ally, the country which has a common interest with us in maintaining
the freedom of the seas, the country which, by the cession of
Louisiana, first opened to us access to the Gulf of Mexico, the country
with which we have been every year drawing more and more closely the
bonds of successful commerce, most unexpectedly, and to our unfeigned
regret, took part in an effort to prevent annexation and to impose on
Texas, as a condition of the recognition of her independence by Mexico,
that she would never join herself to the United States" (Richardson,
Messages, iv, 387). For further information regarding the interference
of England and France see J. H. Smith, The Annexation of Texas. Polk
was treated alternately by the _Journal des Débats_ and by most of the
English press as a nonentity and as a power for evil.
35.3. _Standing of the United States abroad._ =108=Sumner to Bancroft.
Feb. 1, 1846. (Hate) =297=McLane to Polk (received June 21, 1846).
Bennett, Mems., 386. =52=Bancroft, no. 25, May 3, 1847. =77=Mangino,
no. 10, Mar. 8, 1837; Jan. 29, 1846, res. Smith, Annex. of Texas,
382. London _Morning Post_, Apr. 5, 1846. Jameson, Calhoun Corresp.,
653, 698. N. Y. _Herald_, June 8, 1844. =77=Murphy, nos. 17, Nov. 1,
1845, res.; 2, Jan. 1, 1846. _Nat. Intelligencer_, June 22, 1847.
=132=Donelson to Buchanan, Jan. 8, 1847. =52=King, nos. 21, 25, 28,
29, Jan. 1, 30; June 1, 30, 1846. _Constitutionnel_, Jan. 15, 1846.
_National_, Nov. 28, 1844; Dec. 3, 1845; Jan. 22; May 16, 1846.
=52=McLane, nos. 18, May 21, 1830; 5, Sept. 18, 1845; 54, 55, June 3,
18, 1846. _Morning Chronicle_, Dec. 25, 1845; Jan. 17; July 27, 1846.
_Britannia_, Jan. 10; Mar. 28; Apr. 18, 1846. _Spectator_, Feb. 7;
Sept. 26, 1846. _Examiner_, Mar. 29, 1845. _Standard_, Nov. 25, 1844.
Richardson, Messages, iv, 387. _Times_, Sept. 23; Dec. 27, 1845; Jan.
26, 1846; Mar. 27, 1847. _Journal des Débats_, Jan. 22; May 15, 1846;
Jan. 2-3, 1848.
Martin, our chargé at Paris, wrote (=52=no. 17, Aug. 15, 1845) that
the skill, prudence, firmness and disregard of European interference
exhibited by our government in dealing with the annexation of Texas had
improved our position in Europe; and McLane expressed the opinion (no.
5, Sept. 18, 1845) that our spirited preparations during the summer of
1845 to fight Mexico had had a good effect; but these were matters to
increase respect rather than favor. The London _Morning Chronicle_ of
July 27, 1846, after we had shown our prowess, politely explained our
occasional coarseness of manners and speech as due to the working out
of the principle of political equality, and asserted that the English
middle classes viewed the United States with admiration and pride as a
"magnificent demonstration of the progressive energy and self-governing
power of their own victorious race." Probably a similar feeling lurked
in the upper and controlling classes. McLane's report to Polk, cited at
the end of the paragraph, was made in June, 1846; but such a state of
feeling could not have arisen in a few months.
35.4. _Standing of Mexico abroad._ Duflot de Mofras, Exploration, i,
32. (Odium) =13=Foreign Office to Bankhead, no. 53, Dec. 31, 1844.
=13=Bankhead, no. 99, July 30, 1846. =52=McLane, nos. 18, May 21, 1830;
69, Aug. 15, 1846. =77=Mangino, no. 10, Mar. 8, 1837. =77=Relaciones
to ministers at London and Paris, July 30, 1845. Memoria de ...
Relaciones, Dec, 1846. =77=Murphy, no. 5, Apr. 1, 1845. =77=Peña
to Garro, no. 24, Oct. 28, 1845. =77=Cuevas to Garro, no. 15, July
30, 1845, res. (Told) =73=Lozano, no. 3, Aug. 25, 1847, res. V.
Cruz _Locomotor_, July 26, 1846. _Amer. Review_, Jan., 1846, p. 87.
Dwinelle, Address, 11. London _Athenæum_, Sept. 13, 1845. _Journal
des Débats_, Feb. 18; July 9, 1845; July 8, 1846. _National_, Nov.
