ta Anna prisoner. Houston was
more merciful to him than he had been to the Alamo prisoners, and
protected him from the vengeance of the soldiers. He was very glad to
sign a treaty acknowledging the independence of Texas.

The Mexican government, however, repudiated the action of its president,
and a guerrilla warfare was waged by both sides for several years
without any progress being made in the conquest of the province. Texas
organized itself into an independent republic, elected Sam Houston
president, and secured recognition from the United States, England, and
several European governments. While making no organized effort to
conquer Texas, Mexico insisted that the province was her own.

ADMISSION OF TEXAS.

One of the first steps of Texas, after declaring her independence, was
to apply for admission into the Union. There was great opposition in the
North because its admission would add an enormous slave area to our
country. For the same reason the South clamored that it should be made
a State. Calhoun, who succeeded Upshur as secretary of State, in March,
1844, put forth every effort to bring Texas into the Union. Clay's
opposition lost him the support of the South in his presidential
aspirations. President Tyler, who favored its admission, made an
annexation treaty with Texas, but the Senate refused to ratify it. Then
a joint resolution was introduced, and, after a hot discussion, was
passed with the proviso that the incoming President might act, if he
preferred, by treaty. The resolution was adopted March 1, 1845, by the
Senate, three days before the close of President Tyler's term. Calhoun
instantly dispatched a messenger to Texas with orders to travel with the
utmost haste that the new State might be brought in under the
resolution. President Tyler immediately signed the bill, and the
"Lone-Star" State became a member of the Union. On the last day but one
of the close of his term he signed the bills for the admission of
Florida and Iowa, but the latter was not formally admitted until the
following year.

THE COPPER MINES OF MICHIGAN.

There were many events of a non-political nature, but of the highest
importance, that occurred during Tyler's administration. Copper took its
place as one of the great mineral productions of the United States in
1844. The Indians at last abandoned their claims to the country near
Lake Superior, in northern Michigan, and the explorations that followed
proved that the coppe