avery in Texas was regarded as of paramount
importance to the South, and as slavery could not exist in Texas
under Mexican authority, efforts were put forth to secure her
independence, then to annex her to the United States as a State
wherein slavery should exist. Even Clay, as Secretary of State,
under Adams, in 1827, proposed to purchase Texas. President Jackson,
in 1830, offered $5,000,000 for Texas. The Mexican Government,
foreseeing the coming danger, by law prohibited American immigration
into Texas, but this was unavailing, as the ever-unscrupulous hand
of slavery was reaching out for more room and more territory to
perpetuate itself. Americans, like their natural kinsmen the
Englishmen, then regarded not the rights of others, the weak
especially, when the slave power was involved.

Sam Houston, of Tennessee, a capable man who had fought under
Jackson in the Indian wars, inspired by his pro-slavery proclivities
in 1835, went to Texas avowedly to wrest Texas from free Mexico,
and, it is said, of his real intentions President Jackson was not
ignorant.

The unfortunate internal political contentions in Mexico gave the
intruding Americans pretexts for disputes which soon led to the
desired conflicts with the Mexican authorities.

Santa Anna, who had, through a revolution, put himself at the head
of the new Mexican Republic, attempted to coerce the invading
settlers to observance of the laws, but in this was only partially
successful. On March 2, 1836, a Texas _Declaration of Independence_
was issued, signed by about _sixty_ men, _two_ of whom only were
Texas-Mexicans, and this was followed by a Constitution for the
Republic of Texas, chief among its objects being the establishment
of human slavery. Santa Anna, with the natural fierceness of the
Spanish-Indian, waged a ferocious war on the revolutionists. A
garrison of 250 men at "The Alamo," a small mission church near
San Antonio, was taken by him after heroic resistance, and massacred
to a man.

"Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat, but The Alamo had none."

David Crockett, an uneducated, eccentric Tennessean, who was a
celebrated hunter, Indian fighter, story teller, wit, and member
of Congress three terms (where he opposed President Jackson, and
refused to obey any party commanding him "to-go-wo-haw-gee," just
at his pleasure) here lost his life. On the 27th of the same month
500 more Americans at Goliad were also massacred. These atrocities