were used successfully to produce sympathy and create excitement
in the United States. On April 21, 1836, a decisive battle was
fought at San Jacinto between Santa Anna's army of 1500 men and a
body of 800 men under General Sam Houston, in which the former was
defeated, and Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, captured. While
a prisoner, to save his life he immediately concluded an armistice
with Houston, agreeing to evacuate Texas and procure the recognition
by Mexico of its independence. This the Mexican Congress afterwards
refused. But in October, 1836, with a Constitution modelled on
that of the United States, the Republic of Texas (recognizing
slavery) was organized, with Houston as President, and forthwith
the United States recognized its independence.

In a few months application was made to the United States to receive
it into the Union, but on account of a purpose to divide Texas into
a number of slave States to secure the preponderance of the slave
political power in the Union, which for want of sufficient population
was not immediately possible, her admission was delayed, and Sam
Houston's Republic of Texas existed for above eight years. President
Van Buren, who succeeded Jackson as President, was opposed to its
annexation, and it was left to the apostate Tyler to take up the
business.

He, too, would have failed but Mr. Upshur, his Secretary of State,
being killed in 1844 by the accidental explosion of a cannon, John
C. Calhoun became his successor. The latter at once arranged a
treaty of annexation, but this the Senate rejected. Both Van Buren
and Clay, leading candidates of their respective parties for the
Presidency in 1844, were opposed to the annexation; the former was
defeated for nomination, and the latter at the election, because,
during the canvass, to please the slaveholding Whigs he sought to
shift his position, thus losing his anti-slavery friends, "whose
votes would have elected him"; and Polk became President. Annexation,
however, did not wait for his administration.

In the House of Representatives, in December, 1844, an attempt was
made to admit Texas, half to be free and half slave, making two
States.

By resolutions of Congress, dated March 1, 1845, consent was given
to erect Texas into a State with a view to annexation; and in order
that she might be admitted into the Union such resolutions provided
that thereafter four other States, with her consent, might be formed
out of i