The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-07-04
DAVENPORT, IOWA, THURSDAY. 4,
RISE OF SENATOR RUsK.

| RISE OF SENATOR RUSK.
The tragedy Of Nacogdoches, and the ro-
mantle incidents which led to the Texan
war Of Independence, parallel only in the
Roman history Of Lucretia and the elder
Brutus. Juan Costa was person Of grea,
influence and bravery in tho wild fores,
settlements; but he fell under the displeas
uro Of Santa Anna, and his minion Col
Pedras, the commandant Of Nacogdochcs,
was sent with fifty men to arrest him. lie
arrested the father at his supper table, at
tended BY his only daughter-a young girl
Of surprising beauty and Intelligence. He
loaded him with chains, and cast him into
prison, Notwithstanding her tears and en-
treaties. Finally he proposed to free the
father if tho daughter would consent 10
sacrifice her innocence and honor. She
rejected the Infamous proposition with a
blow in the face; when the armed rufIian
swore horrible oath to execute his will on
them both; and then
With dark eyes, fearless, CLASSY, fixed as
those Of corpse, yet flashing double por-
tion Of luminous fire, she mounted horse
and hurried away wildly around the coun-
try. She halted at every house, no matter
whether Mexican or American, and rehears-
ed in tones Of thrilling horror her fathers
wrongs and her own. All timid modesty,
all weakness, had vanished from her tongue,
utterly consumed by the scorching thirst for
vengeance. She painted, in passions fire.
language, and with awful minuteness, the
facts Of the damning deed; she barred her
virgin bosom, and showed the livid marks
Of the rnvisher's fingers among the mazes
ofthose azure veins, along the surface ofthat
expanse of snow, now SO polluted and soilcd,
but before pure as the CLEAN Of the angels
wings.
And still, wherever the beautiful ruin
wandered, q deafening yell Of wrath and
vengeance rose up against the tyrants.-
The people Of both races ond all classes
flew to arms, appointing general rendez
vous for the 25.h Of June, o, the residence
Of the absent and now imprisoned Juan Cos
Ia.
Il was there debated by the people as to
the mode Of attack, and who should be their
leader; but nothing being agreed on, the
whole nssenb!sge bid fair to break up in
confusion; when a tall and powerfully bull,
stranger, who had just entered Texas from
the States, came forward and addressed the
multitude as follows:
81 am stranger, but am also a man; !;
and owe my life, soul, body, health, hap
Ipiness-all--all to woman-my mother
And il ever turn deaf ear to the prayers
Of an innocent woman asking my aid
against william, may both my mother and
my God curse me! | 60 for one, and
should YOU all stay behind-alone, TO fgh,
Col. Pedras, and his armed rayshers Of
your wives aud daughters"
The speech was received BY three tre
mendous cheers, and then general shout,
that seemed TO shake the solid earth, utter
ed the first peal Of the revolution. 1--WE
will 60. Death TO tho tyran,! Freedom
for Texas, and the giant shall be our lead
er!'''
And then for the first time, was heard in
the land Of the live oak name destined to
become an echo 10 the pulsation Of all
hear,s-,he name Of Thomas j. Rusk
The next day he led his raw troops to the
attack Of Nacogdoches, and stormcd every
position, ngninst immense odds, after an
assault Of four hours, the carnage being
dreadful on both sides; and fortunately,
among the slain was the dead body Of the
atrocious Ferdinand Pedras.
Such was the debut Of Rusk in Texas;
and from that day his popularity has gone
on steadily increasing, without even
,rausitory eclipse, or SO much as cloud to
dim its splendor. In vain, for three years,
General Cos demanded his arrest. Mexico
had not soldiers enough to take him, and in
1856 he assisted 10 chase the last Of these
out Of the country. Afterwards he amassed
fortune al the Texan bar, and was chosen
one Of tho first Senators OF the new State
annexed--a place which he may hold for
life ifhc wills it.
Rusk is the only public man in Texas
who has never been engagedin in duel; ano
for this singular reason, SO honorable 70 HIM
self-he never hada personal enemy 10 the
world. 70 conclude, he is Titan in physI'
cal force, with tho loving soul Of happy
child. He is not distinguished BY eloquence
Of speech, but his laugh is sometimes d.
vine--the clear ring Of heart sound to the
very centre.
VAccrNATIoN.-TEsT or PERFECT
When person has been vaccinnted on one
arm, the surgeon ought to vaccinatc the 9th
or with matter taken from the first. IT the
first vaccination has been perfect, the pus-
tule on both arms will grow to head at
precisely the same time; and if this do not
take place, the system has not been proper
ly effected, and the vaccination ough, to DO
repeated. This simple and easy test, first
brought into notice by DR.. Bryce Of Edln-
burgb, ought never TO be neglected.-Ed'
inbugh Medical Journal.
MoNTEEAL-Two hundred houses were
burned down on the l7th in Montreal
- - N,uo-oth CIR