The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-12-11

and IN the neighborhood. who came here
under the belief that they would be safe,
who are now exposed 10 the attack Of the
enemy.
1.-The country expects something from
you; the government looks to You for
action.
THE time has now arrived TO determine
whether We are to give up the country, and
make the best of our way out Of II, or 70
meet the enemy. and make at least one
struggle for our boosted independence.
On the thirteenth of April, Gen. Houston
answered the Secretary of War, stating:
AT Gonzales 1 had three hundred and
seventy-fOur efficient men, without sup
plies, even powder, balls or arms At the
Colorado, with zoo men, without discipline
or time to organize the army. Two days
since, my effective force in camp was five
hundred and thirty men (aggregate). :
It was impossible to guard all river passes
for one hundred miles
l will omit no opportunity to serve the
country, and to serve it for the love of it,
without ambition or Interior views into
which selfshneSs can enter
Il have, under the most Instantaneous
circumstances, kept an army together, and
where there has not been even murmuring
or INSTRUMENTATION; but 1 cannot perform
impossibilities
On the twelfth, Santa Anna. with his
army, crossed the Brazos at MOrton's Ferry,
and arrived at Harrisburg on the fifteenth.
Gen. Houston, Immediately determined to
pursue and attack him, crossed the Brazos
on the thirteenth, and came up with him on
the evening of the twentieth on the famous
plains of San Jacinto, nearly half way be-
4
Houston, where, after slight skirmishes of
little importance, he pitched his camp
about three-fourths of a mile from that OF
the enemy.
Thursday, the twenty-first of April. 1886.
was, like the day of Austerlitz, clear and
beautiful The Texans, numbering 7S9
men, arose from their slumbers refreshed,
inspired with Hope and thirsty for revenge.
Gully and deliberately they formed their line
of battle, and at the word of command
charged the fortified camp of the Mexicans,
containing double their number, and swept
everything before them, killing or capturing
almost the entire Mexican army, including
its commander, and taking more prisoners
than they themselves numbered.
This battle gave peace and independence
to Texas. The prisoners and other portions
of Santa Annals army were permitted by
treaty to return to their homes, and the
Texans, after their brilliant victory, again
occupied their deserted habitations between
the San Antonio and Trinity rivers, and set
themselves earnestly to work in repairing
the devastations of war.
The writer has beheld the plains of San
Jacinto, and while standing upon the stones
of the Alamo and Goliad, has meditated
upon the rise and fall of empires and ma
tions in the Old World, and felt proud of
the glorious achievements of Anglo-Ameri-
cans in redeeming the Jfnest country, to its
erteRt, upon the globe, from the domination of
bull-fghting, prisoner-murdering, priest
ridden Mexicans.
And while he sympathiZes with the de-
scendants of Montezuma for their unfortc-
nate education and training in bull-ighting
and priestcraft introduced by their Spanish
conquerors, which no doubt give taste for
shedding human blood, and have produced
their unchristian habit of numbering their
prisoners their citizens and soldiers, and
even their generals and emperors, he
can but rejoice in the great gain to
the cause of civilization and human pro-
gress accomplished by the heroes of Texas,
whose honored names and chivalrous deeds
will be fondly cherished and gratefully re-
membered by Texas so long as the cities
and counties of Austin, Houston, Rusk,
Travis, Lamar, Bowie, Milan, Crockett,
Fannin, Burleson, Wharton, Sherman,
Smith, Karnes, Maverick Zavala, Seguin,
Mckinney, Waller, Erath and Dimmit shall
exist:
In the language of the poet
Some when they die die all; their mould'ring clay
Is but an emblem OF their memories;
The space quite closes up through which they passed
But these have lived and leave mark behind,
To pluck the shining age from vulgar time
And give it whole to late pcsterity.