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 Indian tribes in the employment of Mexico.  But the presence of such a body of troops could not but exert an influence favorable to the measures and objects of Texas; and besides, it afterwards appeared the Indians had no disposition to take sides with Mexico, or to make any depredations on the territories of the United States.  A call was made on Congress for an appropriation of a million of dollars to carry on these military operations, the entire tendency of which was to encourage Texas in its attempt to throw off the Mexican allegiance and re-establish slavery.

The source from whence the authorities of Texas were confidently looking for assistance, and the ulterior object at which they were aiming in their insurrection—­viz.:  annexation to the United States, and thus adding territory and strength to the institution of slavery,—­are clearly revealed in the following extracts from a letter addressed by Gen. Houston, commander of the Texian forces, to Gen. Dunlap, of Nashville, Tenn:—­