upon such articles as may bring foreign produce into dangerous competition with American in their own markets, and was carried in that House by the majority of a single vote; the numbers being: Ayes, 28; Noes, 27. In the House of Representatives it passed with less difficulty, and the numbers there were:-Ayes, 115; Noes, 93. The measure was finally adopted at the end of July, but was not to come into operation until the 1st of December. In Bancroft, well September Mr. known as the author of a history of the United States, was pointed American Minister to this country, in the place of Mr. Everett. ap CHAPTER XIII. UNITED STATES, continued.-Message of the President to CongressTopics embraced therein-History of the quarrel between the United States and Mexico-History of the Annexation of Texas to the States of the Union-Causes which led to the declaration of war against Mexico-Narrative of the successes of the American army-Question of letters of marque and reprisal issued by the Mexican Government— Spanish privateers to be treated as pirates-Report of the Secretary of the Treasury-Proposed loan-New Tariff Bill-Question of Protection duties Act for the "better organization of the Treasury"Government of the Oregon territory-Report of the Secretary of the Navy-Report of the Postmaster General. MEXICO.-Revolution and overthrow of General Herrera-General Paredes becomes President of the Republic-Refusal of the Mexican Government to receive the American Minister-The latter demands his passport-War between Mexico and the United States-Santa Anna-General Taylor advances against Matamoras-Battles of Pala Alto, and Resaca de la Palma-Matamoras evacuated by the Mexican troops under General Arista-Blockade of the Mexican coast by the American fleet—Advance of the American forces into the interior-Appearance of Santa Anna in Mexico-Revolution and overthrow of General Paredes-Manifesto by Santa Anna-Capture of the city of Monterey by the American army under General Taylor-Surrender of Pampico. THE BRAZILS.— Opening of the Legislative Chambers, and Speech of the Emperor. RIO DE LA PLATA.-Despatch from M. Guizot detailing grounds for English and French interference in the war against Monte VideoCombined operations of English and French against General Rosas, and gallant action in forcing the passage of the river Parana in November 1845-Continuance of the siege of Monte Video. N 8th of December the more interesting than usual, as it President sent his annual Mes- gives a full account of the causes sage to Congress. This document exceeded in length any which had been written by his predecessors, and they have hitherto enjoyed the reputation of being the most prolix state-papers in the world. The present Message is, however, rather of quarrel between the American and Mexican Governments, and enters largely into a justification of the policy pursued by the United States on the question of the annexation of Texas to the Federal Union. We have selected the most "In resuming your labours in the service of the people, it is a subject of congratulation that there has been no period in our past history when all the elements of national prosperity have been so fully developed. Since your last Session no afflicting dispensation has visited our country, general good health has prevailed, abundance has crowned the toil of the husbandman, and labour in all its branches is receiving an ample reward, while education, science, and the arts are rapidly enlarging the means of social happiness. The progress of our country in her career of greatness, not only in the vast extension of our territorial limits and the rapid increase of our population, but in resources and wealth, and in the happy condition of our people, is without example in the history of nations. "As the wisdom, strength, and beneficence of our free institutions are unfolded, every day adds fresh motives to contentment, and fresh incentives to patriotism. "Our devout and sincere acknowledgments are due to the gracious Giver of all good, for the numberless blessings which our beloved country enjoys. "It is a source of high satisfaction to know that the relations of the United States with all other nations, with a single exception, are of the most amicable character. Sincerely attached to the policy of peace, early adopted and steadily pursued by this Government, I have anxiously desired to cultivate and cherish friendship and commerce with every foreign Power. The spirit and habits of the American people are favourable to the maintenance of such international har mony. toan. In adhering to this wise policy, a preliminary and paramount duty obviously consists in the protection of our national interests from encroachment or sacrifice, and our national honour from reproach. These must be maintained at any hazard. They admit of no compromise or neglect, and must be scrupulously and constantly guarded. In their vigilant vindication, collision and conflict with foreign Powers may sometimes become unavoidable. Such has been our scrupulous adherence to the dictates of justice in all our foreign intercourse, that, though steadily and rapidly advancing in prosperity and power, we have given no just cause of complaint to any nation, and have enjoyed the blessings of peace for more than thirty years. From a policy so sacred to humanity, and so salutary in its effects upon our political system, we should never be induced voluntarily to depart. After "The existing war with Mexico was neither desired nor provoked by the United States. On the contrary, all honourable means were resorted to to avert it. years of endurance of aggravated and unredressed wrongs on our part, Mexico, in violation of solemn treaty stipulations, and of every principle of justice recognised by civilized nations, commenced hostilities; and thus, by her own act, forced the war upon us. Long before the advance of our army to the left bank of the Rio Grande, we 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 course. 