Annexation of Texas--Causes that led to annexation--Message of the President--General Scott's letters regarding William Henry Harrison--Efforts to reduce General Scott's pay--Letter to T.P. Atkinson on the slavery question--Battle of Palo Alto, and of Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, and Buena Vista--"The hasty plate of soup"--Scott's opinion of General Taylor--Scott ordered to Mexico--Proposal to revive the grade of lieutenant general, and to appoint Thomas H. Benton--Scott reaches the Brazos Santiago--Confidential dispatch from Scott to Taylor--Co-operation of the navy--Letters to the Secretary of War as to places of rendezvous--Arrival and landing at Vera Cruz, and its investment, siege, and capture--Letter to foreign consuls--Terms of surrender--Orders of General Scott after the surrender. The Congress of the United States, on February 27, 1845, passed joint resolutions providing for the annexation of Texas, and they were approved by President Tyler on the 1st of March. A convention was called by President Jones, of Texas, to meet on the 4th of the succeeding July, to consider the matter of annexation to the United States. The convention ratified the proposal, and prepared a constitution for Texas as a State in the American Union. The question of annexation was submitted to a vote of the people of Texas and ratified by a large majority. On December 29th following, a joint resolution of the Congress of the United States was passed, which declared Texas admitted as a State into the Union. It may be interesting to take a retrospective view of the causes, or rather the means, by which this important measure was brought about.