[33.] Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 63 (Slidell). Memoria de ... Relaciones, 1846. The council said that Slidell could not be received on any footing, unless Taylor (now at Corpus Christi) should retire. “The limiting of the mission of the comisionado to the sole question of Texas,” it remarked, “was a tacit condition (una condición tácita).” This admitted once more that the condition was not stated. The council admitted also that comisionado was not the proper term for an envoy ad hoc, which refutes again the contention of a certain American school that Mexico explicitly required us to send a “commissioner” instead of a minister. Castillo’s reply to Slidell (Mar. 12) said: Mexico cannot have agreed to receive a regular minister, for it would have been imprudent to do that; by fraud and violence the fair province of Texas has been stolen; and now, after robbing and outraging Mexico, your country seeks to obtain a pretext for war by demanding of us the impossible humiliation of receiving you (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 67). At this time Castillo did not know that Taylor was advancing toward the Rio Grande (Diario, Mar. 15, 1846). [166]Slidell to Conner, Feb. 7; Mar. 15.
[34.] Mar. 17 Slidell answered Castillo at some length (Ho. 60; 30, 1, p. 72), vindicating the course of the United States in regard to Texas. All the threats of war, he pointed out, have come from Mexico; to suppose that the present Mexican administration in particular does not intend to fight, would be to accuse it of declaring, in order to overthrow Herrera, what it did not mean; so far as words can produce war it already exists by the act of Mexico, and is the United States to remain entirely passive, taking no precautions, till your army “shall be prepared to strike, with due effect, the threatened blow?” Slidell at the same time requested his passports. Castillo to Slidell, March 21 (Memoria de ... Relaciones, 1846) declared the discussion closed and transmitted passports. April 23 Paredes said in a manifesto that he rejected Slidell because “the dignity of the nation resented this new insult” (México á través, iv, 559). In view of the grounds on which his revolution had been launched ([73]Bermúdez de Castro, no. 200, res., 1846) he could not have received Slidell without grave danger to himself (Black, May 26, 1846; Slidell, no. 11). See chap. viii, [note 24]. Slidell sailed from Vera Cruz on March 31, but at Polk’s request he retained his commission and held himself in readiness to go to Mexico again for about a year (Moore, Buchanan, vii, 211; [52]Slidell, no. 14, 1847).
V. THE MEXICAN ATTITUDE ON THE EVE OF WAR
[1.] Mexican feeling. (Subjugate) [52]Consul Black, no. 349, Oct. 9, 1845; [47]Wood to Bancroft, June 4, 1846. [52]Slidell, nos. 3, 10. [52]Consul McCall, Tampico, no. 65, Sept. 26, 1845. (All of Mexico) [52]Shannon, no. 3, Oct. 28, 1844. (Threat) Diario, Mar. 25, 1845; [77]Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; So. Qtrly. Rev., Apr., 1849, 97, 102; Thompson, Recolls., 238; London Spectator, Sept. 26, 1846. (Hinder) [52]Manifiesto of Vera Cruz legislature, [June, 1827]; Poinsett’s reply; [52]Poinsett’s reply to Méx. state legisl., Aug., 1829; Shannon, no. 3; La Ruina de los Mexicanos. (Indians) Mosquito Mexicano, Aug. 4, 1835; [75]gov. Durango, Apr. 27, 1846. (Privileged classes) J. H. Smith in Proceeds. Amer. Antiq. Soc, Apr., 1914, and the citations there given. (Siglo XIX) [56]W. S. Parrott, June 29, 1845. (Politicians) Green, nos. 8, 103, 1844; Calhoun Corresp., 975; Shannon, no. 3, 1844, and the Mexican press.
The following citations, which might be indefinitely extended, bear upon various aspects of the subject. Pakenham, nos. 74 of 1828; 74 of 1829. Bankhead, nos. 38, 1845; 28, 58, 1846. [345]Ellis, Sept. 20, 1839. Memoria de ... Relaciones, 1846. Voz del Pueblo, Mar. 29; May 3, 1845. Amigo del Pueblo, June 26; Oct. 9, 1845. Orizaveño, Mar. 30, 1845. Patriota Mex., Nov. 14, 1845. Monitor Repub., Jan. 28, 1847. Reflexiones sobre la Memoria. Comunicación circular que. [77]Almonte, no. 130, priv., 1844. [77]Arrangóiz, no. 50, res., 1845. Decree of Mex. Cong., June 4, 1845 (broadside). [56]W. S. Parrott, June 29; July 5, 1845. [108]Kemble to Bancroft, Sept. 3, 1845.
[2.] (Danger) [76] Gov. Ibarra of Puebla, Sept. 5, 1846; Diario, Apr. 17, 1846; [77]Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; law of June 4, 1845, in Dublán, Legislación, v, 19; Monitor Repub., May 15, 1847; London Spectator, Sept. 26, etc., 1846. C. M. Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal, i, 45. Castillo; council of state (chap. iv). (Paredes) Bankhead, no. 28, Feb. 27, 1846. (Chief) Shannon, no. 3, 1844; Negrete, Invasión, iv, app., 182; Diario, Mar. 25, 1845; Mar. 25; Sept. 26; Dec. 6, 1846; [80]legislat. of Méx. state, address, Apr. 26, 1847; Patriota Mex., Nov. 14, 1845; [77]Arrangóiz, no. 50, res., Mar. 13, 1845; Siglo XIX, Nov. 30, 1845. (Clamored) Amigo del Pueblo, Oct. 9, 1845; Voz del Pueblo, Mar. 29, 1845. (Superiority) Tornel, Tejas, 95; Monitor Repub., May 12, 1846.
[3.] (Abject) Jameson, Calhoun Corresp., 993. [77]Almonte, June 19, priv.; Sept. 20, 1844; Mar. 17, priv., 1845. (Panic) Amer. Review, Sept., 1845, 222.
[4.] To precisely what extent European journals were read in Mexico cannot be determined; but it seems probable that few important expressions escaped notice there, and certainly the leading journals were quoted freely.
[5.] (Differences) [77]Almonte, June 19, priv., 1844; [77]Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; Jameson, Calhoun Corresp., 994; Constitutionnel, May 12; Aug. 5, 1845. Times, Apr. 15, 1845. Diario, Apr. 3, 1845.