The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-28
THE TEXAS REVOLUTION.


EXTRACT FROM THE ADDRESS OF HON. JOHN u.
REAGAN BEFORE THE TEXAS VETERANS ASSEM-
BLKD IN ANNUAL REUNION AT PALESTINE,
APRIL u, 1881.
[feported expressly for the SrNrEsNAN.l
Eorty-five years ago to-day the
battle of San Jacint0 was fought.
We meet to celebrate the victory
then won, and TO contemplate some
of its results. Before doing so we
may with profit recur to some por-
tiOns of our history which preceded
that event. The first American
cOlonists were introduced into
Texas in the year 1921, though there
were few Americans then here, by
Stephen F. Austin, who became IL
lustrious in our annals by his SER
wees, his sufierings, his wisdom, his
patience, his perseverance and pat
riotic devotion to the welfare of
Texas. He did much, perhpps more
than any other man, to plant firmly
on Texas soil our Anglo-Saxon civ
iliZation and religion, free institu-
tions and love of liberty and consti-
tutional government. L can not now
undertake to recount to you, what
you all so well know, the privatlons,
dangers and sufferings encountered
and overcome by the early pioneers
introduced into Texas by Austin,
Leftwich, Dewitt, Milan, Burnett,
Nehlain and other Empressarios, be-
tween the coming in of Austin's first
cOlonists and the time of the revo-
luton of 1856.
Some of the temptations to Ameri-
can enterprise and energy, for the
settlement of this country, may be
seen from the following extracts.
The first is from Mr.. Jefferson, the
profOundest political philosopher of
his age, and the great father of
American Democracy, in letter to
President Monroe, written on the
14th of May, 1920, deprecating the
proposed exchange Of Texas for
Florida. He says:
"To us the Province of Texas will
become the richest state in our
Union, without any exception. Its
southern part will make more sugar
than we can consume, and the Red
River, on its north, is the most luxu-
RANT country on earth"
The next is from Mr.. Clay, the
great American commoner, in a
speech he made in the House of Rep
resentatiYes, on the Sd of April,
1920, in opposition to the exchange
of Texas for Florida. Speaking of
Texas he says:
ats superficial extent is three or
four times that of Florida. The cli-
mate is delicious, the soil fertile,
- the productions of which it is
capable are suitable to our wants"
Further on he says:
at is quite evident that it is in the
order of providence. that it is an in
evitable result of the principles of
population, that the whole of this
continent, including Texas, is to be
peopled in course Of time. The ques-
ton ls, bywhose race shall ID be peo-
pied? In our hands it will be peo-
pied by freemen and the sons of
freemen, carrying with them our
languages, our laws. our liberties !;
establishing in the prairies of Texas
temples dedicated to the simple and
deyOut worship of God, incident to
our religion, and temples dedicated
to that freedom which we adore next
to Him. In the hands of others it
may become the habitation of des-
potism and slaves, subject to the vile
dominion of the inquisition and of
superstition"
The temptations to American citi-
zens to occupy lands so rich, in a
climate so'salubrious and healthful,
with products of the soil so varied
and SO valuable, and where the land
i'll large bodies could be obtained SO
cheaply, were very great. And
many of them came. But, with all
these advantages, there were most
serious disadvantages to overcome.
The country, so far as it had govern
ment, was most wretchedly govern
ed, by a people of a different race,
with a different language, with a
different mode of religious worship,
aud different system of laws from
those to which the emigrants had
been accustomed.
In order that we may see and be
enabled to comprehend some of the
causes which led to discomfort and
ultimately to war and revolution
among them, l will quote extracts
from some important papers, show
ing the political condition of the
country, the instability of the gov
ernment, the insecurity of life and
property, the oppression to which
the people were subjected, and the
absence of civil liberty and its bless
ings. The first is an extract from a
description of the province of Goa
huilla, the new kingdom of Leon
(now Nueva Leon), New San Saliva
dor (now. TGmaulipas), and Texas,
in 1916, as collected from the memo
rial of Don M. b. Arispe, translated
from the Spanish. Among other
things he says: .4-
THE government of these prov
inces consists of a mixture of civil
and military power, wretchedly
managed. A commandant general,
independent of the Viceroy of Mex
leo, has the direction of military
matters in the two provinces of Co
ahilla and Texas. Under him are
two governors, who have cognizance
of all causes. But the police is reg
ulated by the commandant general,
financial matters by the intendant
at San Louis Potosi. Appeals in
civil causes are to. the royal audi
ence at New Galacia, 600 leagues
from the commandant's residence.
fNew Leon and New Santander
(Tamaulipas) have each military,
and civil governor, possessing abso-
lutte power, except that they are
controllable in matters of war and
police by the Viceroy of Mexico,
two hundred, and in some instances
three hundred leagues distant and |
in matters of finance to the intend
ant at San Louis Potosi, with appeal !
the supreme council of Mexico.
"Those uncomfortable governors
for practically they are so-are pro-
NOTED from the rank of captain, or |
major, or colonel at most, and Of |
course are scandalously ignorant of
law, and OF civil matters generally;l
for in that country they begin their
military education in their boyhood
and neglect all other kinds of learn
ing. Their commissions can only
be obtained by intrigue, bribery and
vile humiliation and when pro-
cured, their salaries are not half ad-
equate to their support. They,
themselves, therefore, on entering /
into the duties of their posts, are
to adopt the usual system
of corruption or abandon the com
for which probably all their
wealth has been expended. They
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