19, 1844; Jan. 18, 1846. London _Morning Chronicle_, Sept. 15, 1846.
Thompson, Recollections, 236. _Spectator_, Sept. 19, 1846. _Examiner_,
Aug. 2, 1845. Smith, Annexation, 382, etc. London _Times_, Apr. 11;
Aug. 25, 1846.
Even during the war Mexico gave offence to England by her treatment of
the offer to mediate (vol. ii, p. 368) and by her action regarding her
debt. In the latter business Bankhead charged her with a "breach of
publick faith" (=77=to Relaciones, May 18, 1847).
35.5. Buchanan wished to give a pledge to take no Mexican territory,
insisting that unless we should do so, if interrogated, it was "almost
certain that both England and France would join with Mexico." Polk
refused, however, to do this, adding that such an inquiry would be
"insulting" and would not be answered, and adding also that he would
like to obtain a proper territorial indemnity (Polk, Diary, May 13,
1846). Doubtless Buchanan had an eye to his standing with the northern
Democrats, who did not wish the area of slavery extended.
35.6. See vol. i, p. 181 for the Message.
35.7. For this paragraph. Buchanan, Works, vi, 484-5. =59=Confidential
circular, May 14, 1846. See also Ho. Rep. 752; 29, 1, pp. 50-2.
35.8. For commercial reasons Spain was particularly jealous of our
blockade, and although treated with special indulgence, she complained
more than any other power; but no real friction resulted. See chap.
xxx, notes 30.7, 30.8.
35.9. For these two paragraphs. =52=Martin, no. 13, May 15, 1847.
Gutiérrez de Estrada, México en 1840, p. 32. _Gaceta de la Nueva
Granada_, Aug. 16, 1846, etc. _Peruano, passim._ _Comercio, passim._
=72=Span. govt. to capt. gen. Cuba, June 18, 1846 (including
correspondence with the Spanish minister at Washington). Dix, Speeches,
i, 214, note. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 207. _Heraldo_, Apr. 26, 1847. Ho.
60; 30, 1, p. 1009. Buchanan, Works, vii, 290-2; viii, 282-3, 298-9.
=52=Irving, July 18; Aug. 15; Oct. 8, 1846. =52=Saunders, nos. 1, Aug.
6; 6, Nov. 16, 1846; 8, Feb. 13; 24, Nov. 6, 1847.
R. M. Saunders, the American minister, mistakenly invited an offer of
mediation from Spain, but she felt very much afraid that we should
reject it, and also that it might give offence to England and France.
No written communications on the subject passed between him and the
Spanish government, however. _El Heraldo_ also remarked that the war
would tend to unite the Spaniards of both Americas against the U.
S., and that Spain, seizing the opportunity, should offer them her
protection and tolerate no other influence. Such a suggestion was not
likely to help Mexico.
35.10. =108=Bancroft to Polk, June 3, 1847. =355=Wheaton, no. 287,
June 23, 1846. =181=Donelson to Buchanan, July 7, 19; Sept. 18, 1846.
=132=_Id._, Jan. 8; Feb. 21, private, 1847. =181=Canitz to Wheaton,
June 25, 1846.
Baron Gerolt, the Prussian minister at Washington, sympathized with and
assisted our government (=181=Buchanan to Donelson, May 23, 1848).
35.11. =297=McLane to Polk (received June 21, 1846). =13=To Bankhead,
nos. 18, 34, May 31; Oct. 1, 1845; 15, June 1, 1846. =52=McLane, nos.
5, Sept. 18, 1845; 50, 54, 55, 69, May 29; June 3, 18; Aug. 15, 1846.
=77=Murphy, no. 2, Jan. 1, 1846. =52=King, no. 28, June 1, 1846.
_Journal des Débats_, Feb. 4, 1845. =137=Saunders to Calhoun, June
27, 1846. Gordon, Aberdeen, 183-4. London _Morning Post_, Jan. 17;
Apr. 5, 1846. =335=McLane, May 29, 1846. _Morning Chronicle_, Feb. 3;
May 30, 1846. _Morning Herald_, June 24, 1846. _Britannia_, May 3,
1845. _Times_, Sept. 1, 1845; May 14; June 1, 11; Aug. 25, 31, 1846.
