
i. tensive
"cone
usion that the insect was wholly un-
"knb
vyn there. : Yet. in the vmr I7n t it
was
found existing in several places in
utcrnjEfirope, and injuring the wheat
F 1 I " manner ivs in inis country.-
"Thisj important discovery was ' made ; by
y fVicnS, Uti James D. Dana, who hkd
Previously been encracred with m& in th
arunatfcri of )he Hessian fi and-was
qyajified to decide upon thexasei-
catj Journal of Sciences, xlij 153.)
vwe havean account from the
vicinity' of Geneva; in Switzerland, re-
rjby Duharaelbf An insectestro
?gn xtra' tlierc longfsincVas 1 1$2,
- i r, "X" "5.e5sian ny ; ana an
;c :I823iby::Iladiowha$-is
i PMyjther same insect, in "various pla:
f ?taHv No traces have been detect-
f any insect of the habils of the Hes-
. 1 v our 9untry;earlier than the
1776
arid if this insect is a native
Of NnrtW
America, what plant sustained
atKw andfbafley.-w
Porfed?
ere im-
On the other - hand, wc have no
PNf ;tbai
le. Hessian fly has ever been
of our
'ted. i
:i
4-1
nn
H
i."
BRUNER, & JAMES,y '; - ?Kt
iuauors. y rroprieiors. t'j
I t "t
fouml in Germany ; andJt. is certain that,
if-riie what were reaped in the orclinary
manner, ri'early all the available ; insects
would be left in the stubble f arid, further,
the sf rawiallegf dto. have been brought by
the Hessians must have been that which
ripcnedjiiithe summer of 1775, and from
which most o the ? insects; which it con
tained would have escaped before Au
gust,' 1770. ' Oh a questibn of sucli Uncer
tainty,4 nojone need quarrel with another's
opinion:.:., '; . . .j
The firsts-scientific- desenption of1 the
Hessian fiy; was published in the Journal
of ; the Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia, fQr July; 1817, (No. 3, i, 45.) f
by cthe iJaf el distinguished tentbmolosrisr,
ThomaSSay.ls He IhereTives it the sys
tematic pame of 'the cccidomyiadestruct
or andjto his description adds a few re
marks relative to its habits, and furnishes,
so,;anaccount bf f another insect, tby
whicKli fly is often destroyed. t Without
going ihto-a minute and tedious technical
description, the . following account is of
fered, as probably sufficient to enable an
observer! identify; the insect in its vari
ous transformations The Hessian fly; is
a two-wiged insect with head, eyes, and
thorax, black ; the head is small and de
pressed ; Ihepalpi (or mouth feelers) 'are
three or four jointed the basal one being
the smillest ;. the antennae are about half
as long as the body, and consist each of
from 14 to 17 oval joints; besides the ba
sal joint, which appears double ; the wings
are larger hairy, rounded : at ther tip, and
have each two or three longitudinal nerv
ures ; the! abdomen is of a tawny red, and
furnishedl irregularly, with ; many black
hairs ; consists of seven rings or segments
besides the; ovipositor. which is t of two
ides,jMfdjofV a rose-red color ; the ovipoV
one-third as long as the abdomen ; length'
of body, from the front of the head to the
end of thp abdomen, about one-eight of
an inch the legs are long and slender,
pale red, and covered sparsely with dark
hair. -The male is equal in size to the
femalef but generally less black, with an
tennb omewhat longer, and about three,
fourthth lenthbf the body. The joints
ot tue antennas are globular, and slightly
separated Trom each other.
oeveral other
species of the genus cecidomyia, or one
closely allied to it, arc common in this re
gion. But the Hessian flyi is the largest
and darkest of our species with which I
am" acquainted. .
