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8o4 E. C. Barker commonly believed — and crushed him at San Jacinto, April 21, 1836. This stopped the panic-stricken flight from the country — the ■' runaway scrape ", as it came to be called. The Texan rebels had expected help from the United States, and they received it ; they would unquestionably have received a great deal more, if the revolution had lasted longer. Public meetings were held in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, BaltiniDre and Washington. Large sums of money were sub- scribed, and from New York, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati companies of volunteers were sent. Throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Mis- sissippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana the excitement was high and many volunteers " emigrated " to Texas, the expenses of their equipment being paid by those who remained at home.^ Even from far-off Maine at least one letter was received by the pro- visional governor of Texas offering military service, [Messrs. Au- gustus and William C. White vowing " that we will act the brave part of a soldier which you wold require of us . . . we solemnly vow that we will fite or dye for your country ",- — provided their expenses were paid to the scene of operations. The fact that armed bands were leaving the United States to join the Texans was notorious, and brought repeated protests from the Mexican charge d'affaires that the government was not suffi- ciently active in enforcing neutrality.^ It may be at once conceded that no very strenuous eii'orts were made to put in force the spirit of the law of April 20, 1818, but, after all, was not the law itself at fault? It gave the executive no adequate power to prevent a filibustering expedition. Forsyth in- dustriously wrote letters to the district attorneys telling them to prosecute to the utmost all violations of the law,^ but replies were almost uniformly to the effect that no tangible breach of the law had occurred. No doubt the attorneys frequently sympathized with the movement, and it will not be contended that the executive was indifferent to the success of the Texan rebels, but it is a fact that convictions would have been impossible. Judges Thompson and Betts of the United States circuit court of southern New York ' Many newspapers and some documents in the Archives of Texas might be quoted in support of the statements made above. -To Governor Smith, January 10, 1836, archives of Texas, D 3237. ^25 Cong., 2 sess.. House E.vcc. Doc, No. 351, Vol. XII.. pp. 716, 720; 24 Cong.. I sess.. House Exec. Doc., No. 256, Vol. VI., pp. 29, 30 ; 24 Cong., 2 sess., Sen. Doc, No. i, pp. 40, 65, 87. ■" 25 Cong., 2 sess.. House E.vec Doc, No. 74, Vol. III., pp. 3-4. 23 : 24 Cong., I sess., House E.vec Doc, No. 256, Vol. VI., p. 36: 24 Cong., 2 sess.. Sen. Doc, No. I, p. 42.