Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-01-05
A 1hrIi,.,s. iacti.n.,

lne Tragedy OF NUSoSuoCnes, eLu Tie
Romantic incidents which led to the lex
an WIZ of independence, find tLciv par
alel only in the Roman history Of Luc-
relia anu the elder Brutus.
Juan Costa was pe.son vi influence
and bravery 10 the wild forest, but he
Tell under the disp.essuIe Of Santa An.
ao, and hls miuions. -Pedras, the COM
msndaDdabt Of Nacogioches, was SEN,
10 arrest h,m. lie arrested the father
at The supper table, attended by ms eoly
daughter, yonug lady Of surpassihg
beauty and intelligence. lie loaded INN
with chains and cast him iuIo prison,
notwithstanding her tears and entreati-
es. Finally be proposed 10 free the tat
her il the daughter would consent to
sacrafcc her Innocence and honor. She
rejected the Infamous proposal with o
blow in the face. The armed ruilian
swore q horrible oath to execute his will
On them both.
With dark cyes, fearless, fixed as
those OF q corpse, yet Iashing u double
Iort,on OF luminous tire, she mounted @
horse abe hurried wildly through the
country.
She halted ut every Louee, 90 matter
whether Mexican or American, and rehe-
arsed, ia tones OF thrilling horror, her
fathers wrongs and her own.
All timid modesty all weakness had
vanished from her tongue, utterly con-
sumed by the scorohing thirst for vei.-
genee. She paldted, in passions fiery
language, and with awful mIuuteness,
the fact Of the iaInning deed. sha ba-
red her virgin bosom, and showed, the
iIvid marks of The ravisber's fingers
among the szure veins along the surface
of snow, now 30 polluted ami soiled, bu,
before a. pare as the CLEAN OF on angels
wing.
And still, wherever the beautiful maid
wandered, . iesfening yell Of wrath aud
vengeance aose W against the tyranis.
rhe people Of 10th rrces and all classes
few to arms, appointing general
rendezvous flop the 18th of Juue, a; the
residence OF the 5bsent and now in pris-
onek Juan Costa
1t wos there debated by the people The
mob o. attack, and who should be their
leader, but nothing being sgracd on the
whole assemblsge babe fair to break up
10 coufusivn u, when a tall and powerIuI
built stranger, who had just entered
Texas from the States, came fopward
rnd addressed the multitude:
81 sm q stranger, but nlsO man,
and oss my life, sou, body, health and
happiness, sli-all to women-so ny
mother! aud il turn o deaf ear to the
prayers Of On innocent women, ssking
my aid against villain, may both my
mother and my God curse me! Ii you
stay behind, l 60 for one to fight Pedras,
aud bis armed rsyishers Of poor wives
and daughters!'
The speech was received With from n
dous cheers, and general shout, ths,
seemed to shake the cold Garth, uttered
the first peel Of the revolution.
1--WE will 60! Death to tho tyrants!
Freedom for Texas, and the giant shall
be our leader"
And then for the 6rst time vas heard
in the land Of tho wild, the name desti-
ned 20 become an echo to the pusaiion
Of all hearts, the name Of Thomas j .Rusk.
The next DAY he led his raw recruits
to tho attack Of Nacogdoches, and stcr.
med every position against immense odds
after an insult OF four hours, the carna-
&c being dreadful on both sides. Fortu.
nately among the slain was tho dead DO.
dy Of the ssrocious villain, Pelras.
Such was the debut Of Rusk in Tex
as, and from that day bic populsrty has I
gone on steadily increasing, without
even 90 much as cloud to dim its sr. ~
dor. 10 vain for three years Gen. Ces !
bic arrest. Mexico had not
soldiers ennugh TO take him, and in
1859 be assisted to chase the last Of 7
these out Of the country. Afterwards {
be smsssed Q fortune at the Texan Bar,
and WAS chosen one OF the first Sens.
.ors Of the new State snuexed-a place
which be may hold for life, it no wills it.