The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906 Page: 35
ix, 294 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Diplomatic Relations of England and Republic of Texas. 35
suggesting that England and France might be willing to make
commercial concessions to Texas to induce her to remain inde-
pendent. Accordingly the subject was mentioned in instructions
furnished to George W. Terrell when he was sent out to take
Smith's place. In February, 1845, Terrell brought the matter be-
fore Lord Aberdeen, who at first was unwilling to take it up
Terrell, however, by pointing out to him the fact that England by
admitting Texas goods on specially favorable terms would give the
opponents of annexation a strong argument with which to advance
their cause, was able to persuade Aberdeen to change his opinion;
for he finally promised to lay the matter before the cabinet and
board of trade and said that important modifications in the tariff
were likely to be made at the present session of parliament, when
Texas would receive the most liberal treatment consistent with
England's treaty obligations. The English government also sought
to recover as much as possible of the ground that had been lost by
the movement for the abolition of slavery in Texas. Aberdeen was
very anxious to have it understood that he did not seek to have
abolition made a condition of the recognition of Texas by Mexico.
In June, 1844, he told Ashbel Smith that he regretted the agita-
tion that had been caused by the discussion of abolition in Texas,
and said that thereafter he would have nothing to say on the sub-
ject. In a conversation in February, 1845, Terrell obtained a
very explicit statement concerning abolition from Lord Aberdeen,
who said that England might have made her recognition of Texas
contingent on abolition; but that, now that she had recognized
Texas, she had no right to interfere in the matter and did not in-
tend to do so. He was disposed indeed to subordinate everything
in his dealings with Texas to his desire to prevent annexation,
for it was still quite clear that this would mean war between
Mexico and the United States and disaster to Mexico.'
(5) Annexation in spite of English opposition. - The
annexation movement, however, had now proceeded entirely
too far to be stopped. It had been the leading issue in the Ameri-
can presidential campaign of 1844, and had received a triumphant
'Terrell to Smith, Jan. 21, Jan. 27, Feb. 13, and May 9, 1845; Smith to
Jones, June 24, and July 31, 1844; Jones to Terrell, Oct. 29, 1844; "Con-
ditions preliminary to a Treaty of Peace between Mexico and Texas,"
Mar. 29, 1845; Jones, Republic of Texas, 473-474; Cuevas's "Declaration,"
May 9, 1845.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 9, July 1905 - April, 1906, periodical, 1906; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101036/m1/39/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.