The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913 Page: 75

British Correspondence Concerning Texas

CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE BRITISH ARCHIVES
CONCERNING TEXAS, 1837-1846
EDITED BY EPHRAIM DOUGLASS ADAMS
III
ABERDEEN TO ELLIOT1
No 17. Foreign Office
November 3d. 1842.
Sir,
With reference to my Despatch No 15 of the 3d. ultimo upon
the subject of the Relations between Mexico and Texas, I inclose
to you, for your information Copies of a communication which I
have received from Mr Ashbel Smith, and of a correspondence
which I have held with Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, hav-
ing reference to that subject.2
Aberdeen.
Captain Elliot. R. N.
1F. O., Texas, Vol. 18.
?This correspondence treats of the project of joint mediation between
Mexico and Texas, by England, France, and the United States. Aberdeen
declined to join in this, stating England's preference to act alone. The
enclosures were:
(1) Smith to Aberdeen, August 19, 1842. (In Garrison, Diplomatic
Correspondence of the Reepublic of Texas, III, 1011, in Am. Hist. Assoc.
Report. 1908, II,-but the date there given is "August 15 (?)." In this
was enclosed copy of Smith to Guizot, August 15, 1842. (In Idem., III,
1387.)
(2) Aberdeen to Cowley, No. 147, October 15, 1842. Aberdeen here
stated that England, carrying ,out the plan of her treaties with Texas,
had already offered mediation, but had met with no encouragement, and
that since Mexico was at the moment angry at an alleged violation of
neutrality by the United States, more might probably be accomplished
by similar individual action, than by joint action. He enclosed to Cow-
ley correspondence to show that there was little present prospect of
Mexican acquiescence in the proposed mediation. These letters were:
Aberdeen to Pakenham, No. 21, July 1, 1842; and No. 24, July 15, 1842;
Pakenham to Aberdeen, No. 80 (September?), 1842.
(3) Cowley to Aberdeen, No. 349, October 24, 1842. For comment on
the proposed tripartite mediation, see Adams, British Interests and Ac-
tivities in Texas, 117-119.