- The eggs are laid in the long creases or
.furrows of the upper surface of the leaves
(i. ei thellade or strap-shaped part) of the
youn vhpat plant ; While depositing her
eggs, the insect stands with her head to
wards hej point or extremity of the leaf,
and at various distances between the point
hand where the leaf joins and surrounds
the stalk. The number found on a single
leaf Varies from a single egg up to thirtj,
or even more. The egg is about a fiftieth
of anjnch long, cylindrical rounded at
the ends, flossy and translucent, of a pale
red color, becoming, in a few hours, irregu
larly spotted with deeper red. Between
its ..exclusion and its hatching, these red
spots are continually changing in number,
size, and- position ; and sometimes nearly
all disappear. A little while before hatch
ing, two-llatcral rows of opaque i white
spots, about ten in number, .can be se
in each egg In four days, more "or
less.
according to the weather, the egg is hatch
ed ; ;the little ; wrinkled maggotor larva,
creeps out of the ' delicate membranous'
egg 'skin, era wis down the leaVehters the
sheath, and proceeds alonthe stalk, .usii-.
ally as iaas the ncxt jmri belovv. I Here;
i1a pPf enV?end1 head down
wards,' to ;the tender stalk, and lives upon
the sap. jldoes not gnaw the stalk, nor
does it ener , the central cavity . thereof :
but, as the J
ra. increases in size, it grad
ually bec
es imbedded in the substance
of the sta
After taking its station, the
larva moves no more. mdnnliv :wAe
reda'j r; gOlor'aiicI wrink le d appearance,
becomes plump and torpid, is at first semi-
tninslucentr: and then .more andmore
louded writh internal white spots : and.
when near, maturity, theiddle of the in
testinal parts is of a greenish color. In
five or six j weeks (vailing with the sea
son) the larva begins to turn brown; and
soon becomes of a bright "chestnut color.
In . this state, the insect bears some resem
blance to a flaxseed arid many observers
speak of this as thetfi-ecstate. j: The
larva hasjnbw become a chrysalisf""or pu
pa, and takes no more' food . The pupa
within gradually cleavesofT from the out
er skin, and, in the course, of two or three
Weeksf is eritirely'dcfachcd from it, so that
. . . ' - : v . .. r , . . .... : , .
' i 1 :ir ,.A-v 7 , MMf71"n"7rT. T ; T T
' V it : i
- f
EEr a check rros all itoc
f '. V" is safe. ; v . -'
the skin of the larva' (now brown and har-
dened, and- of a sort of lealherly texture)
has become a case or shell for the pupa
inside.' -' ' " t , . ; ' .
: The pupa shell is, of .course, in size and
form like the larva : it is oval, bulging out
beneath; and of the same curve! above as
the outside of the stalk ; . divided by cross
lines into twelve segments! and is about
an eighth of 1 an inch long. Within this
shell the pupa gradually advances towards
the winged state ; it contracts in length,
but not ip thread th and . its! skin appears
covered with.minute elevations. Just be
fore evolution, we' find thepupa invested ?
llif me!?rjln or fecarf, (which,
not long previous, was its ' outer skinr
through which maripartsjbf the future
fly may b(? disti nctlyvseen. H Tipally this
scarf splits along the thorar, or back, and;
the insect comes forth, bothrom this and
and the pupa shell, a perfect two-winged
f This is, in brief! the history of an indi
vidual which has been so fortunate as to
escape all , the numerous enemies with
which its race is surrounded from the mo
ment the egg is deposited ; j but of these;
more hereafter. j I 1,
In the Northern and Middle States, at
least, winter wheat is sown
in September
or uctober. feoon after the plants have
appeared jabove ground, Xhe Hessian fly
begins Jp lay her eggs upon theni ; and
thjsvoperattoniscon several
weeks, according to the season. The eggs
laid on the green leaves are; in a few, days
hatched, and the young larvce crawl down
the stalk; and take their stations ; gene
rally clustering around the stalk at the'
nearest joint below.' Here,! byj sucking of
the plant, tney increase in size, become
full and hard, and, pressing deeply into the
stalk, they impair its growtn ; kind if their
number about one joint is large, the stalk
is killed J Frequently the plant, although
impoverished, advances far enough to head
out ; but wheh the grain begins to fill, its
own weight, or perhaps thepwfind, causes
the stalk to break down. The injury done
to the wheat is occasioned by the exhaus
tion of the sap, and by the pressure cin the
yielding stalk. !
