WASHINGTON, _May 15, 1844_.
_To the Senate of the United States_:
In answer to the resolution of the Senate of the 13th instant,
requesting to be informed "whether a messenger has been sent to Mexico
with a view to obtain her consent to the treaty with Texas, and, if so,
to communicate to the Senate a copy of the dispatches of which he is
bearer and a copy of the instructions given to said messenger; and also
to inform the Senate within what time said messenger is expected to
return," I have to say that no messenger has been sent to Mexico in
order to obtain her assent to the treaty with Texas, it not being
regarded by the Executive as in any degree requisite to obtain such
consent in order (should the Senate ratify the treaty) to perfect the
title of the United States to the territory thus acquired, the title to
the same being full and perfect without the assent of any third power.
The Executive has negotiated with Texas as an independent power of the
world, long since recognized as such by the United States and other
powers, and as subordinate in all her rights of full sovereignty to no
other power. A messenger has been dispatched to our minister at Mexico
as bearer of the dispatch already communicated to the Senate, and which
is to be found in the letter addressed to Mr. Green, and forms a part of
the documents ordered confidentially to be printed for the use of the
Senate. That dispatch was dictated by a desire to preserve the peace
of the two countries by denying to Mexico all pretext for assuming a
belligerent attitude to the United States, as she had threatened to do,
in the event of the annexation of Texas to the United States, by the
dispatch of her Government which was communicated by me to Congress at
the opening of its present session. The messenger is expected to return
before the 15th of June next, but he may be detained to a later day. The
recently appointed envoy from the United States to Mexico will be sent
so soon as the final action is had on the question of annexation, at
which time, and not before, can his instructions be understandingly
prepared.