New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-09-20
u their AGENTS in the United States, made ear

name OF religious lfeeooHl. WINE ctePHeH II
Justin commanded the Texan army, letter ap
peared in the Nep- York Transcript, purporting
10 have been written on drumhead, under Aus
tins dictation, in which such an appeal was d.
rected ",o the descendants of the purltans y
Can foul falsehood and humSug go further
wrote at the time a full exposure OF this fraud
and offered it FIRST TO the Transcript then to sew
ersl other papers of this city, but could not ge,
admitted into any. have the Ms. by me rs
rncTuento. II was afterwards published in Lon
don.
The declaration continues:
"lt has failed to establish any public system Of
education
1t has been seen that q law had been passed
providing for such system. The consplrato!s
must mean suppose that pecuniary provision
had not been made by the government. Such
provision was never made III Massachusetts until
very recently, nor then except to comparatively
trifling extent. For two hundred years every
town established and maintained its own schools
under the regulations prescribed by the state. In
the main they do the same still. The Mexican
government was not yet out Of the revolution, the
treasury was low and the nation In debt. Why
should not the Texans establish their own schools?
What daring and cold blooded attempt at de-
CeVVlDfl Is UlSCiOSGu III ILLS COupIolHt'
The following "pretext" is also set down
at incarcera,ed in dungeon, for long time, one
of our citizens for no other cause but Jealous en-
deavor to procure the acceptance OF our consttu-
ton, and the establishment OF State government.
This is the case Of the Irishmsn who was 10
be hung for stealing halter-but then there was
a korSe at the end Of it! ln another part OF the
same respectable document, the revolutionlsts de-
clare, that ego FAR from their "Reminiscences and
petitions being regarded, the agents who bear
them arc thrown into dungeons"
Now mark how "plaiE tale" shall put the
Felstaff story down.
Austin went TO Mexico in 1888, the bearer Of a
constitution formed by an nsurrectionery conven
ton in Texas, who had undertaken to dsmember
the State to which they belonged and owed ale
glance, and to erect part Of it Texas into
separate State. BY the constitution and laws OF
Mexico new State could not be admitted into
the Mexican union unless she had $4,000 nhabi.
tants; nor could she form constitution, unless
she had bcsn previously admitted. Texas had at
that time only 10000 inhabitants, and had made
no previous application for admission. The very
proposal to be admitted, in such manner and
under such circumstances, showed an audaclty
hardly less than criminal. Moreover, the pro-
posed constitution SAID not word about slavery,
when slavery was existing in Texas, and was re
quired by the federal laws to be abolished. BY
this silence, it was intended to continue 1t. The
existing State Observation-Disclosures COahulla and
Tcxas--had abolished it.
The Mexican Congress rejected the proposed
constitution, and Austin departed quietly for lex
as but before he had journeyed so far as to be
beyond reach, there was transmitted TO the hands
Of Government II letter of Austin, written from
tue city of Mexico, recommending to The munlci-
pal authorities Of the cities and towns of Texas
to take their government affairs into their own
hands, and to organize under the rejected constl-
tuition. Upon this discovery, he was pursued, ar
rested. and imprisoned
Hear what himself said respecting this trans
action, in letter dated Jan. II, 1884, scon after
his arrest
.. | do rot, in any manner, blame TIE Government
for arresIing me-"
"Ihe General Government are disposed to DO
every thing for Texas, thai can be done 10 promote
lis prosperity and welfare, that consistent with the
constitution and the laws; and have no doubt the
State Government will do the same, il they are ap-
piled 10 III u proper manner
Again, in August, 1884, Austin wrote: The
Government have renedied all The evils complain
cd Of in Texas y and he recommended " that
public act of gratitude should be passed by tne
people, for those remedies that had been applied
by the Government" In November of the same
year, a grand central committee of the Texan
settlers for the purpose of counteracting the per-
nicious influence OF intruders and demagogues,
and putting down the foul calumnies they were
busily employed in propagatng against the Mex
can Government, issued an address to the people,
of whichthe following is an extract:
awe ask you in thu spirit Of candor, has the
y nj eyp asked thing unreasonable oil
Texas! If il has must, before God and our
country, say we know it not. Again. flor your ex-
permental knowledge must bear us out, has II ever
Lurdened you with taxes, or the performance oil ar
duous, perilous expensive duues3 Eav, has
Texas ever borne any part Of the expenses OF sus-
tanning the Government that protects our lives, our
liberty and our prosperity When have the people
OF Texas called upon the Government for any law
TO their advantage, or for the repeal ct any law by
which thoy were uggrieved, but what their requests
have been granted "
Austin fuliy and repeatedly admits the truth
of the charge against him, states that he had re-
ceived no personal ill-treatment, and expected
soon to be set at liberty, which, in point OF fact
he was, in a humane and magnanimous manner,
by President Santa Ana, giving the most solemn
pledges to exert his influence to maintain the
supremacy of the laws, and to discountenance
tho disturbers OF the peace. Nevertheless, he re-
turned to Texas only TO rush into rebellion, and
to set his hand to the atrocious iasehoods and TO
dictate that sacriegious appeal to the piety OF
this country, which l have mentioned. Even
if the fact on which it was grounded had been
true, and Mexico had forbidden religious freedom,
and prosecuted him for non-conformlty, ne would
have had no right to complain; for II was on The
express condition that none but Catholics Shou!d
be brought into the country, and that they should
take an oath to conform TO the Catholic religion,
that his father, and he after him, obtained the
grant OF foot of land; and to support that re-
ligion. Austin had taken oath. This shows
how highly he valued his Protestant faith, if he
had any.
Yet this is the settler of Texas, whom Gen.
James Hamilton in his late letter viifying the
Press of Mexico, hkens to William Penn Our
lor the Texas y General OF Great kennahwa
.tnancieriag fame, found It easier to hben Santa
Ana than TO bri5e him.
FOR IONDON-rscket of 2lt Scptember.-The