It now becomes my duty to state more in detail the origin, progress, and failure of that mission.  In pursuance of the instructions given in September last, an inquiry was made on the 13th of October, 1845, in the most friendly terms, through our consul in Mexico, of the minister for foreign affairs, whether the Mexican Government “would receive an envoy from the United States intrusted with full powers to adjust all the questions in dispute between the two Governments,” with the assurance that “should the answer be in the affirmative such an envoy would be immediately dispatched to Mexico.”  The Mexican minister on the 15th of October gave an affirmative answer to this inquiry, requesting at the same time that our naval force at Vera Cruz might be withdrawn, lest its continued presence might assume the appearance of menace and coercion pending the negotiations.  This force was immediately withdrawn.  On the 10th of November, 1845, Mr. John Slidell, of Louisiana, was commissioned by me as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States to Mexico, and was intrusted with full powers to adjust both the questions of the Texas boundary and of indemnification to our citizens.  The redress of the wrongs of our citizens naturally and inseparably blended itself with the question of boundary.  The settlement of the one question in any correct view of the subject involves that of the other.  I could not for a moment entertain the idea that the claims of our much-injured and long-suffering citizens, many of which had existed for more than twenty years, should be postponed or separated from the settlement of the boundary question.

Mr. Slidell arrived at Vera Cruz on the 30th of November, and was courteously received by the authorities of that city.  But the Government of General Herrera was then tottering to its fall.  The revolutionary party had seized upon the Texas question to effect or hasten its overthrow.  Its determination to restore friendly relations with the United States, and to receive our minister to negotiate for the settlement of this question, was violently assailed, and was made the great theme of denunciation against it.  The Government of General Herrera, there is good reason to believe, was sincerely desirous to receive our minister; but it yielded to the storm raised by its enemies, and on the 21st of December refused to accredit Mr. Slidell upon the most frivolous pretexts.  These are so fully and ably exposed in the note of Mr. Slidell of the 24th of December last to the Mexican minister of foreign relations, herewith transmitted, that I deem it unnecessary to enter into further detail on this portion of the subject.

Five days after the date of Mr. Slidell’s note General Herrera yielded the Government to General Paredes without a struggle, and on the 30th of December resigned the Presidency.  This revolution was accomplished solely by the army, the people having taken little part in the contest; and thus the supreme power in Mexico passed into the hands of a military leader.