The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-11-27
TFor The Democratic siaiesmsu.I
Texns.

on Texas: It's climate, soil, productions,
trade, commerce and inducements Tor emf
grafton"
What the Colonel says Of Gen. Houston's
letter, and what Henry Clay said Of his OWL
mouth, we say Of this sketch; 1T spealzs
for ITSELF" Read it,
The early history Of Texas, like that OF
Greece, Rome, or the Oriental nations Of
the Old World, Is somewhat enVeloDed in
obscurfty For while distinguished French
writers claim that La Sale took possession OF
the whole country from the Mississippi river
to the Rio Grande in the year 1855. and
made settlements therein for the glory and
renown Of their grand H0narQue Louis XIV.
Spanish historians affirm that De Soto. 81
far back as 1914, took possession Of all the
country lying west, as well as cast Of n,
father Of Waters, in the name of his most
Catholic majority, the King Of Spain.
But as the names given TO all the princi
pal rivers in Texas, suchas Trinidad, Ange
lima, Brazos dc dos Colorado, Neches,
Nueces, Guadalupe, Salado, San Marcos,
FRO, Pecos aud Rio Grande, are Spanish,
we may reasonably conclude that Spain,
rather than France, first settled Texas.
And yet even the name, Texas, is OF
doubtful origin, for while some say that il
was the name of the capital village Of the
Nassonite Indians, others assert that it is
derived from the Spanish word tejer, to
weave, and applied to weaving the. grass
over and around their cottages; and others
that it is from tejas, tiles, coverings, Of
cobwebs.
The latter say that at an early day some
Splniards travelling the Canine del Rev,
between San Antonio and the Hondo,
camped on the Nechcs, and their commander
in the morning beholding many spider
webs between himself and the rising sun,
all spangled with dew drops and glittering
like diamonds, joyfully exclaimed: Mira
tas teiasf"-that is to say 'LSok at the
spider websln
The records of the famous mission of the
Alamo show that it was founded in 1903 by
the order Of st. Francis.
Before that time, in 1891, the Spaniards
had made small settlements on the HOndo,
Neches and Guadalupe, but on account of
Indian hostilities they were abandoned.
Not until 1715 were missions permanently
established and maintained 81 the Alamo
Conception, San Jose and among the Aes
and Nacogdoches Indians, near the present
cities Of San Augustine and Nacogdoches
From civil strife, troubles with the In
dians and other causes the Spanish settle
ments did not flourish, for in 1865 the whole
population of the province of Texas was es-
timated at 1500-one half European, the
other half dOmiciliated Indians; while the
sum total of its exports and imports were
estimated at only ninety thousand dollars
per snnum.
Under Spanish despotism and priestcraft,
immigration from other countries than
Spain was prohibited, and Texas continued
to languish, until in 1921, when Moses Aus
tin, the father of S. F. Austin, was empow-
cred to introduce coionists, who were to re-
ceive $40 acres of land each, provided they
were Roman Catholics, of good character
and habits, and would be faithful subjects
of his Catholic majesty.
Moses Austin died in 1921, but his grant
to found a colony in Texas was confirmed to
his son, S. F. Austin, on the eighteenth of
February, 1928, by Iturbide, Emperor of
Mexico who on the nineteenth of March
thereafter abdicated, and gave way for the
Republic of Mexico, under which Austin's
grant was reconfirmed on the fourteenth of
April following, when he proceeded to To-
cate and settle San Filipe, as the capital of
his colony.
Soon after, Hayden Edwards, Martin de
Leon, Green Dewitt, James Powers, M'AIul-
len and Gloife were also made empresarios, as
the leaders of colonies were called, and au-
thorized to introduce immigrants; and made
settlements at Gonzales, Victoria, Goliad,
Refugio, Liberty and at Nacogdoches.
Besides those introduced by the elnpresG-
rios, many immigrants came on their own
account, and after looking round, exercised
the divine right of Popes, Kings and
American citizens, Sq1tdtter sovereignty, they
pitched their tents in the forest on streams
of running water, built their rude houses,
fenced in rich land, plowed, planted and
although often annoyed by Indians and
thieves-made bountiful crops and happy
homes.
But notwithstanding many thousands i'm
migrated from the United States to Texas,
between 1928 and 1884, the population of
Texas was then estimated by municipalities
at 81, 900.
Nacogdoches contained $500; San Filipe,
$500; San Augustine, $500; San Antonio,
2400; Columbia, BOO; Jonesborough, 1000;
Nina, 1000; Liberty, 1000; Matagorda,
400; Gonzales 900; Goliad, 700; Veto
ria, 800.
In December, 1882, when General Sam
Houston, an ex-member of Congress and ex-
Governor of Tennessee, from his voluntary
SAiiS duAOuS SdfdSeS--Wltu whom
Wrought upon, perplex'd in the extreme;''
he had sought relief-frst came to Texas,
he found but two houses between Jones'
borough and Nacegdoches.
After visiting San Filipe, San Antonio
and Natchitoches, Louisiana, fascinated with
the country, he settled in NacOgdOches,
and in April, 1888, was one of the five dele
gates from that municipality to the Consti-
tutiOnal Convention then held at San Filipe
As an evidence of his mastery genius
which seemed then to foresee the glorious
results of the Texas revolution as it did
later the disastrous end of our late unhappy
civil war, and in order to inform strangers
what Texas then was under Mexican domi-
nation, and the brilliant future awaiting her,
l viii end this chapter with a genuine,
verbatim ct titeratim letter, which speaks for
itself, from the beloved ''Father of Texas, "
TO his lifelong friend, the illustrious hero
Of Chalmette:
NATcHrrocHEs, La, Feb. IS, 1885,
To President Jackson:
Dsar Sir-Having been as far as Bexar,
in the province of Texas, where I had an
interview with the Comanche Indians, am
in possession of some information that will
doubtless be interesting to you, and may be
calculated to forward your views, If you
should entertain any touching the acqui-
sition Of Texas by the United States. That
such measure is desirable by nineteen
twentieths Of the population of the prov
ince, cannot doubt. They are now with
out laws to govern or protect them. Mex
leo is involved in civil war. The Federal
Constitution has never been in operation.
The government is essentially despotic, and
must be so for years to CONF. The rulers
have not honesty, and the people have not
inteliigtHcc.
The people Of Texas are determined to
form State government, and to separate
FROM Coahuila; and, unless Mexico l. soon
restored to order, and the Constitution re-
vivedl and re-enacted, the province Of Teas
viii remain separate from the eonfedsracy
Of Mexico. She has already beaten and ex-
PEELED all the troops Of Mexico from her
rr.f1 -I.. -.