Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/433

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THE NEGOTIATIONS CLOSED.

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embraced only a small portion of California, including, it is true, the bay and harbor of San Francisco; but, without some portion, or all of New Mexico, the territory thus acquired would have been, in effect, isolated from the other American possessions. Mr. Trist therefore informed the Mexican Commissioners, on the 7th of September, that the terms proposed by them were wholly inadmissible, and the negotiations were here closed.^[1] Previous to this time, however, the armistice conceived and Concluded, on the part of Santa Anna, in bad faith, had been ﬁnally violated without excuse or justification.^[2]

The foreign residents of Mexico, and the wealthier citizens, whose property was liable to be injured by an assault or bombardment, were averse to a continuation of the war; but the political opponents of Santa Anna, Herrera and the leading federalists among the number, preferred hostilities, to the conclusion of a peace under his auspices; the followers of Paredes, aware of his return to Mexico, and influenced by similar motives, were also clamorous against peace:^[3] the friends of the Mex-

↑ Senate Exec. Doc. 20, (p. 14,) 1st session, 30th Congress.
↑ Among the papers found in the National Palace of Mexico, after the capture of the city by the American army, was a letter addressed by Santa Anna, on the 3lst of August, 1847, to Rejon, then at Queretaro, in which he assures his friend, that he assented to the application of General Scott for an armistice, because it would "give his troops rest, re-establish their morale," and afford him "an opportunity to collect the dispersed," and enable bin "to adept other measures to insure a reaction." It is possible, however, that Santa Anna may have really desired peace, provided he could maintain himself in power; and hence, probably, with a hope of preserving his own influence at home, rather than for any other purpose, the conditions and instructions prepared by him and his cabinet, for the government of the Commissioners, Upon which their counter-projét was based, assumed that Mexico was the triumphant party to the war.
↑ Paredes returned from his exile at Havana, and was landed at Vera

[1] Senate Exec. Doc. 20, (p. 14,) 1st session, 30th Congress.

[2] Among the papers found in the National Palace of Mexico, after the capture of the city by the American army, was a letter addressed by Santa Anna, on the 3lst of August, 1847, to Rejon, then at Queretaro, in which he assures his friend, that he assented to the application of General Scott for an armistice, because it would "give his troops rest, re-establish their morale," and afford him "an opportunity to collect the dispersed," and enable bin "to adept other measures to insure a reaction." It is possible, however, that Santa Anna may have really desired peace, provided he could maintain himself in power; and hence, probably, with a hope of preserving his own influence at home, rather than for any other purpose, the conditions and instructions prepared by him and his cabinet, for the government of the Commissioners, Upon which their counter-projét was based, assumed that Mexico was the triumphant party to the war.

[D433-3] Paredes returned from his exile at Havana, and was landed at Vera

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