Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/81

Rh sanction of Congress, or been confirmed by the Senate; and that the Mexican government had consented to receive a commissioner to settle the question relating to Texas, but not a resident minister. These objections were evidently mere pretences, as the only argument urged against the administration, by Paredes and his supporters, was, that it had consented to receive a minister, and listen to a proposition for opening new negotiations. This was the only question involved, as admitted by Herrera himself, in a letter written to Pacheco, Minister of Foreign Relations, on the 25th of August, 1847. The bad faith of the Mexican administration in this transaction was subsequently exhibited in a most unenviable light, by the publication of a communication made to the council of government by Peña y Peña, in his official capacity, on the 11th of December, at the very time when he was professing so, much friendship towards Mr. Black and Mr. Slidell, in which the refusal to receive the minister was recommended in positive and express terms. The deliberations of the council, though nominally secret, were matters of public notoriety. Its members were well known to be decidedly opposed to the reception, and, on the 18th of December, their dictamen advising against it was made public. Information of this fact, and of the evident want of frankness and candor on the part of Herrera's administration, in their intercourse with him, was communicated by Mr. Slidell, on the same day, to the government of the United States.

The dispatch of Mr. Slidell was received on the 12th day of January, 1846, and on the succeeding day