=13=Bankhead, no. 94, Sept. 29, 1845. =52=Everett, no. 337, July 4,
1845. Calhoun Correspondence, 698.
35.12. McLane did not feel quite so confident. His private =297=letter
of January 17, 1846, to Polk said that in case of war with England he
was not sure popular sentiment would be able to restrain the French
government; but the representative of Mexico at Paris believed that in
such an event the government would probably be unable to "neutralize
the effects of the innate hatred of the French toward their neighbors
and rivals," the British (=77=Mangino, Jan. 29, 1846, res.).
35.13. =77=Garro, May 30, 1845, res. =11=Mexique, xi, 215 (Deffaudis).
=297=McLane to Polk, Jan. 17, 1846, private. Charleston _Mercury_,
Sept. 8, 1846 (Paris letter). =52=King, nos. 25, 28, 29, Jan. 30;
June 1, 30, 1846. _National_, June 27, 30, 1846. _Correspondant_, May
1; Nov. 15, 1846; Jan. 15, 1817. _Morning Chronicle_, Feb. 3, 1846.
_Journal des Débats_, Feb. 4; July 9, 1845.
35.14. Aberdeen's intimation was construed in England as an offer of
mediation, while the American government insisted that no such offer
was made by him; but this difference of view did not lead to friction.
Pakenham told Buchanan he had received no instructions on the subject,
but knew that his government would be glad to bring about peace by
interposing its good offices. Buchanan replied that he was afraid
formal mediation would prove a vain and "entangling" affair for the
mediating power. So thought Pakenham, for he believed the United States
would make territorial demands which England would not be willing to
countenance or advise Mexico to accept. Buchanan added that we should
be glad to have England persuade Mexico to listen to reason, since our
government was anxious to establish peace on just and even generous
terms (=13=Pakenham, no. 82, June 28, 1846). Pakenham concluded that
our government relied on "the anxiety which England must feel, for
the sake of her trade with Mexico and the safety of British interests
committed in so many ways in that country, to see peace reëstablished
between the two Republics" (=13=_Id._, no. 93, July 13, 1846). Senator
Archer hinted to Polk that he (Archer) could bring about mediation
through his friend Pakenham, but met of course with no encouragement
(Polk, Diary, Sept. 4, 1846).
35.15. This was described by Palmerston in Parliament as a definite
offer of mediation (_Morning Chronicle_, Aug. 26). The settlement of
the Oregon difficulty made such an offer more proper than it would have
been at an earlier date.
35.16. Buchanan was absent from Washington at this time (Pakenham, no.
16). According to the New York correspondent of the London _Times_,
the Americans feared that unsuccessful mediation might be construed as
giving some color of right to authoritative interposition (_Times_,
Oct. 15, 1846).
35.17. _British mediation._ Polk, Diary, Sept. 4, 10, 11, 1846. =52=To
McLane, no. 44, July 27. =52=McLane, nos. 55, 69, June 18; Aug. 15,
1846. =52=Boyd, no. 3, Sept. 18. =13=To Pakenham, no. 10, Aug. 18,
1846. =13=Pakenham, nos. 82, 93, 99, 107, 116, 119, 132, June 28; July
13, 29; Aug. 13; Sept. 13, 28; Nov. 23, 1846; no. 56, Apr. 28, 1847.
London _Times_ (Bentinck, Disraeli), Aug. 25; Oct. 15, 1846. =1=Ms.
speech of Aug. 6, 1846. _Morning Chronicle_, Aug. 26, 1847. _Journal
des Débats_, (fop) June 30; Aug. 27, 1846.
Both of these British attempts to mediate were accompanied with similar
offers to Mexico, which proved equally unfruitful (vol. ii, p. 368). At
the end of October Bankhead was instructed to advise Mexico that, since
the United States had rejected the British good offices, she should
settle with us at once on the most favorable terms that she could
obtain.
35.18. For the benefit of the Mexican government, the Foreign Office
wrote to Bankhead (=13=no. 15), June 1, 1846: "She [Great Britain]
would find herself engaged in a war with a Nation with whom she would
have no personal cause of quarrel, in behalf of a Nation and Government
which she has repeatedly warned in the most friendly and urgent manner
of their danger, and which, solely in consequence of their wilfull
contempt of that warning, have at last plunged headlong down the
precipice from which the British Government spared no efforts to save
them"; and Bankhead was instructed to let Paredes know "the real state
of the case without disguise." Aberdeen's thus declining to interfere
on behalf of Mexico was particularly natural in view of the talk that
had occurred with the Mexican minister at London while the Oregon issue
was pending (vol. i, p. 115, and note 5.27 _infra_). As a step intended
to settle that issue had now been taken, it appeared probable that
there would be no longer any occasion to tow Mexico along, and, as
Aberdeen was aware on June 1 that hostilities had occurred near the Rio
Grande, it seemed important to disentangle himself completely, so as to
be able to act with a free hand.
