Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-12-17

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ent, aud irreconciabIe with well authenticated
facts connected with the revolution by which
Texas became independent of Mexico. That
this may he the more manifest, it may be pro-
per to advert to the causes and to the history of
the principal events of that revolution.
Texas constituted portion of the ancient
province of Louisiana; eeded to the United
States by France in the year 1903 In the year
1919, the United States, by the Florida treaty,
ceded to Spain all that part of Louisiana with
in the present limits of Texas and Mexico, by
the revolution which separated her from Spain,
and rendered her an independent nation, sue
cecded to the rights of the mother country over
this territory In the year 1924, Mexico estab-
Iished Federal Constitution, under which the
Mexican Republic was composed of number
ofsoyereign States, conicdcrated together in
federal Union similar to our own. Each of
these States had its own Executive, legislature
and judiciary, and, for all except federal pur-
poses was as independent of the General Gov
eminent, and that Of the other States, as is Penn
sylvunia or Virginia under our Constitution
| Texas and COahuila united aud formed one Of
these Mexican States The State Constitution
" hicr they adopted and which was approved
! by the Mexican confrderlcy, asserted that they
were 8" free and independent VI the other MEX
leaf United States, and of every other power
and dominion whatsoever )" and proclaimed the
great principle of human liberty that " the soye-
reignty of the State resides originally and es-
sentiaIly in the general mas, oil the Individuals
who compose it," To the Government under
this Constitution as we'll as to that under the
Federal Constitution, the people Of Texas ow-
cd allegiance.
migrants from foreign countries, including
the United States, were invited by the coloniz-
alton laws of the State and of the Federal Gov
ernment to settle in Texas. Advantageous
terms were offered to induce them to leave their
own country and become Mexican citzeus.-
This invitation was accepted by many of our
citizens, in the full faith that in their new home
they would he governed by laws enacted Ivy re-
prcSentaives elected by themselves, and that
their lives, liberty, and property would be pro-
tected by constitutional guarantees similar to
those which existed in the republic they had
left. Under Government thus organized they
continued until the year 1885, when military
revolution broke out in the city of Mexico,
which entirely Subverted The Federal and State
Constitutions, and placed military dictator at
the head Of the Government
By a sweeping decree Of Congress subseryi-
eut 10 the will Of the dictator, the several State
Constitutions ~ ere abolished, and the States
themselves converted into mere departments Of
the Central Government. The people of Tex
rs were unwilling to submit to this usurpaton.
Resistance to such tyranny became high duty.
Texas was fully ahsolvpd from all allegiance to
the Central Government of MeXro from the
moment that Government had abolished her
State Constitutions, and in its place substitute ed
an arbitrary aud despotc Central Government.
Such were the principal causes Of the Texan
revolution. The people of Texas at once de-
termined upon resistance, and flew to arms. In
the midst of these important and exciting ev-
ents, however, they did not omit to place their
! liberties upon a secure and permanent founda-
ton. They elected members to a Convention,
who, in the month of March, 1886, issued
formal declaration that their " political connec-
lion with the Mexican nation has forever end
ed, and that the people Of Texas do now con-
sttute FREE, SOVEREIGN a0d INDEPENDENT
REPUBLIC and are fully invested with all the
rights and attributes which property belong to
independent nations" They also adopted for
their government liberal republican Constitu-
ton. About the same time, Siuta Anna, then
the dictator of Mexico, invaded Texas with
numerous army for the purpose of subdung
! her people, and enforcing obedience II his ar
hitrary aud dtsp9uc government. o. the 2lSt
| Of April, 1886, he wa, met by the TexIn cltlz-
Ell soldiers, and on that day was achieved by
them the memorable victory of San Jacinto, by
which they conquered their independents
Considering the numbers engaged on the re-
spectiye sides, history does not record ii more
among the captlyes.
In the month of May, 1885, Santa Anna ack-
nowedged by a treaty with the Texan authori-
ties, in the most Solemn form, 4" the full, entire
and perfect Independence of the Republic OF
| Iexas." 1t is true he was then prs )ner Of
war, but it is equally true that he had failed to
recouquer Texas, aud had met with signal de-
feat that his authority had not been revoked,
and that by virtue of this treaty he obtained his
personal release. BY it hostilites were
spended, and the army which had invaded Tex
as under his command returned in pursuance Of
this rangement unmoested, to Mexico.
From the day that the battle of San Jacinto
was fought until the present hour, Mexico has
never possessed the power to 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,
" Mexico may have chosen to consider, and
may still choose to consider Texas as having
been at all times since 1885, and as still CONT
nuing, a rebeIlions province but the world has
been obliged to take very different view of the
matter. From the time Of the battle of San
Jacinto, in April, 1886, to the present moment,
Texas has exhibited the same external signs of
national independence as Mexico herself, and
with quite as much stability of Government
Practically free and independent, acknowledge
ed as political Sovereignty by the principal
Powers of the world, M hostile foot finding
rest within her territory FIR six Or seven years,
and Mexico herself retaining for all that per-
iod from any farther attempt to reestablisb her
own authority over that territory, it cannot but
be surprising to find Mr.. de Bocanegra" Che
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Of Mexico) " COM
planning that for that whole period citizens of
the United States, orits Government, have been
fayorng the rebels of Texas, and supplying
them with vessels ammunition, and money, as
Iifthe war for the reduction Of the province of
Texas had been constantly prosecuted by Mex
leo, and her success prevented by these lnfu-
ences from abroad" In the same dispatch the
Secretary of the State atfirns that since eigh
teen hundred and thirty-seven the U. States
have regarded Texas as ali Independent Sover-
eighty, as much as Mexico and that trade and
commerce with citizens of the Government at
war with Mexico cannot, on that account be
regarded as an intercourse by which assistance
and sdccor are given to Mexican rebels. The
whole current Of Mr.. de Bocanegra's remarks
runs in the same direction, as if the independ-
ence of Texas had not been acknowledged. 1t
has been Acknowledgment was acknowledged
in 1887, against the remonslrance and protest OF
Mexico and most of the acts, Of any import
ance, Of which Mr.. de Bocanegra complains,
flow necessarily from that recognition. He