WASHINGTON, _August 4, 1846_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
I herewith communicate to the Senate the copy of a letter, under date of
the 27th ultimo, from the Secretary of State of the United States to the
minister of foreign relations of the Mexican Republic, again proposing
to open negotiations and conclude a treaty of peace which shall adjust
all the questions in dispute between the two Republics. Considering the
relative power of the two countries, the glorious events which have
already signalized our arms, and the distracted condition of Mexico,
I did not conceive that any point of national honor could exist which
ought to prevent me from making this overture. Equally anxious to
terminate by a peace honorable for both parties as I was originally to
avoid the existing war, I have deemed it my duty again to extend the
olive branch to Mexico. Should the Government of that Republic accept
the offer in the same friendly spirit by which it was dictated,
negotiations will speedily commence for the conclusion of a treaty.
The chief difficulty to be anticipated in the negotiation is the
adjustment of the boundary between the parties by a line which shall at
once be satisfactory to both, and such as neither will hereafter be
inclined to disturb. This is the best mode of securing perpetual peace
and good neighborhood between the two Republics. Should the Mexican
Government, in order to accomplish these objects, be willing to cede any
portion of their territory to the United States, we ought to pay them a
fair equivalent--a just and honorable peace, and not conquest, being our
purpose in the prosecution of the war.
Under these circumstances, and considering the exhausted and distracted
condition of the Mexican Republic, it might become necessary in order to
restore peace that I should have it in my power to advance a portion of
the consideration money for any cession of territory which may be made.
The Mexican Government might not be willing to wait for the payment of
the whole until the treaty could be ratified by the Senate and an
appropriation to carry it into effect be made by Congress, and the
necessity for such a delay might defeat the object altogether. I would
therefore suggest whether it might not be wise for Congress to
appropriate a sum such as they might consider adequate for this purpose,
to be paid, if necessary, immediately upon the ratification of the
treaty by Mexico. This disbursement would of course be accounted for at
the Treasury, not as secret-service money, but like other expenditures.
Two precedents for such a proceeding exist in our past history, during
the Administration of Mr. Jefferson, to which I would call your
attention. On the 26th February, 1803, Congress passed an act
appropriating $2,000,000 for the purpose of defraying any extraordinary
expenses which may be incurred in the intercourse "between the United
States and foreign nations," "to be applied under the direction of the
President of the United States, who shall cause an account of the
expenditure thereof to be laid before Congress as soon as may be;" and
on the 13th February, 1806, an appropriation was made of the same amount
and in the same terms. The object in the first case was to enable the
President to obtain the cession of Louisiana, and in the second that of
the Florida. In neither case was the money actually drawn from the
Treasury, and I should hope that the result might be similar in this
respect on the present occasion, though the appropriation is deemed
expedient as a precautionary measure.
I refer the whole subject to the Senate in executive session. If they
should concur in opinion with me, then I recommend the passage of a law
appropriating such a sum as Congress may deem adequate, to be used by
the Executive, if necessary, for the purpose which I have indicated.
In the two cases to which I have referred the special purpose of the
appropriation did not appear on the face of the law, as this might have
defeated the object; neither, for the same reason, in my opinion, ought
it now to be stated.
I also communicate to the Senate the copy of a letter from the Secretary
of State to Commodore Conner of the 29th ultimo, which was transmitted
to him on the day it bears date.