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246 wheels. Several measures were besides taken to obtain immediate large sums, such as encroaching still more on benevolent and trust funds, leasing the Zacatecas mint to Englishmen, levying forced loans and selling property to collect them, and finally by permitting a large importation of spun thread, so vigorously assailed on former occasions as ruinous, and by adding twenty per cent to the import duty, thus increasing by far the burdens which had been used as pretext for overthrowing the former administration.

While the means thus collected were chiefly sunk in the fruitless Yucatan campaign, they were ostensibly to be used for defensive and offensive operations against Texas. Over six years had elapsed since the last serious effort to recover the province, a period broken only by petty inroads on either side, occasionally by Mexico to sustain her claims, and oftener by Texas to retaliate and distract her plans. The most notable of these expeditions was the disastrous march against Santa Fé in 1841, the defeat of which the Mexicans followed up by a descent into the state in March the following year. Under General Vasquez, who occupied the evacuated San Antonio de Béjar for two days only, behaving with great consideration. Hays had retired with his ranger garrison. After this the utterance and preparations in the lone-star region grow so ominous as to maintain the Mexicans in constant apprehension of a strong reprisal. A prompt counter-manœuvre was deemed necessary, in a manner to fully impress the hostile districts with the power of the republic, and the danger of being made the battleground. General Woll was intrusted with the task, and proceeded so cautiously that his appearance before Béjar, in the middle of September 1842, proved