66 The wrongs which we have suffered from Mexico almost ever since she became an independent Power, and the patient endurance with which we have borne them, are without a parallel in the history of modern civilized notions. "Scarcely had Mexico achieved her independence, which the United States were the first among the nations to acknowledge, when she commenced the system of insult and spoliation which she has ever since pursued. Our citizens engaged in lawful commerce were imprisoned, their vessels seized, and our flag insulted in her ports. If money was wanted, the lawless seizure and confiscation of our merchant vessels and their cargoes was a ready resource, and if to accomplish their purposes it became necessary to imprison the owners, captains, and crews, it was done. Rulers superseded rulers in Mexico in rapid succession, but still there was no change in this system of depredation. The Government of the United States made repeated reclamations on behalf of its citizens, but these were answered by the perpetration of new outrages. Promises of redress made by Mexico in the most solemn forms were postponed or evaded. The files and records of the Department of State contain conclusive proofs of numerous lawless acts perpetrated upon the property and persons of our citizens by Mexico, and of wanton insults to our national flag. The interposition 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 The Message then goes into a long detail of the grievances committed by Mexico against the United States; and thus proceeds: "Such is the history of the wrongs which we have suffered and patiently endured from Mexico through a long series of years. So far from affording reasonable satisfaction for the injuries and insults we have borne, a great aggravation of them consists in the fact, that while the United States, anxious to preserve a good understanding with Mexico, have been constantly, but vainly, employed in seeking redress for past wrongs, new outrages were constantly occurring, which have continued to increase our causes of complaint and to swell the amount of our demands. While the citizens of the United States were conducting a lawful commerce with Mexico under the guarantee of a treaty of "amity, commerce, and navigation," many of them have suffered all the injuries which would have resulted from open war. This treaty, instead of affording protection to our citizens, has been the means of inviting them into the ports of Mexico, that they might be, as they have been in numerous instances, plundered of their property and deprived of their personal liberty if they dared insist on their rights. Had the unlawful seizures of American property, and the viola tion of personal liberty of our citizens, to say nothing of the insults to our flag, which have occurred in the ports of Mexico, taken place on the high seas, they would themselves long since have constituted a state of actual war between the two countries. In so long suffering Mexico to violate her most solemn treaty obligations, plunder our citizens of their property, and imprison their persons without offering them any redress, we have failed to perform one of the first and highest duties which every Government owes to its citizens; and the consequence has been, that many of them have been reduced from a state of affluence to bankruptcy. The proud name of American citizen, which ought to protect all who bear it from insult and injury throughout the world, has afforded no such protection to our citizens in Mexico. We had ample cause of war against Mexico long before the breaking out of hostilities. But even then we forbore to take redress into our own hands, until Mexico herself became the aggressor by invading our soil in hostile array and shedding the blood of our citizens. "Such are the grave causes of complaint on the part of the United States against Mexico causes which existed long before the annexation of Texas to the American Union; and yet, animated by the love of peace and a magnanimous moderation, we did not adopt those measures of redress which, under such circumstances, are the justified resort of injured nations. facts connected with the revolution by which Texas became independent of Mexico. That this may be the more manifest, it may be proper to advert to the causes and to the history of the principal events of that revolution. Texas constituted a portion of the ancient province of Louisiana, ceded to the United States by France in the year 1803. In the year 1819 the United States, by the Florida Treaty, ceded to Spain all that part of Louisiana within the present limits 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 this territory. In the year 1824 Mexico established a federal constitution, under which the Mexican Republic was composed of a number of sovereign states, confederated together in a federal union similar to our own. Each of these states had its own Executive, Legislature, and judiciary, and for all, except federal purposes, was as independent of the general Government, and that of the other states, as is Pennsylvania or Virginia under our constitution. Texas and Coahuila united and formed one of these Mexican states. The state constitution which they adopted, and which was approved by the Mexican confederacy, asserted that they were "free and independent of the other Mexican united states, and of every other power and dominion whatsoever;' and proclaimed the great principle of human liberty, that "the sovereignty of the state resides originally and essentially in the general mass of the individuals who compose it." To the Government under this constitution, as well as to that under the federal consti |