out further orders. He was to keep everything in readiness, however, for a possible campaign.
The failure to secure the senate's ratification of the treaty opened the eyes of the president and his cabinet to the necessity of removing obstacles. The chief argument relied on was that war had virtually ceased between Mexico and Texas. But the Mexican government was now roused to activity, and issued some threatening proclamations indicative of a purpose to subdue Texas. Though Mexican efforts to that end must prove abortive, yet the existence of active war would be an argument against annexation, and if annexation was carried out, the United States must needs be a party to the war. Hence, the American government resolved at once to remonstrate against a further prosecution of the war and against the sanguinary manner in which it was waged. Shannon, the present envoy, was instructed on the 14th of October to that effect, and lost no time in carrying out his instructions in a manner that left no doubt the United States were determined to utterly disregard Mexican rights to and over Texas. Mexico, in her exhausted condition, could resent the insult with words only, but they were dignified and truthful words, and grounded on honesty and common sense. The particulars of the correspondence between this minister and Manuel C. Rejon, the Mexican secretary, which brought on a suspension of diplomatic intercourse, are given in a note attached.[1]
- ↑ Shannon accused Mexico of barbarous practices in the manner of waging war, confessing that his government for twenty years past had fostered the policy of detaching Texas from Mexico with the ulterior view of her annexation to its territory for the safety and welfare of the latter; and now it would not permit Mexico to renew the war for the purpose of defeating the annexation. He clearly intimated that in view of the importance of Texas to the United States, the American government would espouse her cause. Rejon repelled such pretensions, declaring that the American president was greatly mistaken in supposing that Mexico would yield to the menace which he, 'exceeding the powers given him by the fundamental law of his nation, had directed against her. His argments are powerful, but the great length of his note precludes its insertion here. After some comments on the conduct of the U. S., to show that the latter were practising a 'descarada usurpacion,' he scathingly says: 'If one party labors to obtain more ground to blot it with