In five or six weeks the larvie stop feed
ing, the outer skin turns brown, and with
in this brown and leathery case the pupa)
pass the winter generally a little below
the surface of the earths' In April and
May the fly is again found depositing her
eggs on thc1 same wheat, (viz j: .that from
grain sown the preceding - autumn,) and
also on the spring wheat which has just
come up. These eggs hatcjh, and the lar
vae therefrom operate in the same manner
as those' of the autumn previous; These
larva; become pupa3 about! W middle of
June. The flics which lay their eggs in
the spring are probablyn part from the
pupa; which became such late in the pre
ceding autumn, and partly from pupa; con
tained in stubble left the preceding sum
mer. The period of the existence of the
Hessian fly inthe pupa or flax-seed state
is exceedingly variable. After much ob
servationniy own opinion is, that, in gene
ral, pup which become such late in the
autumn evolve the winged insect partly
during the next spring, and partly in the
summer and autumn following. Thnsn
upas which bgcomc such about June
evolve the winged insect partly during the
next autumn and partly duringr the year
succeeding. " I
The Hessian fly is attacked by nume
rous foes, which, in various stages of its
existence, destroy a largeVpart of e very
generation. Whether it has, in its winged
state, any enemies, except the ordinary
destroyers of flies, I know rioti ; ,Th.e eggs,
while lying on the leaves of the young
plant, are visited by. a. very minute four
winged insect, (a species.of platygaster,)
which lays in them itsvowh ggs. From
later observation, it appears that, occa
sionally, as many as five or jsii eggs of this
parasite are laid in a single egg of the
Hessian fly. JThe" latter egg thatches arid
becomes a pupa, as usual but from the
pupa" case," instead of the tlcssian fly, is
sues one or more of these minute parasitesl
f Thepupa: while imbedded in the stalk!,
are attacked ly at i'let lAidilTcrent mi
nute parasites, (four-winge4 hymenoptejra,)
whichi jboringi through the sheath of the
stalk, deposite their eggs iri'the body withl
in ; and the latter is finally jdeyoued by
the parasite, larva?. - These arb.the princi
pal means by, which the muItiplicathjiTof
the Hessian : fly is restrained within toleTa
blc limits. : - I-:"- -
Although the loss annujilly sustained by
the wheat growers of this country, in conf
sequence of the ravages of the Hessian flyi
1 a y - I. ' tr
i ' . " I - V 'T , - , V - I . . 1 V . 1 N.I
II. 111,1 I I ? V f 1 f V 1 I '" 1 I . . I ! . 1:1 I I I
. , .; '! ( , ; ; .NEW SERIE
" Tki Tins, ast Liberty 7 -
Geu'l. Harrison. , ,1) -NUMBER G, OF YQ
is severe, yet it is well nigh impossible to
ascertain even its probable ( amount; t As
long Jsince as 1800, DnS. .MitchiH, of
Newi, York, affirmed that the insect is
uiure: jprmiaaute to us man wfoukl be an
army of twenty thousand Hessians." 1 In
180.4; President Dwight, of Yale College,
remarked that " this insect is1 feeble arid
helpless intheextrcme,defenjelcss against
the least enemy, and crushed by the most
delicate touch ; yet, for many. years; it-has
taxed this countr', annually, more, per
haps, than a million of dollars." At the
present day, the amount of the injury in
fncted probably farexceeds what it was
fOTty years .since ; arid to disc6vervsome
leasible mode of exterminating; the insect,
or, at least, of arresting its ravages, is an
objeit 6f great iriiportaricc to this country.
. Various remedial, measures have, from
time1 to time, been proposed ; most of
which I will here state. e ? ; ?
