The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 5, July 1901 - April, 1902 Page: 39

The Annexation of Texas and the Mexican War. 39
On the 20th of July the supreme government of Mexico decided,
with the unanimous consent of the council, that "From the moment
when the supreme government shall know that the development of
Texas has annexed to the American Union or that troops from the
Union have invaded it, it shall declare the nation at war with the
United States."'
On the 12th of August, Gen. Taylor's troops arrived at Corpus
Christi.
Notwithstanding the war-like movements in Mexico in March,
April, May, June, and July, the United States learned that Her-
rera, who was installed as president on the 16th of September, was
willing to negotiate with a view of settling all matters in dispute.
Accordingly, Consul Black was sent to him to ascertain whether
Mexico would receive an envoy empowered to settle all matters
in dispute between the two countries. Herrera was in the embar-
rassing position of being in favor of negotiating a peace, yet at the
head of a government whose people were clamoring for war and
denouncing as perfidy and treason all attempts to negotiate a
peace.2 As was natural in such a situation he answered evasively
to the effect that Mexico would receive a "commissioner author-
ized to settle the present dispute in a peaceable, honorable and just
manner," whereupon President Polk sent John Slidell, who arrived
at Mexico City on the 8th of December.
In the meantime the divisions of Paredes, Gaona, and Arista had
been sent to the Rio Grande, or, as the Mexicans said, "to the
front." Paredes had proceeded on his way as far as San Luis
Potosi, where he learned of the contemplated negotiations. He
stopped his division and issued a pronunciamento announcing that
he would reorganize the government on a military basis, and was
on his way back to Mexico when Slidell arrived. Under such cir-
cumstances Slidell presented his credentials as envoy extraordi-
nary; but the government refused to receive him, on the ground
that he had not come as a commissioner to settle the present matter
in dispute, but as an envoy authorized to settle all disputes. He
remained in Mexico until Paredes arrived. On the 16th of Decem-
1Von Holst, Vol. I, p. 80 et seq.
2Bancroft, Hist. Mex., Vol. V, p. 290 et seq.