The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 36

Texas Historical Association Quarterly.

sanction from the people. Consequently at the session beginning
in December, 1844, resolutions for the annexation of Texas were
presented to Congress and finally passed just before the close of
the session. The matter was then at the disposal of the Texas gov-
ernment. The opponents of annexation in Texas, of whom Terrell
was one of the most prominent, entertained hopes that the matter
would be allowed to rest until the next regular session of the
Texas Congress, which would meet in December, 1845, and that
in the meantime Mexico might be brought through England's
mediation to offer such terms as would cause the people of Texas
at least to hesitate before accepting the American proposals for
annexation. But feeling in Texas was so strong that it became
apparent that this course would not be adopted. The Texas Sen-
ate refused to confirm the nomination of Terrell to the mission to
England and France, and Ashbel Smith was sent out again, reach-
ing London on May 14. His mission had scarcely any other pur-
pose than to explain to the English and French governments that
Texas was fully resolved by this time to accept annexation on the
terms of the joint resolution passed by the American Congress.
He suggested to Aberdeen at his first interview that it might be
desirable to have definite proposals from Mexico for submission to
the Texas people at the same time that the annexation question
should be submitted to them. Aberdeen had small hope that
Mexico would be willing to recognize Texas, saying that while the
policy of recognition might commend itself to the government it
would be so unpopular with the Mexican people that there could
be no hope of its adoption. He intended to press the subject upon
Mexico, but on account of the jealousy of the people of Texas and
the United States and the unwillingness of France to unite with
England in the use of compulsion he would use only moral suasion.
Aberdeen decided also not to enter into new commercial arrange-
ments with Texas just then, probably thinking it undesirable at
a time when the continued independent existence of the republic
was a matter of much doubt. Smith intimated in his correspon-
dence that England was disposed to leave Mexico to the consider-
ation of the arguments already presented to her in the interest of
Texas. He said that if the next mails from Mexico brought no
news of a change in that country's attitude toward Texas he would
then, pursuant to his instructions, notify the English and French