Chapter XVIII.

been expected before January, by which time the Government, having collected the opinion and consent of the departments, " it would be able to proceed in the affair with more security." The existing administration were charged by the party in opposition with being too friendly to the United States. " You know," remarked the Secretary to the Consul, ' the opposition are calHng us traitors for entering into this ar- rangement with you ;" and he declared that the Government were afraid that the appearance of the Envoy at this time would produce a revolution against it, which would tenninate in its destruction.^ The Consul imme- diately advanced to meet Mr. Slidell, and at Puebla ac- quainted him with the wishes of the Government. Far from consulting those wishes, he pushed on to the Capital, where he arrived on Saturday, the 6th of December, and the ensuing Monday officially announced his arrival, and asked for an audience for the purpose of presenting his credentials as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- potentiary of the United States. This letter was the same day dehvered by the Consul to the Mexican Secretary of State, who assured him that " he himself was well dis- * 29th Cong., 1st Sess., Senate Documents, No. 337, p. 18. 10 posed to have everytldng amicahly arranged, but that the opposition was strong, and opposed the Government with great violence in this measure, and that the Government had to proceed with great caution ; that nothing positive could be done until the new Congress met in January." On Wednesday, the 10th December, Slidell was informed that his letter must be submitted to the Council of Gov- ernment before a reply could be returned. But this gen- tleman would not brook delay, and on Saturday sent the Consul to inquire when an answer would be given. The Consul was told the letter had been submitted to a Com- mittee of the Council, and that as soon as the Committee had reported, an answer would be sent ; that Mr. Shdell came as a resident Minister, and not a Commissioner to treat of Texas, as was expected. The Secretary appealed to the Consul, that he himself knew " the critical situation of the Mexican Government, and that it had to pro- ceed with great caution and circumspection in this affair ;