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President
Jones's Cabinet
Vice-President
Kenneth L. Anderson
A North Carolinian, Anderson got into politics as
a sheriff in Tennessee. In 1837, he moved with his
family to San Augustine, where he became sheriff.
A strong partisan of Sam Houston, he rose very quickly
to the position of Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
He was considered the leading candidate to become
the first governor of the state of Texas before his
sudden illness and death in June 1845 at the age of
40.
Secretary
of State
Ebenezer Allen (acting)
Ashbel Smith
Ebenezer Allen (acting)
Ebenezer Allen
Secretary
of War
George W. Hill
Morgan C. Hamilton
William Gordon Cooke
Secretary
of Treasury
William Beck Ochiltree
John A. Greene
Secretary
of Navy
Robert Potter
Attorney
General
Ebenezer Allen
William B. Ochiltree
Land
Commissioner
Thomas W. Ward |
In July
1845, a special convention assembled in Austin to
debate annexation vs. independence. By this time,
relations between Jones and other leading Texas politicians
had grown icy. |
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Anson Jones
Architect of Annexation
Early
in Jones's term, he and the Texas Congress got back
to work on annexation, anticipating passage as soon
as the friendly Polk administration took office. |
In just eight years, Jones had gone
from penniless immigrant to president of the Republic of
Texas. In that time, he had educated himself, growing from
mediocre country doctor to master of international diplomacy.
He had pursued every angle open to Texas, from an alliance
with Britain and France to annexation to complete independence.
Now, on the eve of his greatest triumph, it was this pursuit
of alternatives that was to prove his undoing.
Following popular sentiment, the
Texas Congress declared for joining the Union. Jones counseled
caution. Polk and pro-Texas sentiment had carried the day
in the U.S. presidential election, but there was no guarantee
that annexation would pass the U.S. Congress. If it failed,
Jones wanted to be free to propose independence under a
British and French alliance.
On February 27-28, the U.S. Congress
approved Texas annexation. It would be almost a month before
the word reached Texas. In the meantime, Jones had reached
a deal with England and France to negotiate peace and recognition
from Mexico. Jones warned the European ministers that Texans
would not tolerate much further delay and gave them 90 days
in which to conclude the negotiations. He also made it clear
that Texas might choose annexation over the Mexican treaty
even if negotiations were successful.
When the news of annexation reached
Texas on March 20, a storm of protest broke upon Jones and
his policies. The president was denounced as a sell-out
to Britain. He was burned in effigy, and wild threats were
made to overthrow the government. Through it all, Jones
remained publicly silent. In his own mind, he had acted
correctly, giving Texas the choice of peace with Mexico
and independence, or U.S. annexation and almost certain
war. But while Jones may have been a skilled diplomat, he
was no politician. The people of Texas did not want choices
and alternatives. They wanted annexation, and the sooner
the better.
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By August
1845, U.S. troops under Zachary Taylor were already
setting up a base at Corpus Christi. Within nine months
the U.S. and Mexico would be at war over Texas. |
On June 4, 1845, Jones received word
from the British minister that Mexico had agreed to a treaty
guaranteeing peace and the permanent independence of Texas.
Jones presented the treaty to the Texas Congress. A furious
Congress rejected the treaty, approved annexation to the
United States, and adopted resolutions censuring Jones.
Later in the summer, Jones was stripped of most of his powers.
Jones was stunned by the outcry against him.
For the remainder of his term of
office, Jones spent most of his time at his plantation,
Barrington, near Brazoria, with his wife and their three
children. His final official act was to preside over the
transfer of power on February 19, 1846. At the ceremony
setting up the government of Texas as a state in the Union,
Jones delivered a short and simple address, concluding,
"The final act in this great drama is now performed.
The Republic of Texas is no more." (See Texas
Treasures for more on the valedictory address.) Then,
with his own hands, he lowered the flag of the Republic
of Texas for the last time.
Left
Behind>> |
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