WASHINGTON, _February 29, 1848_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
In compliance with the resolution of the Senate passed in "executive
session" on yesterday, requesting the President "to communicate to the
Senate, _in confidence_, the entire correspondence between Mr. Trist and
the Mexican commissioners from the time of his arrival in Mexico until
the time of the negotiation of the treaty submitted to the Senate; and
also the entire correspondence between Mr. Trist and the Secretary of
State in relation to his negotiations with the Mexican commissioners;
also all the correspondence between General Scott and the Government and
between General Scott and Mr. Trist since the arrival of Mr. Trist in
Mexico which may be in the possession of the Government," I transmit
herewith the correspondence called for. These documents are very
voluminous, and presuming that the Senate desired them in reference to
early action on the treaty with Mexico submitted to the consideration of
that body by my message of the 22d instant, the originals of several of
the letters of Mr. Trist are herewith, communicated, in order to save
the time which would necessarily be required to make copies of them.
These original letters, it is requested, may be returned when the Senate
shall have no further use for them.
The letters of Mr. Trist to the Secretary of State, and especially such
of them as bear date subsequent to the receipt by him of his letter of
recall as commissioner, it will be perceived, contain much matter that
is impertinent, irrelevant, and highly exceptionable. Four of these
letters, bearing date, respectively, the 29th December, 1847, January
12, January 22, and January 25, 1848, have been received since the
treaty was submitted to the Senate. In the latter it is stated that the
Mexican commissioners who signed the treaty derived "their full powers,
bearing date on the 30th December, 1847, from the President _ad interim_
of the Republic (General Anaya), constitutionally elected to that office
in November by the Sovereign Constituent Congress" of Mexico. It is
impossible that I can approve the conduct of Mr. Trist in disobeying the
positive orders of his Government contained in the letter recalling him,
or do otherwise than condemn much of the matter with which he has chosen
to encumber his voluminous correspondence. Though all of his acts since
his recall might have been disavowed by his Government, yet Mexico can
take no such exception. The treaty which the Mexican commissioners have
negotiated with him, with a full knowledge on their part that he had
been recalled from his mission, _is_ binding on Mexico.
Looking at the actual condition of Mexico, and believing that if the
present treaty be rejected the war will probably be continued at great
expense of life and treasure for an indefinite period, and considering
that the terms, with the exceptions mentioned in my message of the 22d
instant, conform substantially, so far as relates to the main question
of boundary, to those authorized by me in April last, I considered it to
be my solemn duty to the country, uninfluenced by the exceptionable
conduct of Mr. Trist, to submit the treaty to the Senate with a
recommendation that it be ratified, with the modifications suggested.
Nothing contained in the letters received from Mr. Trist since it was
submitted to the Senate has changed my opinion on the subject.
The resolution also calls for "all the correspondence between General
Scott and the Government since the arrival of Mr. Trist in Mexico." A
portion of that correspondence, relating to Mr. Trist and his mission,
accompanies this communication. The remainder of the "correspondence
between General Scott and the Government" relates mainly, if not
exclusively, to military operations. A part of it was communicated to
Congress with my annual message, and the whole of it will be sent to the
Senate if it shall be desired by that body. As coming within the purview
of the resolution, I also communicate copies of the letters of the
Secretary of War to Major-General Butler in reference to Mr. Trist's
remaining at the headquarters of the Army in the assumed exercise of his
powers of commissioner.