n insight into
the views of each other. The diplomacy of the United States, although
generally very frank, is nevertheless employed sometimes in this way,
and, I believe our records will show, that wherever it became necessary
for our departments to get information upon projects touching the
interests of our country, they have always found means to discover the
truth.

It is fortunate for the history of this annexation question that the
commercial designs alluded to by Lord Aberdeen have been revealed to us.
Some of the statements are made anonymously, yet, from the very nature
of such disclosures whilst negotiations were pending, it cannot be
expected that the names of informants would be revealed. Their value and
character must be vouched for alone by the officers who communicate them
to the world, and deem them sufficient to authorize the action of
government. The authorities, to which I allude, were communicated to
congress by President Tyler in May, 1844, and were submitted to him by
Mr. Calhoun, as secretary of state, on the 16th of that month.[46]

* * * * *

By a convention, concluded in London on the 14th of November, 1840,
between Her Majesty's government and the republic of Texas, it was
agreed that the queen should tender her good offices to Mexico as
mediator between the belligerents. Mexico, however, saw fit to reject
this offer. But Texas, still animated by a desire for peace, sought to
obtain a triple mediation of the three great powers,--the United States,
France and England,--with the hope that under their auspices a
settlement might speedily be made. To this arrangement, the governments
of France and the United States assented with alacrity; while the
government of Great Britain, though expressing an ardent desire to do
all in its power by private mediatorial efforts, inclined to the opinion
that it would be better, on all accounts, for each party to act alone,
though similarly in point of tone and argument, in urging the Mexican
government to recognize the independence of Texas.

This suggestion was communicated through Lord Cowley the British
ambassador in Paris, to the French government, by whom it was
approved.[47]

By this act of the British cabinet, it preserved its independence of all
others, and abstained from combined action which would, necessarily,
have disclosed its motives as well as its conduct. The objects of the
ministers in retaining their independ