Grande. Santa Anna was rapidly advancing upon us, threatening extermination, and we had no alternative left but to assume a separate national existence. A convention was accordingly called in haste, to which the people between the Nueces and the Rio Grande sent delegates. We declared our independence-appealed to the civilized world for the justice of our cause, and trusting to the God of battles, put ourselves in position to defend our rights. Santa Anna advanced with great rapidity, and the first blood that flowed in this campaign was shed upon the territory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande. The Alamo was surrounded, and its brave defenders, to a man, perished by the sword. Fanning surrendered, and, in violation of the most solemn stipulations for the safety of his command, he and his gallant men were inhumanly butchered in cold blood. Most of the male inhabitants of the country west of the Nueces found bloody but honorable graves. Santa Anna continued his rapid advance, spreading ruin and devastation on his path. He was met at San Jacinto by seven hundred and eighty freemen, and the result is before the world; half of his force was slain, the remainder, including himself, captured.

"Santa Anna now occupied a delicate position. His life justly forfeited to us, was held by a doubtful tenure. His government at home was unpopular with the great mass of the people. The only support upon which he could rely for political existence, was the army at different points in Texas, now reduced to some five thousand men, under the command of General Filisola. To save his own life, the remnant of his army, and his government, were important objects. Only the day before, he was the government of Mexico, now he was a prisoner. He obtained permission and wrote to General Filisola, who, in his answer, promised to obey implicitly all orders which he should give him. Santa Anna at once proposed to General Houston and the secretary of war, then in camp, to acknowledge the independence of Texas extending to the Rio Grande. They declined to enter into negotiations, and turned Santa Anna over to the civil government, (which consisted of a president and cabinet, ad interim, elected for the emergency, by the convention.) Santa Anna urged them to enter into negotiations with him, which they did, and which treaty, (here a senator remarked that it was not a treaty.) I think it was a treaty, sir, and I shall have occasion further to remark upon it hereafter." (See Appendix G.)

T.

AN ACT

TO DEFINE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS.

"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act, the civil and political jurisdiction of this Repubic be, and is hereby, declared to extend to the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Sabine River, and running west along the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues from land, to the mouth of the Rio Grande; thence up the principal stream of said river to its source, thence due north to the forty-second degree of north latitude, thence along the boundary line, as defined in the treaty between the United States and Spain, to the beginning; and that the president be, and he is hereby, authorized to open a negotiation with the government of the United States of America, so soon as, in his opinion, the public interest requires it, to ascertain and define the boundary line as agreed upon in said treaty.

"IRA INGRAM,

Speaker of the House of Representatives. "RICHARD ELLIS,

"Approved, December 19, 1836.

President of the Senate, pro tem.
SAM. HOUSTON."

JOINT RESOLUTION

FIXING THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THE COUNTIES OF BEXAR AND

SAN PATRICIO.

"Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled, That a direct line running from the junction of the Cibolo or San Bartolo Creek to the Rio Frio, at a point thirty miles above its junction with the Nueces, thence in a direct line to the town of Loredo, shall be considered the dividing line between the counties of San Patricio and Bexar, and shall be respected as such by the surveyors of the respective counties. Provided, That this act shall not affect rights previously acquired by surveys legally made by the surveyors of the county

of San Patricio below the old road from San Antonio to the Presidio of the Rio Grande.

"JOSEPH ROWE,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

66

Approved, May 24, 1838.

"MIRABEAU B. LAMAR,

President of the Senate.

SAM. HOUSTON."

U.

MINUTES OF AN INTERVIEW

Between Brigadier-General W. J. Worth, United States Army, and General Romulo Vega, of the Mexican Army, held on the right Bank of the Rio Grande, 28th March, 1846.

"On exhibiting a white flag on the left bank of the Rio Grande, a boat, with two officers, (represented as cavalry officers,) with an interpreter, the same who appeared at the crossing of the Colorado, and a fourth person, crossed from the right bank of the river.

"It was stated through an interpreter, (Mr. Mitchell,) that a general officer of the United States army had been sent by his commanding general, with despatches to the commanding general at Matamoras, and the civil authorities, and an interview requested.

