The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 344
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
desire Pageot to take any action that might strengthen the an-
nexationist party in the United States. Pageot was especially
requested to refrain from taking the initiative in representation
or protestation.8 A month later, May 28, with Pageot's dispatch
of April 13 before him, Guizot recorded complete approval of
the agent's conduct.4
The absence of foreign intervention strengthened the position
of the non-annexationists in America. Pageot wrote his govern-
ment of the great disappointment of the annexationists at the
failure of France or Great Britain to intervene in the matter.
The defeat of the treaty in the Senate and the failure of Congress
to take any action left the question as an important issue in the
presidential election of 1844. In July, Pageot reported that ru-
mors were being circulated by the Democrats of united action
of Paris and London in opposition to the annexation of Texas.
The minister warned that any indication of cooperation between
the two countries would be seized upon by the Democrats for the
purpose of embarrassing their opponents and strengthening their
own position.5
There was some basis for the rumors of cooperation between
France and Great Britain for the prevention of annexation. In
May, Lord Aberdeen had proposed to Murphy, diplomatic repre-
sentative of Mexico in London, that Mexico recognize the inde-
pendence of Texas in return for a guarantee by Great Britain and
France of Mexico's boundary and of the continuing independence
of Texas. When Murphy questioned whether the United States
would be willing to drop the proposed annexation, Aberdeen re-
plied that "provided . . . England and France were perfectly
agreed, 'it would matter little to England whether the American
Government should be willing to drop this question or not, and
that, should it be necessary, she would go to the last extremity
. . . in support of her opposition to the annexation; but that for
this purpose it was essential that Mexico be disposed to acknowl-
edge the independence of Texas'."6 Aberdeen immediately sought
aGuizot to Pageot, No. 11, April 24, 1844.
4Id. to id., No. 13, May 28, 1844.
,Pageot to Guizot, Nos. 52, 56, 60, 63, May 28, June 13, 27, and July
13, 1844.
6Quoted in Justin H. Smith, The Annemation of Texas (New York,
1911), 389, and in Ephraim D. Adams, British Interests and Activities in
Texas, 1838-1846 (Baltimore, 1910), 167-169.344
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/368/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.