Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-12-02
From the Fond du Lac. Wis, Journal.
The Rise of Senator Ruslk

| The Rise Of Senator Rusk. -
The tragedy Of Nacogdoches, and th,
romantic incidents which led to tho Texa,
war of independence, find their parallel
only in the Romish history of Lucretia ant
the elder Brutus. Juan Costa was a per
son of great influence and bravery in The
wild forest, but fell under the displeasure
oc Santa Anna; and his minion Pedras. the
commandant Of Nacogdoches, was sent te
arrest him. He arrested the father at the
supper table. attended by his only daugh
ter-a young girl ofsurprising beauty ene
intelligence. He loaded him with chains
and cast him into prison, Notwithstanding
her tears and entreaties. Finally, he bro
poses to free the father it. tho, daughter
would sacrifice her honor and, innocence.
She rejected the infamous proposition with
blow in the face; when the armed ruffian
swore horrible oath to execute his will
on them both, and then
With dark eyes, fearless, CLASSY, and fix.
ed as those of the corpse, yet flashing q
double portion Of luminous fire, she mount.
ed horse, and hurried away wildly around
the country. She halted at every house,
no matter whether, Mexican or American.
and rehsarsed, in tones Of thrilling horror,
her fathers, wrongs and, her own. All
timid modesty, all weakness had vanished
from her tongue, utterly consumed in the
scorching thirst for vengence. She paint.
ed the passions fiery language, and with
awful minuteness, the facts of the damning
deed; she barred her virgin bosom and
showed the livid marks Of the ravager's
fingers among the mazes Of those azure
veins along the surface Of that expanse of
snow, now so polluted and soiled, but be-
fore pure as the gleam OF angels wings.
And still, wherever the beautiful maid
wandered, deafening yell of wrath and
vengeance rose up against the tyrants
The people Of both races, and all classes,
flew to arms, appointed general rendez-
vous for the 25th of June at the residence
of the absent and now imprisoned Juan
Costa.
1t was then debated by the people as to
the tnode of attack, and who should be their
leader; but nothing being ogreed on, the
whole assemblage bid fair to break up in
confusion, when tall, and powerfully.
built stranger, who had just entered Texas
from the States, came forward and, ad-
dressed the multitude as follows:
81 am stranger, but am also man,
and | owe my life, body, soul, happiness
all, all to woman-my mother! And if
| turn deaf eur to the prayers Of an inno-
cent woman asking aid against a william,
may both my mother and my God curse
mel! | 60 for one, and-should you all
stay behina-ulone to fight Col. Pedras
and his armed ravishers OF your wives and
daughters?" Ell. ~ II -
The speech was received with three
tremendous cheers, and then a general
shout, that seemed to shake the solid earth,
uttered the first peal of revolution. 1--WE
will go. Death to the tyrnnts! Freedom
for Texas, and the giant shall be our lead
er." And then, for the first time, was
heard in the land of,lhe wild oak name
destined to become an echo to the pulsations
of all hearts-the name, Thomas J. Rusk
The next day he led his raw roops to the
attack of Nacogdoches, and stormed every
position against immense odds, after an as
sault of four hours, the carnage being
dreadful on both sides. Among the slain
was the body of the atrocious Ferdinand
Pedras. ....-1
Such was the debut of Rusk in Texas;
and from that day his popularity has gone
on steadily increasing without even a
transitory eclipse, or so much as cloud
to dim its splendor. In vain for three
years General Costa demanded his arrest.
Mexico had not soldiers enough to take him;
and in 1856 he assisted to chase the las,
Of these out of the country. Afterwards
he amassed fortune at the Texas rand
was chosen one of the first Senators from
the new Stale annexed place which he
may hold for life if he wills it. hi.
Rnsk is the only public man in Texas
who has never eng aged in duel.
Hoav many Wives may Mormon haze!
This question has often been debated
and it has been asserted that Mormon
was restricted to one wife, like all good
Christians. But a correspondent Of the
Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes from the
Great Salt Lake, puts different face upor
the matter. He says
An impression exists abroad respecting
the number of wives which each Mormon
is allowed, and which it may not be amis'
to make a few remarks upon. have made
inquiry of these who know and l find tina
each member as well as the head of th'
church, is privileged to have as many wives
as he can deeently support-that is, if al
parties concerned are agreed = and to eacl
he has to be formally married in accordanc,
with the law, in such cases made and pro
vidsd. have not word to say in de
fence of this odious and demoralizing fea
turs-but merely state the facts.
BUYING ON THIRTY DAYs.-A "hoos
sier" Of rather scanty means recently visit
ed New York. with Introductory letters
for the purpose of buying considerabl
} amount of goods on credit. The jobber
to whom he applied were very courteous
II hu didn't like TO trade. ~. IS A5s. .s-lsz