Anna was taken prisoner while endeavouring to make his escape to the eastward, and General José Joaquim de Herrera, being president of the council, succeeded to the highest office of the state, in accordance with the provision of a previous enactment.

CHAPTER XXII.

ANNEXATION OF TEXAS TO THE UNITED STATES.-INDIGNATION
OF MEXICO.-SLIDELL'S COMMISSION. PREPARATIONS AGAINST
TEXAS. GENERAL TAYLOR'S MARCH TO THE RIO GRANDE.
-COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES.-WAR DECLARED.-
PLAN OF THE MEXICAN CAMPAIGN.-BATTLE OF PALO
ALTO: OF RESACA DE LA PALMA.-MATAMORAS
OCCUPIED.-RETURN OF SANTA ANNA TO MEX-
ICO. REDUCTION OF MONTEREY.

THE inhabitants of Texas, although they had ever since the year 1836 enjoyed the blessings of a free and independent government, were anxious to secure the political and commercial advantages of a union with the United States. Their independence of Mexico, in point of fact, had long since been recognized by the United States and by the principal maritime powers of Europe. In the month of March, 1845, the negotiations for annexation were brought to a successful issue by the passage of a resolution, by congress, admitting the new state upon conditions afterwards complied with by Texas.

This measure, as might naturally be expected, excited the utmost indignation of the Mexican authorities. General Almonte, minister from Mexico at Washington, after an angry protest, demanded his passports. All friendly communication between the two governments was suspended until the ensuing October, when the Mexican government, upon application through the American consul, Mr. Black, agreed to receive a commissioner from the United States, for the purpose of an amicable arrangement of the disputed question. Mr. John Slidell was appointed to this responsible service, and immediately proceeded to Vera Cruz on his way to the capital.

General Paredes had in the mean time organized a party of those opposed to a peaceful settlement, and so formidable was the aspect VOL. III.-13

of this movement, that the Mexican ministry, probably to propitiate the malcontents, postponed negotiations with Mr. Slidell upon frivolous pretexts of irregularity in his commission. At the close of the following December, President Herrera resigned his office to Paredes, and all efforts of the United States' envoy to open, in accordance with further instructions from home, friendly communi cations with the new government, proved fruitless. He therefore left Mexico, leaving the purposes of his mission unaccomplished.

Under the military dictator who now wielded the destinies of Mexico, immediate preparations were made for the reconquest of Texas. A considerable force was already stationed at Matamoras, and thither General Ampudia was dispatched, in April, 1846, with a body of cavalry. Two thousand more troops were ordered to the same station.

General Zachary Taylor, who had been for some months previous stationed, in command of United States' troops, at Corpus Christi, having received orders to march to the mouth of the Rio Grande, reached Point Isabel on the 25th of March; and leaving a portion of his troops to occupy a position at that place, moved up the river until opposite Matamoras. He there caused works to be erected, and stationed a battery which commanded the town. Generals Arista and Ampudia were soon upon the spot, in command of a large and constantly-increasing force. Upon communication being established between the commanding officers of the respective forces, General Taylor was commanded to draw off his troops, as having infringed the Mexican rights of territory.

Although, as has been truly remarked, the claims of Mexico extended not only to the district lying between the Nueces and the Rio Grande, and traversed by the United States' forces on their march to Matamoras, but to every portion of the revolted province of Texas, the occupation of this tract by the United States has been laid down by many as the true cause of the Mexican war. There is some slight conflict of authorities upon the question of the ancient boundaries of Texas, but the weight of authority seems to point to the Rio Grande as the dividing line. The Texans had always claimed this as the limit of their territory since the time of the revolt, and had included the disputed ground in their assignments of representative districts.

That it was ever deliberately proposed by the Mexican government to undertake a war with so powerful a nation as the United