No. 4. Mr. Black to Mr. Buchanan. [Extract.] CONSULATE OF THE U. S. OF AMERICA, Mexico, November 4, 1845. A revolution is still talked of here, but the government is using all its vigilance to 'prevent it. It has its suspicions of General Parades, and has sent orders for him to break up his cantonment at San Luis, and to disperse the troops to different parts of the republic. He must either obey this order, which will leave him without command, or pronounce against the government. If he pronounces, it will be for a military government, and, in that case, the federalists will join the government, and Parades will be put down. I wish this government may stand, as I think it well disposed to arrange all matters in dispute with the United States. I hope a minister will soon arrive to commence and secure the negotiation. There should be no delay. You will please to find enclosed copies of various documents, from No. 1 to No. 4 inclusive, as follows, viz: No. 1.-Copy of a confidential communication of the 29th October, from this consulate to the minister of foreign relations of the Mexican republic, advising of the withdrawal of the naval force of the United States from before Vera Cruz, and enclosing a copy of Commodore Connor's letter to F. M. Dimond, esq., United States consul, Vera Cruz, relating to the same. No. 2.-Copy of Commodore Connor's letter as aforesaid. No. 3.-Copy of a confidential communication of the 31st ultimo, received from the minister of foreign affairs, relating to the appearance of a vessel in the bay of Manzanillo, on the Pacific, said to be a United States armed vessel, &c. No. 4.-Copy of the reply of this consulate to the above communication, dated the 3d instant. On the morning of the 30th ultimo, Mr. Monasterio, the chief clerk of the foreign department of this government, called at this consulate, stating that he had come on the part of his excellency the minister, to say he had received my note of the 29th ultimo, and should answer it in writing; but, in the meantime, he had to communicate to me a disagreeable occurrence which had taken place at the port of Manzanillo; that an American armed vessel had entered the bay and had very much alarmed the authorities of that place, which news the government had received direct by express; and he offered, if I would call at the department, to show me the official account, that I might know the particulars. In the course of the same morning I called as requested, when I found that the name of the vessel did not correspond to any of our armed vessels. I told him we had no vessel of that name in our navy. He replied that there might be a mistake in the name, but that it was an armed vessel of the United States. I then told him if his excellency the minister would give me a statement, in a confidential communication, I would see what could be done, and answer him, the result of which you have in Nos. 3 and 4. The undersigned, consul of the United States of America, has the honor to advise his excellency Manuel de la Peña y Peña, minister of foreign relations and government of the Mexican republic, in view of the confidential note of his excellency of the 15th instant, in answer to that of the undersigned of the 13th, and also of the verbal request that the undersigned might inform his excellency of the occurrence of the withdrawal of the American squadron from before Vera Cruz whenever that event should take place. In compliance with that .request, the undersigned has the honor to transmit herewith to his excellency a copy of a communication addressed by Commodore Connor, commander of the American squadron before Vera Cruz, to the American consul, F. M. D.mond, esq., of that place, by which his excellency will see that the wishes of the Mexican government have been, in this respect, fully and. promptly complied with. In communicating this to the Mexican government, the undersigned avails himself of the occasion to renew to his excellency Manuel de la Peña y Peña, minister of foreign relations and government of the Mexican republic, the assurance of his distinguished consideration and personal esteem. [Enclosure No. 2.] Commodore Connor to Mr. Dimond. ་་ U. S. SHIP FALMOUTH, OFF SACRIFICIOS, By the letter of Mr. Black, which you were kind enough to send me this morning, I learn that the proposition to enter into negotiation, made by our government to that of this country, had been accepted. There appears to exist, on the part of this government, some fear lest they should be accused of being forced into this measure by the hostile attitude of the United States.. Being fully aware that our government has had no intention of threatening this country, but, on the contrary, has always been actuated by a sincere desire to heal existing differences in a manner honorable to both nations, I believe that I shall best contribute to such an arrangement by withdrawing our naval force from before Vera Cruz. [Enclosure No. 3.-Translation.] Mr. Peña y Peña to Mr. Black. [Private.] OCTOBER 31, 1845. MY DEAR SIR: Although this is not to be understood, in any way, as an intimation of the re-opening of the friendly relations at present interrupted between Mexico and the United States, I find myself compelled, by an occurrence which has recently taken place on our coast of the Pacific, to address myself to you, inasmuch as this is demanded by the very nature of the occurrence, and the actual state which at this day is preserved by both governments. It will be within the knowledge of the consul, that a sloop-ofwar of his nation, named the "Palomita," is cruising in the Pacific, for this vessel has entered the bay of the port of Manzanillo, and a captain and a lieutenant colonel have landed from her, who have made known that said corvette is commanded by Mr. Maist Possets; that she carries twenty-two guns, and a crew of two hundred and thirteen men. The result being, that the local authorities took alarm, and placed themselves in a posture of defence, as was natural on the presence of a ship-of-war, and from the conduct of her commander. The government of Mexico has given its orders, for the purpose of suspending for the present any act of hostility against the United States, and limits itself to the defensive, awaiting the issue of the negotiation proposed by the government of the