The expedition to Santa Fe, by which the Texans broke the peace,
occurred in the autumn of 1841; the Mexican army entered Texas in the
spring of 1842, sweeping everything before them, from San Antonio de
Bejar to the Colorado; but the Texans had sent emissaries to Yucatan, to
induce that province to declare its independence. The war in Yucatan
obliged the Mexican army to march back in that direction to quell the
insurrection, which it did, and then returned to Texas, and again took
possession of San Antonio de Bejar in September of the same year, taking
many prisoners of consequence away with them.
It was the intention of the Mexicans to have returned to Texas in the
spring of the year, but fresh disturbances in Yucatan prevented Santa
Anna from executing his projects. Texas is, therefore, by no means
secure, its population is decreasing, and those who had respectability
attached to their character have left it. I hardly need observe that the
Texan national debt, now amounting to thirteen millions of dollars, may,
for many reasons, turn out to be not a very profitable investment[21].
[Footnote 21: Perhaps the English reader will find it extraordinary that
Santa Anna, once freed from his captivity, should not have re-entered
Texas with an overwhelming force.
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