weakened and untouched--the pride of our hearts,
the admiration of the world. Hence, in his early career, he saw no
propitious moment for such a work. While discharging the duties of U. S.
Senator, Secretary of State, and President, an attempt in that direction
would have resulted in an aggravation of the evils of slavery, and a
strengthening of the institution. Nor on first entering Congress did he
conceive the time to be fully come to engage in that agitation of the
momentous subject, which, when once commenced in earnest, would never
cease until either slavery would be abolished, as far as Congress
possessed constitutional power, or the Union become rent in twain! But he
evidently saw that time was at hand--even at the door--and he prepared
himself for the contest.

In 1835, the people of Texas took up arms in open rebellion against the
Government of Mexico. That Province had been settled chiefly by emigrants
from the Southern and Southwestern States. Many of them had taken their
slaves with them. But the Mexican Government, to their enduring honor be
it said, abolished slavery throughout that Republic. The ostensible object
of the Texian insurrection was to resist certain schemes of usurpation
alleged against Santa Anna, at that time President of Mexico. At the
present day, however, after having witnessed the entire progress and
consummation of the scheme, it is abundantly evident, that from the
beginning there was a deliberate and well-digested plan to re-establish
slavery in Texas--annex that province to the United States--and thus
immensely increase the slave territory and influence in the Union.

At the first blast of the Texian bugle, thousands of volunteers from the
slaveholding States rushed to the standard of "the lone star." Agents were
sent to the United States to create an interest in behalf of Texas--the
most inflammatory appeals were made to the people of the Union--and armed
bodies of American citizens were openly formed in the South, and
transported without concealment to the seat of the insurrection. President
Jackson reminded the inhabitants of the United States of their obligations
to observe neutrality in the contest between Mexico and its rebellious
province. At the same time, Gen. Gaines, with a body of U. S. troops, was
ordered to take up a position within the borders of Texas. The avowed
object of this movement was to protect the people of the Southwestern
frontiers from the incursions of Indi