United States through the consul; and this proceeding demands, with still greater reason, that, on the part of the one which has taken the initiative in that negotiation, the same preventive orders should be issued to the respective commanders in the navy of the United States, in order that, whilst the present statuo quo shall last, no vessel of war of its navy shall present itself with hostile display in any of our ports on either coast, or do any other act which may awaken apprehension in the local authorities or inhabitants of those coasts. This is very conformable to the principles of justice; and it will be an evidence of proceeding in good faith, and with sincerity towards the pacific arrangement of the pending questions between Mexico and the United States. I remain, with the greatest consideration. [Enclosure No. 4.] Mr. Black to Mr. Peña y Peña. [Confidential.] CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Mexico, November 3, 1845. The undersigned, consul of the United States of America, has the bonor to acknowledge the receipt of the confidential note of his excellency Manuel de la Peña y Рeña, minister of foreign relations and government of the Mexican republic, dated the 31st ulti in which the attention of the undersigned is called to a disagreeable occurrence which has taken place at the port of Manzanillo, by the entry of a vessel in the bay of said port, said to be an armed vessel of the United States, called the "Palomita;" that a captain and lieutenant colonel had disembarked, from whom it was ascertained that the said vessel (corbeta) was commanded by Maist Possets, and armed with twenty-two guns, and two hundred and thirteen men, and that the authorities of that place became alarmed, and put themselves in a state of defence in consequence of the appearance of said vessel and the conduct of its commander. The undersigned regrets much that any such occurrence has happened to give uneasiness and alarm to the local authorities of Manzanillo, and that the attention of the Mexican government at this peculiar juncture in the affairs of the two countries should be occupied and disturbed by accounts of this nature. But the undersigned has reason to believe that, as far as the United States and its authorities are concerned, the affair has been misreported. As, in the first place, the United States has no vessel of any description called the Palomita, nor the word corresponding to it in English, neither is there an officer in the whole United States navy, froin a midshipman up to a commodore, by the name of Maist Possets, nor a vessel of the rate of twenty-two guns. All these corroborating circumstances go to show that the said vessel cannot be an armed vessel of the United States as reported, in relation to which the Mexican government will no doubt soon be undeceived by the same. authorities from whom it has received its information. His excellency is further pleased to state that the Mexican government has given orders to suspend all hostile acts against the United States for the present, and that this requires that like preventive orders be given by the other side to the respective commanders of the United States navy, during the present "statua quo," for United States vessels of war not to present themselves in any of the Mexican ports, either of the north or south, with hostile show, nor do any other act which might inspire the authorities and inhabitants of the said coasts with suspicion. The undersigned would here observe, that the government and people of Mexico have reason to believe that the government of the United States is far from entertaining any hostile intentions towards Mexico, as is fully demonstrated by the late conciliatory measures moved and adopted by it towards the latter; and his excellency must be satisfied, from what has already transpired, that the undersigned is well disposed to do everything in his power to accommodate things to the wishes of the Mexican government, as far as is consistent with a discharge of his duty to that of his own; and he would be as careful not to offend nor wound the rights and honor of Mexico, as he would be to defend and sustain the rights and honor of his own country. With reference to his confidential note of the 29th ultimo, the undersigned avails himself of the occasion to renew to his excellency Manuel de la Peña y Peña, minister of foreign relations and government of the Mexican republic, the assurance of his distinguished consideration and personal regard. No. 5.. Mr. Black to Mr. Buchanan. [Extract.] CONSULATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Mexico, December 18, 1845. On Wednesday, the 3d instant, I received a letter from our consul at Vera Cruz, dated the 29th of November, informing me that a vessel had just arrived at Sacrificios, on board of which was the Hon. John Slidell, who had sent for him, the said consul, to come down to that place, as he wished to leave Vera Cruz for this capital by that night's diligence, but he, the consul, was of opinion he would not be able to leave until the next stage. On the receipt of this letter I called at the foreign department of this government, to see the minister of foreign affairs, and was informed by Mr. Monasterio, the chief clerk, that the minister was up stairs with the President, and that he was going up to see him, and would advise him of my wish. He soon returned, and requested me to go up, as the minister wished to see me. I went up to the President's quarters, when the minister came out into the antechamber and met me, and accosted me, saying that the government was informed that there was an arrival at Vera Cruz from the United States, bringing out a commissioner, by which the government was taken by surprise, and asked me who could this commissioner be, and what had he come for? I told him I did not know, but I presumed it was the envoy which the Mexican government had agreed. to receive from the government of the United States; all the information which I had upon the subject was, that the consul of the United States at Vera Cruz had advised me, in a letter under date of the 29th of November, that the Hon. John Slidell had just arrived at Sacrificios, and wished to leave Vera Cruz for this capital by the first diligence, and that I was under the impression that this |