WASHINGTON, _February 8, 1849_.
_To the House of Representatives of the United States_:
In reply to the resolutions of the House of Representatives of the 5th
instant, I communicate herewith a report from the Secretary of State,
accompanied with all the documents and correspondence relating to the
treaty of peace concluded between the United States and Mexico at
Guadalupe Hidalgo on the 2d February, 1848, and to the amendments of the
Senate thereto, as requested by the House in the said resolutions.
Amongst the documents transmitted will be found a copy of the
instructions given to the commissioners of the United States who took to
Mexico the treaty as amended by the Senate and ratified by the President
of the United States. In my message to the House of Representatives of
the 29th of July, 1848, I gave as my reason for declining to furnish
these instructions in compliance with a resolution of the House that "in
my opinion it would be inconsistent with the public interests to give
publicity to them at the present time." Although it may still be doubted
whether giving them publicity in our own country, and, as a necessary
consequence, in Mexico, may not have a prejudicial influence on our
public interests, yet, as they have been again called for by the House,
and called for in connection with other documents, to the correct
understanding of which they are indispensable, I have deemed it my duty
to transmit them.
I still entertain the opinion expressed in the message referred to,
that--
As a general rule applicable to all our important negotiations with
foreign powers, it could not fail to be prejudicial to the public
interests to publish the instructions to our ministers until some time
had elapsed after the conclusion of such negotiations.
In these instructions of the 18th of March, 1848, it will be perceived
that--
The task was assigned to the commissioners of the United States of
consummating the treaty of peace, which was signed at Guadalupe Hidalgo
on the 2d day of February last, between the United States and the
Mexican Republic, and which on the 10th of March last was ratified by
the Senate with amendments.