1st. Steeping the seed-wheat in elder
juice, solution of nitre, boilingiwateiror
other liquids ; or rolling in lime, ashes, or
some other substance, in order to kill the
eggsfBut as the eggs of the Hessian fly
are riot on the seed, they will never, be
hurt by such processes. So far as these
meansj give vigor to the plant, they may
be of some little service.
j 2d. Sowing seed obtained from, places
n which the insect has not made its ap
pearance (erlcari Museum iv,47.)
yhisj 'eeominendation '"kisp.. Assumes the
error, that the eggs are laid on the grain,
and will be found, as it has nftn
useless as respects this insect.' "
3d. Abstaining rigidly throughout the
whole grain-growing region of North A
irierica from planting wheat, rye, barley,
or oats, for one, two, or three years, and
thus to starve out the insect ! This plan
might be' effectual, but would obviously
involve some inconveniences.
4th. j Manuring the land very highly, so
that the plants will grovv vigorously, and
ble soorier out of the way of the insect, and
also better able to resist itThis propo
sal has some merit, but r'ocs nothing to
wards destroying the insect
5th. j Sowing some variety of bearded
wheat; flint wheat, &c, supposed to have
a harder and more solid stalk than com
mon wheat, and better able to withstand
the impression of the larvae. A sugges
tion of some value, but, equally with 4th,
leaves the insect unharmed.
j Gth. Fumigating the wheat field, and
sprinkling the young wheat with infusion
of elder and with other steeps. If success
ful, which is quite uncertain, it is plain
that these measures are impracticable on
aj large scale. .'
j 7thJ Sowing winter wheat very late in
the autumn, so that the fly shall have
mostly disappeared before the plants are
large enough to be attacked. No doubt
this plan is to some-extent useful, but the
wheat sown late is in great danger of per
ishing; during the winter. The fly will of
course attack it in the spring, yet one at
tack will do less danger than two.
8th; Sowing oats early in autumn on
the intcrided'wheat-field. It is supposed
the fly will lay its eggs on the plant ; then
let them be ploughed in, and the wheat
Sown.1 The fly having nearly exhausted
itself on the oats, the wheat will suffer
less, j This plan may possibly be of some
partial-utility.
Othl Drawing a heavy roller over the
young wheat both in autumn and spring.
Phis process must be useful in crushing
many eggs and larva;.;
10. Permitting sheep and other animals
to graze the wheat-fields while the insects
are. laying their eggs. By these means,
large .numbers of the eggs will be devour
ed with the leaves.
11th. Burning the stubble immediately
after j harvest, and ploughing in the re
mains. This is by far the most practica
ble arid effectual mode of exterminating
the insect, or at, least, of checking its in
crease, h In the stnbble are many pupa; of
the fly, at this timecompletely in our pow
er;? i in reaping, the stubble is left high,
thej fire ul(d s weep rapidly; over a field,
and destroy nearly all: these pupa? ; the
fev which escaped thW firejwouId,by the
plough, be buried so 'deep as to perish in
the earth ; mere pldughing in of the stub
ble must be highly "useful.- If I be tw;ore
comriaendations last named were thorough
ly put in practice oyer the7vhole country
not only, upon wheat, but ;alsb on rye
arid barley, and any other plants attacked
by the Hessian fly theVavages of this in
sect would, in all probability, ere long, be
come scarcely worthy of notice.
It may not be improper, in this place, to
SERIES, v
OLUME II.
the papers of any import arice which have
been published on the" subject.? ! W " ' -"
, ,Aiicre are in me United states, besides
the Hessian fly,se vcral other insects which
attack the wheat while in the field.' Those
persons who - assert that the former lays
its eggs on, the grain, in the spike or head,
have undoubtedly mistaken for the Hes
sian fly somq one of these other insects.
Theibllowrngbrief notices, of the more
important of these enemies, I have abridg
ed from the accounts comprised in Dr. T.
