US Presidency
1836

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: During the last session information was given to Congress by the Executive that measures had been taken to ascertain the political, military, and civil condition of Texas. I now submit for your consideration extracts from the report of the agent who had been appointed to collect it relative to the condition of that country. No steps have been taken by the Executive toward the acknowledgment of the independence of Texas, and the whole subject would have been left without further remark on the information now given to Congress were it not that the two Houses at their last session, acting separately, passed resolutions that the independence of Texas ought to be acknowledged by the United States whenever satisfactory information should be received that it had in successful operation a civil government capable of performing the duties and fulfilling the obligations of an independent power.