Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-12-17
No. 81

| to our own. Each OF these States bad It's own
Executive, legislature and judiciary, and. for all
except federal purposes, was as independent ot
the General Government, and that OF the othr
States, as Is Pennsylvania or Virginia under our
Constitution. Texas and CoahuiIa united ami
formed one of these Mexican States The State
Constitution which they adopted and which was
approved by the Mexican confederacy, asserted
TINT they were ''free and independent OF the other
Mexican United States, and OF every other pow
er and dominion whatsoever;' aud pr cIalmed
the great principle of human liberty that '.the
sovereignty OF the State resides originally ant
essentially IN the general mass Of the individuals
who compose it." To tie Government under
this Constitution, Us we'll as To that under the
Federal Constitution, the people of Texas owed
allegiance.
Emigrants from foreign countries, including the
L. States, were invited by the colonization laws
Of the State and of the Federal Government to
settle in Texas. Advantageous terms were OF,
cred to induce them to leave their own country
and BECOME Mexican citizens. This invitations
was accepted by many of our citizens IN the fail
faith that in their home they would be gov
erned by laws enacted by representatives elected
By Themselves and that their lives, liberty, AMI
property, would be protected by constitutional
guarantees similar to those which existed in tn.
republic they had let.-Under Government
thus organized they continued until the year lS:}j
when military revolution broke out IN Mexico.
which entirely subverted the Federal and Stata
Constitutions, and placed military dictator ut
the head of the Government.
By sweeping decree of Congress subsrrvi-
ent to the will of the dictator, the several State
Constitutions were abolished and the States
themselves converted into more departments O.
the Central Government. The Ieope of Texa
were unwilling to submit to THIS usurpatlon. Re.
slstance to such tyranny became a high duty
Texas was fully absolved from all allegiance 10
the Central Government of Mexico from the mo-
ment that Government had abolished her State
constitutions in its place substituted an arbitrary
and despotic Central Government
Such were the principal causes Of the Texan
revolution. The people of Texas at once de-
termined upon resistance, and few to arms. la
the midst OF these important and exciting events,
however, they did not omit to place their liber-
ties upon secure and permanent foundation.
They elected members 10 Convention, who, in
the month of March, 1886. issued a formal de-
claration that their political connection with the
Mexican nation has forever ended, and that the
people of Texas do now constitute a FREE, SOW
EREIGN, and INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC and are fully
invested with all the rights and attributes which
properly belong to independent nations They
also adopted for their government liberal repuG-
llcan Constitution. About the same time, Santa
Anna then the dictator of Mexico, invaded Tex
as with numerous army for the purpose OF sub
dung her people, and enforcing obedience to his
arbitrary and despotic government. On the Dist
OF April, 1886, he was met by the TeXan citizens
soldiers, and on that day was achieved by them
the memorable battle of San Jacinto by which
they conquered their independence. Consider
ing the numbers engaged on the respective sides,
history does not record a more brilliant achieve
ment Santa Anna himself was among the cap
tives.
In the month Of May, 1886, Santa Anna
acknowledged, by a treaty with the Texan
authorities, in the most solemn form, s'the
full, entire, and perfect independence of the
Republic of Texas" 1t is true he was then
a prisoner of war, but it is equally true that
he had failed to re-conquer Texas, and had
met with signal defeat that his authority
had not been revoked, and that by virtue of
this treaty he obtained his personal release
BY it hostiities were suspended, and the army
which had Invaded Texas under his COM
mand returned in pursuance Of this arrange
ment, unmolested, to Mexico.
From the day that the battle of San Jacin-
~ was lou8HL ullLll tlc PICSCHI Hcut, hitAlCo
has never possessed the oower 10 reconquer
Texas In the language of the Secretary OF
State of the United States, in dispatch TO
our Minister in Mexico, under date of the 9Th
of July, 1912, "Mcxico may have chosen to
consider, and may still choose to consider,
Texas as having been at all times since eight
cen hundred and thirty-fve, an1 as still con-
tinuing, rebellious province; bu; the world
has been obliged to take a very different view
of The matter. From the time of the battle
At San Jacinto, in April, 1886, down TO the
present moment, Texas has exhibited the
same external signs of national Independence
Is Mexico herself, and with quite as much
stability of Government. Practically FREE
md Independent, acknowledged as a political
Sovereignty by the principal powers of the
world, no hostile foot finding rest within her
crritory for SIX or seven years, and Mexico
lcrsef refraining for all that period from any
arther attempt to re-esabiSh her own author
fy over that territory, 1t cannot but be surpri-
ing to find Mr.. de Bocancgra" Uhe Secretary
4 Foreign Affairs Of Mexico) complaining
hat for that whole p,riod citizens of the Uni
ed States or its Government, have been ia
oring the rebels Of Texas, and supplyin.
hem with vessels, ammunition, and money
S if the war for the reduction of the PROVING
4 Texas had been constantly prosecuted By