W. Harris's Treatise on some of the- in
sects of New England t which arc injurious
to wc&;
8vo..) a workof irreatinfer?st nnrl vnlno
In it thq inquirer
state that the foregoing account of the ha- nl r.?tt'0l'h :
bits of the Hessian flv is derived from my 'j'$c Orleans States tha the Mexi.
mrn 1nnr i i t'h : ;"c.an kvcrjncnft Hhc event of the failure f
own long-continued obscmttions, and that ,he proposeI, negotiation u nrrparin for a
I have moreover endeavored to consult all The auihotity of Co,pWS iL L-ii.
- " w w v
gest of all the
have on the numerousi insects which in
jure our plants, bruits,' and trees; and, in
addition, he wjll learn the means of de
fence, so far as any have been d isco vcred.
The book ought to be in the hands of ev
ery intelligent farmer and prchardist. :
1. A grain moth; (Angoumois moth
alucila cercalclla fOi) probably thesame
as described by Colonel Carter, In the
Transactions nf the Atnerican Philosophi
cal Society, volume i, 1 771. ; and -byj j. Lo
rain, in .Mease? Archives of Useful Know-
ledge, yfAwws ii, 1812.V It is about three
eighths of an inch long when its wings
are shut. The upper wings are Of a light
brovvn satinVcolor and justrej covering the
body horizontally above, but drooping a
little at the sides. The lower wings arid
the rest of the body are ash-colored. The
moth lays her eggs usually on the young
and tender grain in the field; each cater
pillar from these eggs selects a single
grain, burrows into it, and remains con
cealed; devouring. Ihe meal within. Sub
jecting the grain to a heat pf 1G7 deg.
Fahr., for twelye hours, in an oven, will
kill the insect.
2. Tfie. English wheat flu (tipula tritici,
Kirby.) is a small orange-colored two
winged gnat, which lays its eggs in "the
head of wheat vhile blossoming. The
maggots from these Hggs are without feet,
tapering towards the head, at first per
fectly, transparent and colorless, but soon
becoming orange-yellow ; and when ma
ture, are each about an eighth of an inch
long. It is supposed they devour the pol
len, and prevent the settyig of the grain ;
the maggots fall from the spike to the
earth, within which they undergo their
final transformations. The insect (or one
very similar to if) has done much damage
in the northern States and in Canada for
several years past ; but no effectual mode
6f preventing the mischief, or of destroy
ing the insect, appears" to have been de
vised. 3. The wheat caterpillar. This is a span
worm of brownish color, with twelve feet
six near each end of the body. It feeds
on the kernel in the milky state, and also
devours the gerrninating end of the ripen
ed grain. It is said to be found in the
chaff when the grain is threshed. We
have little certain knowledge concerning
the parent insect or its transformations.
In addition to these three, there are pro
bably other insects more or less injurious
to our wheat crops. Much has been pub
lished in our journalrelatiye to these de
predator ; yet their habits are imperfectly
understood, and many of the accounts are
confused and contradictory. It is greatly
to be desired that all w.ho hate the oppor
tunity should endeavor to make careful
observations, and communicate them to
the public. -
These observations must be accompa
nied by accurate descriptions of the insect
undcr cxamination, and in its various sta
ges ; otherwise, most of the labor will be
spent in vain. 1 f .
lirer will "find ImlhfUl d i- 10 jY an exception ta "7
V:ki ; r 4. - :Jhi$ general pardonahd Santa Anna alidicjuv
Vf reliable information; y&. tUnpUht Presidency is accepted;
lmerous: insects which' in- l.MRim? npt opvnii itnVf .v ,
Slavery and. the Presbyttrian CAurcA. The
New. York Commercial sajs the Presbyterian
Convention now in session in Philadelphia has
adopted the following propositions relating to
the subject of slavery ,7 7 7
; 1. That the institution of slavery existing in
these U. States, is not sinful on the part of ci-
vn;society:7;;4;7;; -';:;;;;
2. That slavery, as it exists in these United
States.' is not a sinful oflence. 7' .
'9.' That civil Government is not bound to a
bolish slavery in these United States. '- ?;'
4. That it is hot agreeable to jtbev word of
God for any person intentionally to'induce those
held in slavery to rebel against their masters.
