adhere to the constitution; and at
Gonzales, Goliad, Bexar, Conception, Sepantillan, San Patricio, and San
Antonio, they were victorious over the centralists. In November, 1835,
the delegates of the Texan people assembled in "general consultation,"
and declared that "they had taken up arms in defence of the federal
constitution of 1824, and that they would continue faithful to the
Mexican confederacy as long as it should be governed by the laws that
were framed for the protection of their political rights; that they were
no longer morally or politically bound by the compact of union; yet,
stimulated by the generous sympathy of a free people, they offered their
assistance to such members of the confederacy as would take up arms
against military despotism. This patriotic manifesto declaring at once
the freedom of Texas and offering to other parts of Mexico a defensive
alliance in favor of constitutional liberty, found no response from the
overawed States, and thus Texas was abandoned to the mercy of a military
president, who signalized his campaign of 1836 by acts of brutality
which must forever consign his name to infamy."[34] Notwithstanding
Santa Anna's successes at San Antonio and his frightful massacres,
General Houston, the commander of the Texan forces, met and conquered
the Mexicans on the 21st of April, 1836, in the brilliant action at San
Jacinto, and thenceforth, in the emphatic language of an American
statesman "the war was at an end."[35]

"No hostile foot found rest" within her territory for six or seven years
ensuing this event, and Mexico, by confining her assaults to border
forays practically abstained from all efforts to re-establish her
dominion.[36] In this peaceful interval the country rapidly filled up
with emigrants; adopted a constitution; established a permanent
government, and obtained an acknowledgement of her independence by the
United States and other powers. It was then supposed that nearly one
hundred thousand people occupied the territory; and, in 1837, they
sought to place themselves under the protection of our confederacy. But
our government declined the proposition made through the Texan
plenipotentiary, upon the ground that the treaty of amity and peace
between the United States and Mexico should not be violated by an act
which necessarily involved the question of war with the adversary of
Texas.[37]

* * * * *

This brief history of the Texan revolt a