"After some conversation explanatory of the above, the Mexican party recrossed the river, to report to the commanding general at Matamoras, and return with his reply. An open note for the American consul at Matamoras, with an indorsement on the back in pencil, was delivered to the Mexican officer by General Worth, who replied that he should hand it to the commanding general. 'Certainly, of course,' was General Worth's remark in reply.

"On the return of the same party, General Mejia sent word that, if the commanding general of the American forces desired a conference with the commanding general of the Mexican forces, it would readily be complied with; but as the American commander had designated a subordinate officer to meet General Mejia, the commanding officer of the Mexican forces, General Mejia, could not entertain such a proposition, but that an officer of corresponding rank and position in the Mexican forces would be designated to receive any communication sent by General Taylor.

"It was perceived that the relation of the parties was misapprehended, they supposing that a conference was requested; this was corrected immediately, and it was reiterated that General Worth was merely the bearer of despatches, with authority to relate verbally certain matters of interest to the commanding general at Mat

amoras.

"The proposition of General Mejia was then acceded to, with the remark that this was a mere question of form, which should not be permitted to interfere with any arrangements necessary to the continuance of the friendly relations now existing between the two governments.

"The Mexican party returned to the right bank, and after a short absence, returned, stating that General Romulo Vega would receive General Worth on the right bank of the river, (their own proposition,) for the reception of any communication which General Worth might have to make from the commanding general.

"General Worth then crossed the river, accompanied by Lieutenant Smith, A. D. C., Lieutenants Magruder, Deas, and Blake, attached to his staff, together with Lieutenant Knowlton, as interpreter.

"On arriving at the right bank of the river, General Worth was received by General Vega with becoming courtesy and respcct, and introduced to the authorities of Matamoras,' represented in the person of the Licenciado Casares.

"On the Mexican part, were present, General Vega, the Licenciádo Casares, two officers, (represented as cavalry officers,) an interpreter, with a person named Juan N. Garza, official de defensores.

"After the usual courtesies on meeting, it was stated by General Worth that he was bearer of despatches from the commanding general of the American forces to General Mejia and the civil authorities of Matamoras; a written and unsealed document was produced, and General Vega, desiring to know its contents, it was carefully read and translated into Spanish by the Mexican interpreter.

"General Vega then stated that he had been directed to receive such communications as General Worth might present from his commanding general, going on to say that the march of the United States troops through a part of the Mexican territory, (Tamaulipas,) was considered as an act of war.

"General Worth. I am well aware that some of the Mexican people consider it an aggressive act, but (interrupted by the Mex

ican interpreter, and after a slight discussion of the international question on the part of General Vega,) — General Worth repeated the above remark, adding that it was not so considered by his government; that the army had been ordered there by his government, and there it would remain; whether rightfully or otherwise, that was a matter to be settled between the two governments. General Vega still disposed to argue the merits of the case, was told by General Worth that he came to state facts, not to argue them.

"General Worth here stated that he had been sent with a despatch from his commanding general to General Mejia; that General Mejia had refused to receive it from him in person; adding with emphasis, and some degree of warmth, 'I now state that I withdraw this despatch,' having read it merely as an act of courtesy to General Vega; that, in addition to the written despatch to General Mejia, I am authorized to express verbally the sentiments with which the commanding general proposed to carry out the instructions of his government, in which he hoped to preserve the peaceable relations between the two governments, leaving all questions between the two countries to be settled by their respective governments; and if, hereafter, General Mejia wished to communicate with General Taylor, he, General Mejia, must propose the means, assuring General Vega that, should General Mejia present himself or his communications by a subaltern officer, in either case they would be received with becoming courtesy and hospitality.

"The question of right of territory was again opened by General Vega, who asked how the United States government would view the matter, should the Mexican troops march into or occupy a portion of the territory of the United States?

"General Worth replied, that General Vega might probably be familiar with the old proverb, 'Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof,' and that it would be time enough to reply to such a proposition when the act itself was perpetrated.

"This proverb did not appear to have been translated by the Mexican interpreter, but was received by General Vega with a smile and a slight shrug.

"General Worth. Is the American consul in arrest, or in prison? "General Vega. No.

"General Worth. Is he now in the exercise of his proper funotions?

"General Vega, after apparently consulting with the Licenciado Casares for a moment, replied that he was.