Source
“The United States of America and the United Mexican States, animated by a sincere desire to put an end to the calamities of the war which unhappily exists between the two republics, and to establish upon a solid basis relations of peace and friendship, which shall confer reciprocal benefits upon the citizens of both, and assure the concord, harmony, and mutual confidence wherein the two people should live, as good neighbors, have for that purpose appointed their respective plenipotentiaries – that is to say, the President of the United States has appointed Nicholas P. Trist, a citizen of the United States, and the President of the Mexican republic has appointed Don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas, Don Bernardo Couto, and Don Miguel Atristain, citizens of the said republic, who after a reciprocal communication of their respective full powers, have, under the protection of Almighty God, the author of peace, arranged, agreed upon, and sign the following
Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic.
Article I
There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America and the Mexican republic, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people, without exception of places or persons.
Article II
Immediately upon the signature of this treaty, a convention shall be entered into between a commissioner or commissioners appointed by the General-in-chief of the forces of the United States, and such as may be appointed by the Mexican government, to the end that a provisional suspension of hostilities shall take place, and that, in the places occupied by the said forces, constitutional order may be reestablished, as regards the political, administrative, and judicial branches, so far as this shall be permitted by the circumstances of military occupation.”
Introduction
The “Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement with the Republic of Mexico” is a treaty that serves the purpose of setting standards within the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico to ensure peaceful collaboration and interactions in the future. This treaty proclaimed on July 4, 1848, and published on February 2, 1848, comes three years after the annexation of Texas. With Mexico feeling as though their land had been stolen, the United States needed to make a move towards setting up a cordial relationship with Mexico. This treaty was written in both English and Spanish which shows accommodation and inclusion of Mexico. The treaty sets requirements for both sides, Mexico and the U.S. instead of just for Mexico.
In this treaty, unlike the negative relationship between the two countries that will develop years later, there is mention of balance of responsibility between the U.S. and Mexico for peace to happen. The treaty mentions removing U.S. troops that were stationed in Mexico following the independence of Texas. This agreement of removal shows that the U.S. is decreasing the amount of involvement and meddling, welcomed or not, they had in Mexico. The U.S. also proclaimed that any of Mexico’s territory that the U.S. had occupied during the Mexican-American War will be returned to Mexico. This amicability and balance that is seen in this treaty from the U.S. towards Mexico does not last long. This treaty outlines many ways in which the U.S. accommodated Mexico’s needs and requests, yet this trend will end with the culmination of the Immigration Act of 1924. This treaty is a rare example of the U.S. looking after the interests of not only itself but also those of Mexico.
Citation
“A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 – 1875.” The Library of Congress. Library of Congress . Accessed December 14, 2022. https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=009%2Fllsl009.db&recNum=976.