THE ROARING FORTIES 121 



of the revolted state to Mexico. In 1839, how 

 ever, the policy was changed, and systematic 

 pressure was brought to bear to induce Mexico 

 to recognize the independence of Texas. Palm- 

 erston, then at the British Foreign Office, was 

 convinced that the Texans were too strong to 

 be reconquered, and that further efforts in that 

 direction would only bring the Americans in 

 overwhelming numbers to the aid of Texas, with 

 annexation to the United States as the inev 

 itable result. For Mexican welfare it was im 

 portant, he argued, that there should be a 

 strong buffer state to hold the ever-aggres 

 sive Americans in check. For British interests 

 a great cotton-growing community, competing 

 with the United States, promised signal advan 

 tages in commerce and industry. This reason 

 ing failed to win Mexico, and Great Britain, 

 abandoning the hope of harmony with the 

 Mexican Government, conceded the long-with 

 held recognition of Texan independence. 



The treaties that embodied this recognition 

 were ratified only in the middle of 1842. One 

 of them was directed to the suppression of the 

 slave-trade through the reciprocal grant of the 

 right of search. The first diplomatic represent 

 ative sent by Great Britain to Texas was an 



