In 1829, the United States first minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett was recalled because of highly charged politics in both Mexico and the United States. In the U.S. Poinsett failed to push hard enough for further territorial acquisitions of Texas and other border territories, while in Mexico Poinsett became a victim of a harshly divided government during very tumultuous times. Despite being a strong supporter of Mexico's President Vincent Guerrero, the Mexican legislator demanded that Guerrero request that Poinsett be recalled. Guerrero had lost the 1828 Mexican election, but ascended to the presidency several months later when General Antonio López de Santa Anna led a rebellion in support of him. As president, Guerrero was able to establish a cabinet of liberals, but the legislator remained committed to the aristocracy that was opposed by both President Guerrero and Minister Poinsett. In response, President Andrew Jackson recalled Poinsett, but made it very clear that Poinsett was not guilty of any inappropriate behavior, nor should his recall be seen as impunity of improper interference in the local politics of Mexico. After all, President Jackson himself was a strong supporter of General Antonio López de Santa Anna and his revolution. I'm not sure the same could be said about the land acquisition though Jackson made no attempts to justify Poinsett's failure to push harder to acquire Texas leaving one to wonder if perhaps this was the real reason for the recall, and events in Mexico were just a good cover.
Joel Roberts Poinsett was first assigned as a special envoy to Mexico in 1822 and just one year later he published his rather famous report titled "Notes on Mexico". The Notes were written during Poinsett's journey through Mexico and contained a diary of what he saw and experienced during a voyage that took him to Puerto Rico, Vera Cruz, Jamaica, Jalapa, La Hoya and many other towns before reaching the cities of Mexico. In 1825, Poinsett was sent back as ambassador to carry out a three-fold mission including negotiating of a treaty of commerce, obtaining territorial concessions and to foster democratic institutions. After three years, the deck had become stacked against territorial acquisitions because Mexican officials had become significantly suspicious of U.S. territorial aspirations. Nevertheless, Poinsett repeatedly offended Mexico by making offers to buy territory rather than just accept the existing boundaries between the U.S. and Mexico. To make matters worse, Henry Ward Britain's charge d'affaires in Mexico who was competing with Poinsett for trade with Mexico wrote back to British Foreign Secretary George Canning that Poinsett was embarked on a mission to embroil Mexico in a Civil War in an attempt to acquire the provinces north of the Rio Grande. Eventually, Poinsett concluded that badgering Mexico to sell land was damaging the relations between the two countries and decided to stop pursuing it. Thus, On January 12, 1828 Poinsett signed the first treaty between the United States and Mexico known as the Treaty of Limits. The treaty recognized the U.S.-Mexico border that was originally established by the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty.
When Poinsett returned to the United States, he reported back to President Andrew Jackson that the Mexicans were a proud people and would never sell a single foot of their territory. Despite a border treaty and Mexico agreeing to not to give any other nation more favorable trade privileges than the United States, some leaders back in the United States were not satisfied. Many members of the U.S. government were intent on obtaining new territories including Texas, New Mexico, Upper California and parts of Lower California. They wanted Poinsett sent back to negotiate these purchases, but by this time Poinsett had become so deeply involved in Mexican politics that it often overshadowed his diplomatic activities. Poinsett's support of President Guerrero and the advocacy of democratic institutions were now at odds with the elitist leaders who maintained control of the Veracruz legislature. Poinsett's activities and his support for President Guerrero in the 1828 election had inflamed the passions of the legislature so much that they declared Poinsett to be "more dangerous than 20 battalions of the Spanish tyrant". By July of 1829, President Guerrero was forced to turn his back on his friend and side with the legislature that the passion against Mr. Poinsett had become so wide spread that not only his enemies, but even his friends were now against him.
In President Andrew Jackson's first Annual Address to Congress, he explained the situation to Congress and his intent to recall Mr. Poinsett. According to President Jackson there were "prejudices long indulged by a portion of the inhabitants of Mexico" against Ambassador Poinsett and because of these, his usefulness has been diminished and the Treaty of Limits was not signed. Jackson had given Poinsett the "option either to return or not", but before a decision could be reached, word had come from President Guerrero requesting that Poinsett be recalled. Jackson promptly complied with this request and appointed an old friend and comrade-in-arms Anthony Butler with explicit instructions to acquire the territory of Texas. Butler was a natural choice because he had a personal financial interest in the transfer of this territory to the United States. Jackson's words seem to blame the Mexican government for the recall, but his actions sided with those U.S. leaders who south more land.
Here are the words President Jackson wrote in his first State of the Union:
"Deeply interested as we are in the prosperity of our sister Republics, and more particularly in that of our immediate neighbor, it would be most gratifying to me were I permitted to say that the treatment which we have received at her hands has been as universally friendly as the early and constant solicitude manifested by the United States for her success gave us a right to expect. But it becomes my duty to inform you that prejudices long indulged by a portion of the inhabitants of Mexico against the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States have had an unfortunate influence upon the affairs of the two countries, and have diminished that usefulness to his own which was justly to be expected from his talents and zeal. To this cause, in a great degree, is to be imputed the failure of several measures equally interesting to both parties, but particularly that of the Mexican Government to ratify a treaty negotiated and concluded in its own capital and under its own eye. Under these circumstances it appeared expedient to give to Mr. Poinsett the option either to return or not, as in his judgment the interest of his country might require, and instructions to that end were prepared; but before they could be dispatched a communication was received from the Government of Mexico, through its charge' d'affaires here, requesting the recall of our minister. This was promptly complied with, and a representative of a rank corresponding with that of the Mexican diplomatic agent near this Government was appointed. Our conduct toward that Republic has been uniformly of the most friendly character, and having thus removed the only alleged obstacle to harmonious intercourse, I can not but hope that an advantageous change will occur in our affairs.
In justice to Mr. Poinsett it is proper to say that my immediate compliance with the application for his recall and the appointment of a successor are not to be ascribed to any evidence that the imputation of an improper interference by him in the local politics of Mexico was well founded, nor to a want of confidence in his talents or integrity, and to add that the truth of the charges has never been affirmed by the federal Government of Mexico in its communications with us."
One year later, Jackson reported in his 1830 State of the Union Address, that things had changed significantly for the better. Mexico and the United States were once again in a state of "friendship and mutual confidence". Nevertheless, the conclusion of a commercial treaty with Mexico has been delayed.
"I am particularly gratified in being able to state that a decidedly favorable, and, as I hope, lasting, change has been effected in our relations with the neighboring Republic of Mexico. The unfortunate and unfounded suspicions in regard to our disposition which it became my painful duty to advert to on a former occasion have been, I believe, entirely removed, and the Government of Mexico has been made to understand the real character of the wishes and views of this in regard to that country. The consequences is the establishment of friendship and mutual confidence. Such are the assurances I have received, and I see no cause to doubt their sincerity.
I had reason to expect the conclusion of a commercial treaty with Mexico in season for communication on the present occasion. Circumstances which are not explained, but which I am persuaded are not the result of an indisposition on her part to enter into it, have produced the delay."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). Andrew Jackson: First Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29471 [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). Andrew Jackson: Second Annual Message. [online] Available at: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/second-annual-message-3 [Accessed 21 Jan. 2019].
Russell, P. (2010). The history of Mexico. New York: Routledge, pp.184-187.
En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Joel Roberts Poinsett. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Roberts_Poinsett [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].
En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Vicente Guerrero. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicente_Guerrero [Accessed 5 Oct. 2018].
No comments:
Post a Comment