Page:History of the War between the United States and Mexico.djvu/88

the following day Herrera resigned the presidency, without making a single effort to quell the outbreak. The tide had been turned for months, and he lacked the courage to stem it for an instant. Paredes entered the city with his troops, in triumph, on the 2nd of January, and on the next day was chosen provisional President. Soon after he was elected to the same office, by the Constituent Congress. He had come into power for the avowed purpose of putting an end to all negotiations thh the United States, and of declaring and carrying on an offensive war. The desire to establish himself firmly in his place rendered him loth to remove the army to a distance, and no immediate measures of hostility were adopted. In a short time after his elevation, the establishment of a monarchy in Mexico was suggested by some of his most intimate friends. This movement proved to be unpopular, and prevented his obtaining the necessary loans for the support and increase of the army. The condition of the relations between the United States and Great Britain also boded war, and he was quite willing to wait and see the former engaged with a more powerful antagonist, before venturing to cope with her forces single-handed. Mr. Slidell had retired to Jalapa in February, to await the termination of the revolutionary contest in Mexico. As an entirely different government had been established, after the country became more quiet, he addressed a note, on the 1st of March, to the new Minister of Foreign Relations, Castillo y Lanzas, calling his attention to the subject of his reception, and requesting to know the views of the new administration in regard to the question. He was informed, in reply, by the note of the minister, written on the 12th, that he could not be received as a resident minister, and similar reasons were