35.19. July 26, 1846, the _Times_ asserted that a war with the United
States "would be the very farthest from being unpopular" (denied the
next day by the _Morning Chronicle_ so far as the mass of the Liberals
were concerned), and on September 28 said there had been few modern
cases in which England could have "imposed" her arbitration with
greater reason than upon the United States and Mexico.
35.20. For this paragraph. =13=To Bankhead, nos. 18, May 31; 34, Oct.
1, 1845; 15, June 1, 1846. =77=Murphy, no. 17, Nov. 1, 1845, res.
London _Globe_, Aug. 25, 1846. London _Spectator_, May 30; Sept. 26,
1846. =13=Palmerston, memo. of reply to Bankhead's no. 46, Apr. 30,
1847. =52=McLane, no. 54, June 3, 1846. London _Times_, July 26;
Aug. 25, 26; Sept. 16, 1846. _Morning Chronicle_, July 27, 1846.
_Britannia_, Mar. 9, 1844; Apr. 18, 1846; Jan. 9, 1847. _Examiner_, May
30, 1846. _Morning Herald_, June 24, 1846.
35.21. =77=Murphy, nos. 15, Oct. 1, 1845, muy res.; 17, Nov. 1,
1845, res.; 19, Dec. 1, 1845, res.; 4, Feb. 1, 1846, res. =77=Peña y
Peña to Murphy, no. 14, Dec. 27, 1845. _Diario_, Dec. 29, 31, 1846.
Mora, Papeles Inéditos, 71-3. Gordon, Aberdeen, 183-4. =13=Mora to
Palmerston, Dec. 15, 1847. =13=Palmerston, memo. in reply to Mora, Dec.
25, 1847; Jan. 1, 1848, to Mora. =13=To Bankhead, nos. 18, May 31,
1845; 15, June 1; 4, Aug. 15, 1846. London _Times_, Sept. 10, 1845;
July 15, 1846. For the attitude of England in reference to California
see chap. xvi, note 16.8.
35.22. Aberdeen told Murphy about the first of August, 1845, that the
course of England and France in the event of war between Mexico and
the United States would very likely depend upon incidents that might
occur, and gave Murphy the impression that he would like to have the
war take place and prove favorable to Mexico (=77=Murphy, no. 9,
August 1, 1845). Some friction arose between American authorities and
French subjects in California. The United States justly attributed it
to the latter, but took occasion to assure France that we would not
"tolerate" any action on the part of American agents giving "just cause
of complaint" to foreigners inhabiting regions occupied by our troops
(Buchanan, Works, vii, 372).
35.23. The London _Examiner_ of May 15, 1847, said: "Much of the
British goods in depot at the West Indian Islands have been forced into
Mexico through the medium of the new American custom house at Tampico;"
the capture of Vera Cruz will facilitate this operation; "and thus,
instead of quarreling with the Americans in behalf of Mexico, we, or at
least our traders, are quietly sharing with the Americans the profits
of Mexican subjugation." See, however, chap. xxxiii, p. 263.
35.24. For this paragraph. Sen. 1; 30, 1, p. 951. (Broglie)
=108=Bancroft to Polk, Oct. 18, 1847. Howe, Bancroft, ii, 10, 17.
=297=McLane to Polk (received June 21, 1846). =52=_Id._, no. 69, Aug.
15, 1846. =52=Bancroft, nos. 25, May 3; 46, Dec. 4, 1847. =13=Pakenham,
nos. 102, Aug. 13; 111, Sept. 13, 1846. =13=Crampton, no. 21, July 29,
1847. (Invariably) =13=Doyle, no. 5, Jan. 13, 1848. =132=Bancroft, Nov.
3, 1846. Buchanan, Works, vii, 290-2, 366-8, 372-3. _National_, May 1,
1847. _Correspondant_, May 1, 1846. =53=Buchanan to Pageot, July 21,
1847. _Examiner_, May 15, 1847. =77=Murphy, no. 9, Aug. 1, 1845. See
chap. xxx, note 30.8. The Mexicans expected that the injury done to
neutral commerce by the war would lead foreign nations to help them
(=13=Bankhead, no. 162, 1846). For privateering see vol. ii, pp. 191-3;
for the low tariff, see vol. ii, pp. 261-3.
