Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1850-12-05

Rise of senator RSlsk.

The tragedy of Nacogdoches, and the
romantic incidents which led TO the
Texan war Of Independence, find their
parallel only in the Roman history OF
Lucretia and the elder Bri,tus. Juan
Costa was person Of great influence
and bravery, in the wild forests, but he
fell under the displeasure of Santa Anna,
and his minion, Pedras, the compandant
of Nacogdoches, was sent 10 arrest him.
He arrested the father at his supper ta-
ble,. attended by his only daughter
young girl of surprising beauty and in
telligence. He loaded him with chains
and cast him in prison, Notwithstanding
her tears and entreaties. Finally, he
proposed TO free the father, If the daugh-
Ter would consent to sacrifice her inno-
cence and honor. She rejected the in
famous proposition with blow in the
face, when the armed ruffian swore a
horrible oath TO execute bis viii on them
both, and then ~ *uN laima
With dark eyes, fearless, CLASSY, fixed
as those Of corpse, yet flashing dou-
bic portion of luminous fire, she mounted
a horse and hurried away wildly around
the country. She halted at every house,
no matter whether Mexican or American,
and rehearsed, in tones of thrilling hor-
ror, her fathers wrongs and her own.--
All timid modesty, all weakness had
vanished from her tongue, utterly con-
sumed by the scorching thirst for ycnge-
ance. She painted, in passions fiery
language, and with awful minutcness,
the facts of the damning deed she
barred her virgin bosom, and showed the
livid marks Of the ravisher's fingers,
among the maZes Of those azure veins,
along the surface Of that expanse OF
snow, now SO polluted and soiled, but
before pure as the CLEAN of an angel
wing. naase
And still, wherever the beautiful maid
wandered, a dealening yell of wrath and
vengeance rose up against the tyrants.
The people Of both races and all classes
fled to arms, appointing a general rem
devious for the oath of June, at The resi-
dence of the absent and now imprisoned
Juan Costa. silsf fse
II was there debated by the people as
to the mode OF attack, and who should
be their leader; bat nothing being agreed
on, the whole assemblagc bid fair &c
break up in confusion, when a stranger
who had just entered Texas from the
States, came forward and addressed the
multitude as follows: fias Va ~ af9e
"a" lam a stranger, but am also man
and ] owe my life, soul, body, health,
happiness--all-to a woman-my moth
or! And if l turn a deaf ear to the
prayers of an innocent woman, asking
my aid against william, may both my
mother and my God curse me ! / go,
for one, and--should you all stay be-
hind--alo,ie, to fight Col. Pedras and
his armed rayishers of your wives and
daughters" .e-gf
Tho speec', was received with three
tremendous cheers, and then n general
shout, that seemed to shake the. solid
earth, uttered the first peal of the revo-
luton. I" We will go! Death to the
tyrantsl Freedom for Texas and the
giant shall be our leader p Y
And then, for the FIRST time, was heard
in the land OF the wild oak, name des-
tined to become an echo to the pulsation
of all hearts---the name of Thomas J
Rusk.
The next day he led his raw troops tc
the attack of Nacogdoches, and stormcd
every position against immense odds,
after an assault Of four hours, the earn
age being dreadful on both sides +; and
fortunately among the slain, was found
the 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 a
trans;tory eclipse, or so much as a cloud
10 dim its splendor. In vain, for three
years, Gen. Cos demanded his arrest. -
Mexico had not soldiers enough 10 take
him; andin 1856 he assisted to chase
the last of these out of the country -
Afterwards, he amassed a fortune at the
Texan bar, and was chosen one of the
first Senators from the new State an
nexed--a place which he may hold for
life, if he wills il.
Rusk is the only public man in Texas
that has never engaged in a duel; and
for this single reason, so honorable TO
himself-he never had personal enemy
in the world. To conclude, he is Titan
in physical force, with the loving soul of
a happy child. He is not distinguished
by eloquence Of speech but his laugh is
sometimes divine-the clear ring of a
heart, sound to the very centre.
81 A DsIrcArr Sro,,Acu VIII von