ived
by some of the prisoners of the Santa Fe expedition in 1841 and 1842,
convince us that a strong power should have imposed peace on Mexico.
National propriety demanded it; for how long was the "right of
reconquest" to continue? England, the proudest nation on earth,
acknowledged the independence of the United States after a seven years
war. The great powers of Europe interfered to protect oppressed Greece.
England has several times interposed in the affairs of Spain and
Portugal; and our geographical as well as political affinity to Texas
clearly indicated that it was our national interest to establish a firm
and friendly government on our border.

* * * * *

There can be no doubt that when General Herrera was, almost unanimously,
elected president in August, 1845, he saw things in this light, and was
prudently disposed to bend to inevitable fate. Notwithstanding the
warlike despatches, speeches, and proclamations of the Mexicans in the
earlier part of the year, our secretary of state seems to have
sufficiently understood their gasconading habits, to disregard these
inflated productions. He therefore authorized Mr. Black, who remained in
Mexico as consul, upon Mr. Shannon's withdrawal, to propose that we
should send an envoy with full powers to adjust all the questions in
dispute between the two countries. Mexico, notwithstanding her open
bravado, secretly assented to our proposal, declaring that she would
receive "the commissioner of the United States who might come to the
capital with full powers to settle the present dispute in a peaceful,
reasonable and honorable manner."

Accordingly, Mr. Slidell was hastily despatched so as to be sure of
meeting the same persons in power with whom the arrangement had been
made; for in Mexico, the delay of even a day may sometimes change a
government, and create new or unwilling negotiators. Nevertheless when
our minister presented himself in the capital early in December, having
travelled rapidly but unostentatiously, so as to avoid exciting ill
feeling among the Mexicans as to the purposes of his mission, he found
the secretary unprepared to receive him. It was objected that Mr.
Slidell's commission had not been confirmed by the senate of the United
States and that the president had no constitutional right to send him;
that Mexico agreed to receive a commissioner to settle the Texas
dispute, and not a resident envoy; that the reception of suc