35.25. Revolutionary movements broke out in Italy (January), France
(February), Germany, and Austria (March). Louis Philippe lost his
throne.
35.26. For this paragraph. =108=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 4; May 14, 1847.
=108=_Id._ to Buchanan, Nov. 3, 1847. Howe, Bancroft, ii, 5. London
_Globe_, Aug. 25, 1846. =52=Bancroft, no. 46, Dec. 4, 1847. _National_,
Nov. 24, 1845. _Correspondant_, Feb. 1, 1846. =297=McLane to Polk, Aug.
2, 1846. =73=Bermúdez de Castro, no. 294, res., July 28, 1846. =13=To
Bankhead, no. 15, June 1, 1846. =52=Martin, no. 13, May 15, 1847.
=52=Boyd, no. 2, Sept. 3, 1846.
Peña y Peña (Comunicación Circular) said publicly and distinctly in
1848 that foreign powers signified to Mexico that they regarded the
annexation of Texas as an accomplished fact; and he added that the one
most interested to prevent the aggrandizement of the United States felt
that its economic interests required it to digest in silence its own
grievances rather than compromise those interests by declaring war.
35.27. Aberdeen said to Murphy that England did not wish to fight the
United States _alone_, but added that "if France would join her, the
case would be very different"; and he actually requested the French
minister at London to sound Guizot on the subject (=77=Murphy, no. 15,
Oct. 1, 1845, muy res.). After another talk Murphy reported to the same
effect: "[Aberdeen] would not mind in the least having a war [with
the United States] if he could drag France along behind him" [_Nada
le importaría esa Guerra si pudiese arrastrar tras sí á la Francia_]
(=77=no. 17, Nov. 1, 1845, res.). It is of course possible that
Murphy attached too much seriousness to Aberdeen's remarks; but the
authorities at Mexico had to take his reports as they stood.
35.28. Murphy, who seems to have been at this time in the most
intimate relations with Aberdeen, reported (=77=no. 15, Oct. 1, 1845,
muy res.): France, in accordance with her long-standing disposition
and animosities, "would be capable not only of opposing the views of
Great Britain, but even of going so far as to make common cause with
the United States against her, forcing Louis Philippe to adopt this
extreme course however repugnant it might be to him. It is therefore
not strange that the British minister views with dread anything that
might expose him to war with the United States without securing a
perfect understanding in advance with France, not because he needs the
aid of her physical strength in a conflict with those States, but to
commit her in such a manner that her physical strength would not be
added to that of the enemy, causing perhaps a general conflagration of
incalculable consequences in the world."
35.29. For this paragraph. =108=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 19, 1847. Howe,
Bancroft, ii, 5-6. =52=Boyd, no. 3, Sept. 18, 1846. =77=Murphy, nos.
15, Oct. 1, muy res.; 17, Nov. 1, res., 1845. =132=Bancroft, Nov. 3,
1846. =52=King, no. 29, June 30, 1846. _Journal des Débats_, July 9,
1845; Oct. 6, 1846. =52=Martin, no. 11, Feb. 28, 1847. Dict. Nat. Biog.
(article on Peel).
Dec. 28, 1847, Chargé Thornton was instructed (=13=no. 2) that, should
Mexico propose British mediation, he was merely to say that he would
transmit the proposal to London.
35.30. =108=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 19, 1847. =52=Martin, nos. 34,
Aug. 31, 1846; 13, May 15, 1847. Dix, Speeches, i, 207. _Revue des
Deux Mondes_, Aug. 1, 1847, 429-31. Washington _Union_, Oct. 6, 1846
(Paris letter, Sept. 17). (_L'Epoque_) _Niles_, July 25, 1846, p. 336.
=52=King, no. 29, June 30, 1846. _Courrier des Etats Unis_, July 20,
1846 (résumé of the French press). =77=Mangino, Jan. 29, 1846, res.
35.31. =297=McLane to Polk (received June 21, 1846). =52=_Id._,
nos. 50, May 29; 54, 55, June 3, 18, 1846. =132=Bancroft, May 18,
1847. _Journal des Débats_, Sept. 19; Dec. 21, 1846. =13=Palmerston,
memo. of reply to Bankhead's no. 46, Apr. 30, 1847; to Mora, May 31,
1847. London _Times_, Sept. 16, 1846. =335=McLane, May 29, 1846.
=108=Bancroft to Polk, May 14; June 3, 1847; to Greene, Nov. 3, 1847.
