CHAPTER VII. 



1843 — 1846. 



RECONQUEST OF TEXAS PROPOSED. CANALIZO PRESIDENT AD 



INTERIM. REVOLUTION UNDER PAREDES IN 1844. SANTA 



ANNA FALLS HERRERA PRESIDENT TEXAN REVOLT. ORI- 

 GIN OF WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES. TEXAN WAR FOR 



THE CONSTITUTION OF 1824 NATIONALITY RECOGNIZED 



ANNEXATION TO THE UNITED STATES. PROPOSITION TO MEXICO. 



HERRERA OVERTHROWN PAREDES PRESIDENT OUR MIN- 

 ISTER REJECTED. CHARACTER OF GENERAL PAREDES. 



After the foundation of the new system in 1843, the country 

 continued quiet for a while, and when the Mexican Congress met, 

 in January 1844, propositions were made by the executive depart- 

 ment to carry out Santa Anna's favorite project of re-conquering 

 Texas. It is probable that there was not much sincerity in the 

 president's desire to march his troops into a territory the recollection 

 of which must have been, at least, distasteful to him. There is 

 more reason to believe that the large sum which it was necessary to 

 appropriate for the expenses of the campaign — the management of 

 which would belong to the administration, — was the real object he 

 had in view. Four millions were granted for the re-conquest, but 

 when Santa Anna demanded ten millions more while the first grant 

 was still uncollected, the members refused to sustain the president's 

 demand. The congressmen were convinced of that chieftain's rapa- 

 city, and resolved to afford him no further opportunity to plunder 

 the people under the guise of patriotism. 



Santa Anna's sagacious knowledge of his countrymen immediately 

 apprised him of approaching danger, and having obtained permission 

 from congress to retire to his estate at Mango de Clavo, near Vera 

 Cruz, he departed from the capital, leaving his friend General Cana- 

 lizo as president ad interim. Hardly had he reached his plantation 

 in the midst of friends and faithful troops, when a revolt burst out 

 in Jalisco, Agnas Calientes, Zacatecas, Sinaloa and Sonora, againsi 

 his government, headed by General Paredes. Santa Anna rapidly 

 crossed the country to suppress the rebellion, but as he disobeyed 