-" - ' .-. 1 .1 - 1 I w v 1 1 1 " - . ' - .. ; T
1 . t : . . . .. .
x In New Orleans, on the 10th instant, Allen
Jones was fiped 81000, and JT. JIBryant 82000
(being his second oflence,') for violations of the
laws against gambling, and to -remain inv pri
son till the" fines were paid. 7AU theigaming
apparatus was confiscated.--v- -. ,,,-.
- . . 4
T Tin . V
uuik! 1mI
tivojntcrcstj
ry urc? ha been toncdhtrntcd on the borders
of Texas; and second that ovctiiA'cs hate
. .... 44t j vAi(i viuvcrn.
. ."..icr w wniratt a; loaMof three millions of
dollars, at an iniom W.,t ",..f- .1..... m . .
for
inenced, un! some have proposed that iho am
ncsty should I be' extended to all thb political
criminals, withhd restriction that Saufa Anna
and Canalizo, andthe foUiTMinistcrs who siloed
the decree of the 29th Noveniher, shouldquits
the country for ten years, or "submit to the con
timixtion of their trial; vThe latter proposTtion,
slightljr modified, was adopted by the Chamber
of Deputies on the ICih. 7 7 b -7
Santa A n mi, Canal izt; arid the four Ministers"
are allowed eight days to determine whether
they will ellipse an expatriation cHeD ars,
or ine continuation ofiheir trials.- Breaches of
- MESSAGE OF'SEXOIt CUEVAS.
t "Ckxtlemen : The umriC Texaare so
exceedjnffl
1 i-.KKSTIXG rno.M MEXICO.
date. W A era Cruz la the SUth ulthno,
fYcm the city cf:.Mexiw to. the SGtL.
Oa the 2 1st, Scnor Cuctas t) n m- r
wj, ... itiis.'iiiou m wiiicii will o i
-i in. , AUUiontv has likewise' been Lr,I
the settlement iiP!i "T.w?TTn',i.tr . r lr i-
a.r,lrt!s PJ have" been submitted to Con-
gress lor a general amucstr i .r .,.rir,
j ' - J ..saw tililliai I
exceedingly grave, and merit such profound con- ll t
sideratiou, both by Congress and tho Kxecu- , 1 j
:iretiihat it is impossible without incurring T 'r
sidefat
live
special responsibility, to delay tho course to bo
pursued in order to prepare a. line of conduct,
compatible with the Honor and ; interest of the
xicpuuuc. j :'A$ iae Government has already ta- ri
ken steps for the assemblage ota body of troops
on that frontier, emnloviiir all Irs resnnrn..
enablehcm to succeed, and as it is now en--;
gaed in obtaining those resources which it has"
demanded or the legislature, nothing remains'
but lo continue' to carry out the plan proposed
in order fliat the Republicnajr sustain herself
with the dignity1 befitting her. good "name and :
sovereignty.- - ' ;v .-: 7 - . .
44 But 1 circumstances f have occurred which1
reqder not merely expedient but absolutely ne
cessary a negotiation, in order to prevent the!
annexation ofrTexas to theUiiited fcJtatesand
which Mexicans cannot tolerate, whatever may
be tKe- consequences of such a rupture. W Tex--as
has taken the initiative, (acaba de inlriar un
arregh,) and his excellency the; President a& 741
interim, who ully urideridtho importae T' i: t f
of the moyemenUsi .likewise entireJycon vinced f;
that an'nnf nntMnn :.i,i'7....i: . ; ," .'
