The treaty of arbitration was a thorn in the flesh of many who had cast an evil eye on Mexico, as it did away with all pretexts for complaint against the latter republic, and postponed indefinitely the acquisition of Texas. Still they did not despair. Where strength on the one side and weakness on the other were so palpable; where success was certain if the issue could only be brought on; where all that stood in the way of magnificent plunder was some excuse for the deed — surely the Anglo-American mind should be fertile enough to produce such an excuse. The dissolution of the mixed commission by limitation left, as we have see, a large number of claims undecided. The United States government, therefore, had yet a pretext for continuing the diplomatic pressure upon Mexico. President Tyler, in March 1842, accredited to the latter government as minister Waddy Thompson, a slave-holder from South Carolina, who was anxious to see Texas annexed to his country.[1] The new representative found Mexican credit very low, the treasury notes being worth only thirty cents on the dollar. He succeeded by some means in negotiating, on the 30th of January, 1843, a new convention, under which Mexico agreed to pay on the 30th of April of that year all the interest then due, and the award itself in five years in equal quarterly instalments.[2] This arrangement has been represented as a boon to Mexico.[3] The fact is, that even by Thompson's showing the owners of the
- ↑ He had as a member of congress made a motion in favor of annexation as soon as it should be consistent with the treaty stipulations of the government. This naturally rendered him offensive to the Mexicans, and for that reason he was not a fit person for the appointment. Bustamante had no good opinion of his character or course; and with his usual venom accuses him of being a spy rather than a minister, and a flatterer of Santa Anna's. Hist. Gen. Santa Anna, MS., ii. 38.
- ↑ Méx., Derech. Intern., 1st pt, 189-93; Thompson's Recoll. Mex., 229, app. 279-304. The interest due was about $270,000. The quarterly instalments were to begin the same day. To secure the payments the direct taxes were hypothecated. Méx., Mem. Min. Rel., 1841, xcvii.-c. 8; Rivera, Hist. Jalapa, i. 507-9; Arrangoiz, Méj., ii. 257-8; U. S. Govt, Cong. 28, Ses. 2, H. Ex. Doc. 158, in Mex. Treaties, ii. no. 6.
- ↑ Rept of C. J. Ingersol, chairman of comm. of Foreign Af., June 24, 1846.
