The Mexican Government declared, with somewhat of reason and consistency, that they had been willing to listen to a special envoy who would treat singly and promptly of the grave questions between the two republics, but they would not accept a minister plenipotentiary who would sit down near their government in a leisurely manner, as if friendly relations existed, and select his own time for negotiation,--urging or postponing, threatening or temporizing, as the pressure of political interests in the United States might suggest.

Mr.Slidell returned home; but still the conflict of arms, though so imminent, was not immediately precipitated.

Mr.Polk's cautious and somewhat timid course represented the resultant between the aggressive Democrat of the South who was for war regardless of consequences, and the Free-soil Democrat of the North who was for peace regardless of consequences; the one feeling sure that war would strengthen the institution of slavery, the other confident that peace would favor the growth of freedom.

As not infrequently happens in the evolution of human events, each was mistaken in the final issue.

The war, undertaken for the extension of slavery, led in the end to its destruction.
The leading influence in Mr.Polk's cabinet was divided between Mr.Buchanan, secretary of State, and Mr.Marcy, secretary of War.
Both were men of conservative minds, of acute judgment in political affairs of long experience in public life; and each was ambitious for the succession to the Presidency.