..... j,,. uw,mUjj (UU VAWCUllOII W linOUC -- 5
the previous sanction of the auirust Chambers." " f '
since; underfprescnt circumstances, ho does hot 7
consider himself invested withr the-atiributer 1
conceded by the Constitution in diplomatic Vfie"-':i
gottations with foreign rowers. -- The Govern
ment .bein tkithfnl in It-; nFaCAr:K..,i v,t.uiiS, 1 ;
frank even to the extent of submitting all! its V i
acts to the freest discussion, and cou vinced that '
these national questions should ; be treated with -the
purest patriotism, and with a sense of jus. ' '
tice superior tp-yery attack l and every prejti
dice, from whatever sourcetheynay emaiiato, :U:
has cenc1uJe.d tha under the; present aspect cf 5 I
the Texas question, the, negotiation which has p
been tendered should not be refused, norshouM y- - T
the Covernmentibsolve itself from the duly 017 1
withholding its own decision upohW delicate " ;L
a point, Uotil after proper consultation v with the "
legislative body: It an honorable arrangement 1 'i I
can be made no which'wsuld satisfy the na
lional honor theiGovernment . will have the ; ' -pleasure
of submitting it-to'Cohgrcss ; anil if!i
such arranremcnt be tbund imilraciieahle. Iw. f
ever desirous the - Government inavbe? of 7 c'U
to decide in favor of a'warTvhich; wilhbri the' r
uvv. nuiiui UB iirpuujic, II W ll.ue IDS rirst.
more just, as every possible eflbrt will have'
been made to avoid it. c i-J 7,1:
The preliminary propositions nrcsenteil bV I
Texas have the appearance"of7an hohoraJdei
transaction, lavorable to the Ucbublic : '.and tho
r? ...... .. .i . . . f. ? ..
been solicited.' To decline negotiation. wouU
bo- at once to7consummate; tho7arinexati.n ofti7vj
I exas to the United Sjates, audnho Chamber
will not fail to remark that 'an event resulting
from Such evil counsels (vu-sa tan mid acchse
jado) would torm aa7overwlrelnTing : ctargo7 7
against the present adminislration. 4 To reluso p
to listen: lo propositions 'cfVpeace which - may A
briug about a saiisiactory irrangemciit, and to.'-'
proceed at pace to extreme measures; may for
the mcracn flatter a justly irritated patriotisms
but is not what the nation shouldjjxpectfroinits 7
supreme authority, whoihjly i is to flresea ?
and consider maturely the evUs of a lon arnJ
expensive war, to avoid ibein, and to embrace
this calamity only when honor can be preserved
in no other manner, in a crisis so mornchtousT 7
as the present onoT '. i ,? " c .v f
If the iJovcrnrncnt were to follow simply tho -7:
impulse of its own feelings , with respect to the
law of annexation, Congress well knows what
i course .would beand is awarethat it would! -decide
upon a rupture whicji would be gloriously. .
sustained by the iatriotistn 'of every" Mexicaiuv :
It is a heavy sacrificet
ad interim and his Ministry to require the au,"
thority asked in .tho present coinmunicat ion ; ;
but they nakc' this sacrifice under a proLumi
conviction and an ardent desire tor the prosjri.
ty of the Republic, and with the' confident be
lief that, having done every thing possible tor 7
the preservation of, peace, it war be unavoida- r ,
ble, its issue-will be as. worthy of the national
renown as of trie justice of the people who have v
been provoked into iCli4-; vy:;.??
" In view of the jabove, his excellency 7th7
President ad interim, In Cabinet counsel and r
by-junanimous' agreementTnstructs me to sub-' ;,
mit the following request to the deliberation of 1'
Congress: kj-tit-r-":-;' 7-7' 1 -,,7 :f -,77.7
-t' e the jGovej-n ment be authorizeiFto
l'!? M l proposals ririade liy; Texas, and to 7
proceed to an: arrangement or; Jo'negotiate a
treaty which . it . may Jeoiisider; expedient , and 4
honorable Tor the leMiblic; the same to be sub. 7
mitted to Congress for its eiamiuation'and ap- ;
provaI.:' ' - ' 7- " ' "" - - ..";'' . -V
I repeat to you, geitlleiticn, tho assurances
of my distinguished con sideration., V t - : ;:
"God and liberty! Mexico, 2lst Apr'uVlR13. v
; " "Mfc'IS G. CUEVAS. -
' " " To the Secretaries of the Ctamler of D&utis.-
',!
7' ;7'7 ;- '! '
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