reply with that promptness which the importance of the subject requires; and he avails himself, with pleasure, of this opportu nity to repeat to that gentleman the assurance of his most distinguished consideration, with which he remains, &c. J. M. DE BOCANEGRA. HON. DANIEL WEBSTER, Secretary of State of the United States of America. Mr. Webster to Mr. Thompson. Department of State, Washington, July 13, 1842. SIR, After writing to you on the 8th instant, I received, through the same channel as the former, M. de Bocanegra's second letter, and at the same time your despatch of the 6th of June, and your private letter of the 21st. This last letter of M. de Bocanegra was written, as you will see, before it was possible for him to expect an answer to his first, which answer is now forwarded, and shows the groundless nature of the complaints of Mexico. The letter itself is highly exceptionable and offensive. It imputes violations of honor and good faith to the government of the United States, not only in the most unjust, but in the most indecorous manner. You have not spoken of it in terms too strong, in your circular to the members of the diplomatic corps. On the receipt of this note, you will write a note to M. de Bocanegra, in which you will say, that the Secretary of State of the United States, on the 9th of July, received his letter of the 31st of May; that the President of the United States considers the language and tone of that letter derogatory to the character of the United States, and highly offensive, as it imputes to their government a direct breach of faith; and that he directs that no other answer be given to it, than the declaration, that the conduct of the government of the United States, in regard to the war between Mexico and Texas, having been always hitherto governed by a strict and impartial regard to its neutral obligations, will not be changed or altered in any respect or in any degree. If for this the government of Mexico shall see fit to change the relations at present existing between the two countries, the responsibility remains with herself. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, DANIEL WEbster. WADDY THOMPSON, ESQ., &c., &c., &c. CAPTURE OF MONTEREY. Mr. Webster to Mr. Thompson. Department of State, Washington, January 17, 1843. SIR,- -Your despatches to No. -, inclusive, and your private letter of the 15th ultimo, have been received. Although the department is without official intelligence of the seizure of Monterey by Commodore Jones, in command of the United States squadron in the Pacific, it is deemed proper that no time should be lost in acquainting the Mexican government that the transaction was entirely unauthorized. If, therefore, the account of that event should prove to be authentic, you will take occasion to inform the Minister for Foreign Affairs, orally, that Commodore Jones had no warrant from this government for the proceeding, and that the President exceedingly regrets its occurrence. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, WADDY THOMPSON, ESQ., &c., &c., &c. DANIEL WEbster. Mr. Webster to General Almonte. Department of State, Washington, January 21, 1843. The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has the honor to communicate to General Almonte, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Mexican republic, a copy of an instruction which has been addressed by this department to the minister of the United States at Mexico, upon the subject of the reported seizure of Monterey, on the Mexican coast, by Commodore Jones, in command of the United States squadron in the Pacific. The undersigned avails himself of the occasion to offer General Almonte renewed assurances of his very distinguished consideration. GENERAL DON J. N. ALMONTE, &c. DANIEL WEbster. To this note an answer was returned by General Almonte on the 24th of January, expressing his regret that nothing was said by Mr. Webster about punishing Commodore Jones, and intimating that compensation ought to be made by the United States for the losses suffered by citizens of Mexico in consequence of the capture of Monterey. To this letter of General Almonte the following reply was returned by Mr. Webster. Mr. Webster to General Almonte. Department of State, Washington, January 30, 1843. The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United States, has had the honor to receive the note of the 24th instant of General Almonte, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Mexican republic. General Almonte has already been made acquainted with the instruction addressed from this department, on the 17th instant, to the minister of the United States at Mexico, respecting the transaction at Monterey, in Upper California, in which Commodore Jones was concerned; but General Almonte now expresses his regret that he sees in that instruction no declaration that Commodore Jones will be exemplarily punished for the extraordinary act of excess committed by him, in violation of the faith of treaties, and in abuse of the hospitality with which the peaceable inhabitants of Monterey were prepared to receive him. The undersigned has the honor to inform General Almonte, that, before the receipt of his note, the President had given directions for the adoption of such a course of proceeding toward Commodore Jones as, in his opinion, was due to the circumstances of the case, to the preservation of the principle and practice of absolute and entire abstinence, on the part of military power, from all aggression in time of peace, and especially due to the friendly relations at the present time happily subsisting between the United States and Mexico. But General Almonte and his government must see that Commodore Jones intended no indignity to the government of Mexico, nor any thing unlawful toward her citizens. Unfortunately, he supposed, as he asserts, that a state of war actually existed, at the time, between the two countries. If this supposition had been well founded, all that he did would have been justifiable; so that, whatever of imprudence or impropriety he may be chargeable with, there is nothing to show that he intended any affront to the honor of the Mexican government, or to violate the relations of peace. General Almonte is aware of some of the circumstances in which this belief of the actual existence of a state of hostilities probably might have had its origin. It is not deemed necessary now to advert to those circumstances, nor is it at present known to the government of the United States what other causes may have existed to strengthen this belief, or to make it general along the western shore of this continent. In the clearly manifest absence of all illegal and improper intent, some allowance may be properly extended toward acts of indiscretion in a quarter so very remote, and in which correct information of distant events is not soon or easily obtained. If, in this transaction, citizens of Mexico have received any injury in their persons or property, the government of the United States will undoubtedly feel itself bound to make ample reparation; and the representations of General Almonte on that subject will receive the most respectful and immediate consideration. Happily, no lives were lost; nor is it understood that any considerable injury was suffered by any one. The undersigned is directed by the President to assure General Almonte and his government, that the government of the United States will at all times be among the last to authorize or justify any aggression on the territory of a nation with whom it is at peace, or any indignity to its government. Sensibly alive to any indignity, if offered to itself, it is equally resolved to give no such cause of offence to its neighbors. And the undersigned is directed to assure General Almonte and his government of the pain and the surprise which the President experienced on receiving information of this transaction. Under these assurances, the President hopes that it may pass away without leaving in the mind of the government of Mexico any other feeling than that in which the government of the United States entirely partakes; a feeling of deep regret at what has happened, and a conviction that no such unfortunate and unauthorized occurrence ought in any degree to impair the amicable relations subsisting between the two countries, so evidently to the advantage of both. The undersigned has been made acquainted with the communication addressed by the Mexican Secretary of State to the minister of the United States at Mexico, and with the answer of the latter gentleman to that communication. The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to offer General Almonte renewed assurances of his most distinguished consideration. GENERAL DON J. N. ALMONTE, &c. DANIEL WEBster. CHINA AND THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. Message from the President of the United States, on the Subject of the Trade and Commerce of the United States with the Sandwich Islands, and of Diplomatic Intercourse with their Government; also, in Relation to the new Position of Affairs in China, growing out of the late War between Great Britain and China, and recommending Provision for a Diplomatic Agent, December 31, 1842.* TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES: I communicate herewith to Congress copies of a correspondence which has recently taken place between certain agents of the government of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands, and the Secretary of State. The condition of those islands has excited a good deal of interest, which is increasing by every successive proof that their inhabitants are making progress in civilization, and becoming more and more competent to maintain regular and orderly civil government. They lie in the Pacific Ocean, much nearer to this continent than the other, and have become an important place for the refitment and provisioning of American and European vessels. Owing to their locality, and to the course of the winds which prevail in this quarter of the world, the Sandwich Islands are the stopping-place for almost all vessels passing from continent to continent across the Pacific Ocean. They are especially resorted to by the great numbers of vessels of the United States which are engaged in the whale-fishery in those seas. The number of vessels of all sorts, and the amount of property owned by citizens of the United States, which are found in those isl *This Message was written by Mr. Webster. |