CHAPTER IX.

Opposition of Mexico to the Annexation of Texas-The Question of Boundary-American troops ordered to Texas-Attempt to Negotiate-Refusal to receive a Minister--Advance of General Taylor to the Rio Grande-Commencement of Hostilities-Incidents of the war-Repeated efforts to open negotiations-The Armistice-Treaty of Peace.

THE "joint resolution providing for the annexation of Texas to the United States," embraced two propositions,— the one providing for the immediate annexation, and the other, of an alternative character, contemplating a new negotiation with the republic of Texas, if the President deemed it the most advisable.

RESOLUTION OF ANNEXATION.

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress doth consent that the territory properly included within, and rightfully belonging to, the Republic of Texas, may be erected into a new State, to be called the State of Texas, with a republican form of government, to be adopted by the people of said Republic, by deputies in convention assembled, with the consent of the existing government, in order that the same may be admitted as one of the States of this Union.

“2. And be it further resolved, That the foregoing consent of Congress is given upon the following conditions, and with the following guaranties, to wit: First, said State to be formed subject to the adjustment by this government of all questions

of boundary that may arise with other governments; and the constitution thereof, with the proper evidence of its adoption by the people of said Republic of Texas, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, to be laid before Congress for its final action, on or before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and forty-six. Second, said State, when admitted into the Union, after ceding to the United States all public edifices, fortifications, barracks, ports and harbors, navy and navy yards, docks, magazines, arms, armaments, and all other property and means pertaining to the public defence, belonging to said Republic of Texas, shall retain all the public funds, debts, taxes, and dues of every kind, which may belong to, or be due and owing said Republic; and shall also retain all the vacant and unappropriated lands lying within its limits, to be applied to the payment of the debts and liabilities of said Republic of Texas; and the residue of said lands, after discharging said debts and liabilities, to be disposed of as said State may direct; but in no event are said debts and liabilities to become a charge upon the Government of the United States. Third, new States of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the Federal Constitution. And such States. as may be formed out of that portion of said territory lying south of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude, commonly known as the Missouri compromise line, shall be admitted into the Union with or without slavery, as the people of each State asking admission may desire. And in such State or States as shall be formed out of said territory north of said Missouri compromise line, slavery or involuntary servitude (except for crime) shall be prohibited.

"3. And be it further resolved, That if the President of the United States shall, in his judgment and discretion, deem

it most advisable, instead of proceeding to submit the foregoing resolution to the Republic of Texas as an overture on the part of the United States for admission, to negotiate with that Republic, then

"Be it Resolved, That a State, to be formed out of the present Republic of Texas, with suitable extent and boundaries, and with two representatives in Congress, until the next apportionment of representation, shall be admitted into the Union, by virtue of this act, on an equal footing with the existing States, as soon as the terms and conditions of such admission, and the cession of the remaining Texan territory to the United States, shall be agreed upon by the governments of Texas and the United States.

"And be it further enacted, That the sum of one hundred thousand dollars be, and the same is, hereby appropriated to defray the expenses of missions and negotiations, to agree upon the terms of said admission and cession, either by treaty to be submitted to the Senate, or by articles to be submitted to the two Houses of Congress, as the President may direct."

President Tyler elected to submit the first and second sections of the Resolution of Annexation to the authorities of Texas, which election was approved by his successor, and the annexation was completed in conformity thereto. The administration of Mr. Polk, therefore, succeeded to all the liabilities and advantages incurred or secured by the accomplishment of this great measure.

The central authorities of Mexico, though possessing no right to complain, by reason of the justifiable resistance of Texas when the federal league of 1824 was violently ruptured, and of their inaction for so long a period, did not remain silent while the negotiations for the annexation of Texas were in progress, or the act itself be

ing consummated. On the 23d day of August, 1843, Mr. de Bocanegra, the Mexican Minister of foreign relations, addressed a note to Mr. Thompson, the American Minister in Mexico, calling his attention officially to the agitation of the question in the United States, and announcing that the Mexican government would consider equivalent to a declaration of war against the Mexican Republic, the passage of an act for the incorporation of Texas with the territory of the United States; the certainty of the fact being sufficient for the immediate proclamation of war; leaving to the civilized world to determine with regard to the justice of the cause of the Mexican nation, in a struggle which it [had] been so far from provoking. The tone of a portion of the note of Mr. de Bocanegra was so harsh and dictatorial, that it elicited a sharp reproof from Mr. Thompson. A second note was written by the former, in September, which was more subdued in its character, and assured the American Envoy that Mexico did not threaten, still less provoke or excite; but that she would "regard the annexation of Texas to the United States as a hostile act."*

In November of the same year, a similar correspondence took place, at Washington, between General Almonte, the Mexican Minister, and Mr. Upshur, the American Secretary of State; the former protesting, in an official note written on the 3d instant, in the name of his government, against the annexation, and declaring that on sanction being given by the American Executive to the incorporation of Texas into the United States, he

* House of Representatives, Exec. Doc., 2-1st Session 28th Congress, p. 26, et seq.

should consider his mission ended, and that the Mexican government was resolved to declare war so soon as it received information of such an act. * Two decrees were about the same time issued by the Mexican government, one of them excluding foreigners from the retail trade in Mexico, and the other closing the customhouses in the northern departments. The object of these decrees if not avowed, at least not concealed was to compel the American shopmen to leave the capital, and to cut off the valuable western trade with New Mexco and Chihuahua. Mr. Thompson remonstrated against these decrees, but the Mexican authorities positively refused to repeal them.

The treaty of annexation concluded by Mr. Calhoun was signed on the 12th day of April, 1844. Immediately upon the conclusion of the treaty, Mr. Green, the American Chargé d'Affaires in Mexico, by the direction of the Secretary of State, assured the Mexican government, that it was the desire of the President of the United States to settle all questions between the two countries, that might grow out of the treaty, or any other cause, on the most liberal and satisfactory terms, including that of boundary ;" and that the boundary of Texas had been purposely left without specification in the treaty, so that it might be "an open question, to be fairly and fully discussed and settled, according to the rights of each, and the mutual interest and security of the two countries.‡

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*Senate Doc. 341, 1st Session.

House of Representatives, Exec. Doc. 2 1st session 28th Congress, p. 31, et seq.

Senate Doc. 341-1st session 28th Congress, p. 53.