Howe, Bancroft, ii, 18, 28. (Anderson) Lawton, Artillery Officer, 232.
=52=Bancroft, no. 25, May 3, 1847. =52=King, nos. 28, 29, 31, June 1,
30; July 20, 1846.
J. F. Ramírez, who saw numerous letters from Europe, concluded by April
3, 1847, that Mexico would receive no aid from that direction (Ramírez,
México, 224-5).
35.32. (Credit) =297=McLane to Polk (received June 21, 1846).
(Ranelagh) =76=Murphy, Oct. 1, 1845; Mora, Papeles Ineditos, 97.
(Paredes) Buchanan, Works, vii, 411-3; Ho. 60; 30, 1, pp. 787, 789,
791, 796, 798; =47=Perry to senior British naval officer at V. Cruz,
Aug. 18, 1847, and reply, Aug. 21. _Britannia_, Oct. 17, 1846; Jan. 3,
23; June 5, 1847.
35.33. There are three reasons for presenting the newspaper quotations
of this chapter: 1, They form a part of the history; 2, many indicate
that the American task was not considered an easy one; and 3, many
show how the Mexicans were encouraged by the European press. This
encouragement stood constantly in the way of our making peace. It is
well to remember that gibes, quite as offensive, against England could
be found in American journals of that period.
35.34. _Times_, Oct. 30; Nov. 9, 1846; Jan. 1; Feb. 18; Mar. 15; Apr.
20, 26, 1847. _Britannia_, Feb. 20, 1847. _Examiner_, Dec. 22, 1846.
35.35. _Times_, May 10, 12, 1847. _Amer. Review_, Mar., 1848, p. 249.
35.36. =297=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 28, 1848. _Journal des Débats_, Nov.
4, 1846; Feb. 22, 1847. _Constitutionnel_, Dec. 18, 1846. _Times_, Aug.
31, 1846; Jan. 1; May 10; Sept. 30; Nov. 13; Dec. 2, 1847; Jan. 4, 20,
1848. _Chronicle_, Mar. 6; June 1; Sept. 30, 1847. _Britannia_, Oct. 9,
30; Nov. 13, 1847.
Some of the French papers also bore heavily upon the operations of
1846. _Le Journal des Débats_ said they had been a failure; that no
foresight, energy or skill had been displayed; that the war had proved
costly and was likely to prove endless. _Le Constitutionnel_ thought
our resources might not hold out. But the press of France made no
such exhibition of conscious weakness and humiliation trying to hide
themselves (=108=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 28, 1848) as did that of
England.
35.37. =108=Bancroft to Polk, Jan. 4, 19; May 14; June 3; Nov. 18,
1847; Jan. 28, 1848. =52=McLane, no. 50, May 29, 1846. =52=Boyd,
no. 3, Sept. 18, 1846. =52=Bancroft, no. 25, May 3, 1847. _Journal
des Débats_, Jan. 21; June 1-2, 1846; Oct. 5, 1847; Aug. 15, 1848.
=132=Bancroft, May 18, 1847. =52=King, nos. 21, Jan. 1; 29, June 30,
1846. _National_, June 18, 1846. 13To Thornton, no. 2, Dec. 28, 1847.
=13=Mora to Palmerston, Apr. 22; May 26; Dec. 15, 1847; June 26, 1848.
=13=Palmerston to Mora, May 31 (2); Oct. 7, 1847; June 30, 1848.
_Britannia_, Nov. 13, 1847.
Dr. J. M. L. Mora, beginning in April, 1847, endeavored to secure
British aid in settling the terms and guaranteeing the permanence
of peace, and did not give up until near the end of June, 1848; but
Palmerston would not meddle, and cautioned the representative of
England that, should a request for British mediation be presented to
him, he should simply say the proposition would be transmitted to
London. Dec. 28, 1847, the British Foreign Office wrote to Thornton
(=13=no. 2) that Cuevas had asked England to guarantee the treaty of
peace; that it was highly improbable the United States would join in
making this request; that to guarantee the treaty without a joint
application would be equivalent to a contingent alliance with Mexico
against the United States; and that England was not likely to take that
step in any event.
XXXVI. CONCLUSION