The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 21
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Diplomatic Relations of England and Republic of Texas. 21
highly injurious to England and would be of comparatively
little value to Texas. Moreover, as Aberdeen pointed out,
it would be very apt to result in friction between Texas and the
powers trading with Mexico. The move was certainly an un-
fortunate one unless it was designed to bring home to England
the fact that war was still being waged against Texas and thus
stimulate her mediation. Even in this case it would have had
the disadvantage of making it less easy for England to mediate
successfully. In a few days the subject came up in the House of
Commons, where Disraeli by a question elicited from Sir Robert
Peel the fact that the blockade would be recognized by England
although Texas herself at that time had not obtained final recogni-
tion. Aberdeen at once asked, however, that the Royal West India
Mail Steamers be excepted from the blockade, saying that they
carried only passengers and mail and no freight and that they
had been excepted from the blockade that France had recently
maintained against Mexico. The request was granted, but be-
fore news of this action reached England the blockade was revoked
by a proclamation of President Houston on September 12. Hous-
ton acted at the suggestion of Captain Elliot and of Joseph Eve,
the United States charge d'affaires to Texas. It is likely that by
so doing he averted a disagreement with England; for on Sep-
tember 21, 1842, after the blockade had been raised but before the
news had reached England, Aberdeen notified Smith that, since
the dispatches from Pakenham showed that the blockade was not
being efficiently enforced, the British government would no longer
recognize it. The fact was that the Texas navy was not strong
enough to maintain such a blockade, and that during the summer
the Texas vessels had been withdrawn for repairs and refitting,
with the intention of resuming the blockade in the fall. Of course
no such blockade as this would be respected when it inconvenienced
the commercial powers of the world. There was even fear that
Spain, which inclined to favor Mexico against Texas, would send
out a warship to force the blockade. President Houston thus acted
discreetly in allowing Elliot and Eve to persuade him to raise the
blockade.1
1Smith to Jones, June 3, June 18, and Sep. 8, 1842; Smith to Aberdeen,
Dec. 10, 1842; memorandum, Sep. 10, 1842; Aberdeen to Smith, Sep. 21,
1842; Terrell to Smith, Aug. 20, 1842.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906, periodical, 1906; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/25/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.