The British foreign secretary went back on his pledge to the trusting envoy from Texas on Sept. 30, 1839 by refusing to recognize the Lone Star Republic.
The fact that the former Mexican province had remained independent for three years did not impress Lord Palmerston, who stubbornly stuck to the wait-and-see attitude he adopted four months after the Battle of San Jacinto. As far as the custodian of the British Empire was concerned, Texas had the life expectancy of a mayfly.
Though only 29 years old, James Pinckney Henderson was President Sam Houston’s choice for emissary to Europe. The North Carolinian’s assignment was to persuade Old World politicians to establish diplomatic and commercial ties with the newest nation in the New World.
The first stop for Henderson in October 1837 was London, headquarters of the one true superpower of the age. Lord Palmerston tap-danced around the issue of diplomatic status but agreed to refer the matter to the cabinet.
Henderson was hardly surprised to hear over the Christmas holidays that the collective leadership had decided against rushing into a relationship. According to Palmerston, such a move might upset the economic applecart with the Mexicans, valued trading partners, while antagonizing the Americans, who had expressed a desire to add the Lone Star to their flag.
Off the record, the English Machiavelli confided that his government did not want to be the first in Europe to cozy up to the rebel republic. If, however, Henderson could win over the French, recognition by Great Britain would be automatic.
Nine months later, Palmerston complimented the novice on his success in Paris but played dumb when asked to honor his pledge. He apologized for the apparent “misunderstanding” and advised the agitated agent not to hold his breath while waiting for the British to imitate the French.
Palmerston notified Henderson in mid-1840 of his willingness to forge the necessary links whenever the diplomat was in the neighborhood. The November signing of three treaties paved the way for trade between the two countries, but Palmerston again balked at giving Texas his official blessing.
When diplomatic status was finally accorded in 1842, Lord Aberdeen had taken over as Great Britain’s global guardian and Ashbel Smith had replaced Henderson as Lone Star lobbyist. Aberdeen blamed the delay on Mexican opposition, but Smith knew better. Arrogance had blinded the British to the tremendous tenacity of the people of Texas.
Profiting from the mistakes of his short-sighted predecessor, the new foreign secretary formulated a fresh policy that redefined British objectives. By actively encouraging independence instead of passively accepting absorption by the United States, Aberdeen hoped to mold Texas into a second Canada. He also believed a buffer between the U.S. and Mexico would prevent the full-scale war that was bound to result from annexation.
This strategy was sound and in tune with the mood in Texas, where the eagerness to join the Union had been replaced by a grim determination to go it alone. Having been snubbed once by Washington, which forced Sam Houston to withdraw the annexation application in 1838, few Texans cared to risk another insulting slap in the face.
By patching things up between Texas and Mexico, which still threatened to regain the land north of the Rio Grande by force of arms, Aberdeen could remove the overriding reason for statehood. But Santa Anna, who needed the Lone Star straw man to justify his huge standing army, sabotaged the peace initiative.
The foreign secretary fared no better in a test of wills with his own shipbuilders. In response to an impassioned protest from Ashbel Smith, Aberdeen tried in vain to halt the sale of two warships to the Mexican navy. After the vessels were delivered right on schedule, Texans began to wonder which side Great Britain was really on.
When Aberdeen complained about the resumption of U.S.-Texas talks in early 1844, secretary of state Anson Jones told him the fault lay entirely with the British. As long as Santa Anna was breathing down their necks, Texans had no choice but to turn to Washington for protection.
But the December overthrow of the Mexican dictator coupled with the senate vote six months earlier against the annexation treaty gave Aberdeen a final opportunity. He pressured the Mexicans into coming to terms with their irretrievable loss and cut a deal with the French for a joint guarantee of Texas independence.
Anson Jones, who had stepped up to the presidency, presented the British proposal along with the latest offer from the U.S. to a special session of the Republic congress. But Texans were emotionally primed and politically ready for a return to their roots, and the Aberdeen plan was trampled in the wild stampede toward statehood.
“Unforgettable Texans” brings to life the once famous people no one remembers today. Order your autographed copy for $24 by mailing a check to Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 130011, Spring, TX 77393.
