The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 163
426 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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British Correspondence Concerning Texas
In shaping our line of policy, as laid down in my Despatch to
Mr Bankhead, we have considered the Government and people
of Texas to be upon the whole well disposed to maintain their
independence, provided that independence were freely and imme-
diately recognized by Mexico.
Should circumstances have materially altered since the .date of
your [my] Despatch No 1 of the 23d of January; and, should
the Government and people of Texas have either accepted the
terms of annexation proposed by the United States, or have shown
a decided inclination to annex themselves to the United States,
even though Mexico were avowedly ready to recognize their inde-
pendence, it will be obvious to you that in such case the course
of policy which Her Majesty's Government have decided to pursue
under circumstances assumed to be different, will be liable to
undergo great modifications, if not a total change
It will therefore be for you, in the more correct appreciation
of the actual position of affairs which you will be enabled to form
when this Despatch reaches you, to determine whether, and how
far, it may be expedient for you to act upon the instructions
which it contained.
Assuming that no material change will have taken place, it may
be useful, although the whole matter is fully set forth in my
Despatch to Mr Bankhead, to state here succinctly the course
of policy which Her Majesty's Government have determined to
adopt. It is simply to offer, in concert with France, to Mexico
and to Texas, and through the channel of the English and French
Diplomatick Agents in both those Countries, the joint mediation
of England and France for the equitable settlement of differences,
and demarcation of Boundaries between the two Countries.
The basis of that policy is the immediate and unfettered recog-
nition of Texas by Mexico. To attain this paramount object
Great Britain has long employed her own unassisted efforts. The
fatal blindness of the Mexican Government to the true interests
of their Country has hitherto rendered all those efforts unavailing.
It is possible, however, that fresh representations from England
and France combined may at length prevail upon the Government
of Mexico to view their Situation in a correct light, and induce
them to take, though late, the only step which, in the opinion of163
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917, periodical, 1917; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101070/m1/169/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.