The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-01

PROVINCE hOfno hlstOfinnB hnlfW tnht th
Anglo American population NJ this TIN
reliable data 10 DO obtained ther,
. IL little doubt but that AlmQnto va
! approximately correct In bis 1g
. nres as TO tho Anglo.Americans
The American colonlsts being "stranger
T In a strange land, " as II were, aid the mem
/ bcrg Of each colony living IN, what consid
cred In those days, but q short distance O
: each other, were all acquainted, you may
say-more so, In fact, than the people o
d. many n~eighborhoods in these times O
denser population, and they were belIel
|, able 10 give exact information OF their mum
bers than the MeXicans were of theirs.
THIRD ERA.
-Q.-What was the condition OF Affairs
and the signs Of the times at this juncturei
L A.-They began to be ominous. The
time the colonists had been exempted from
chequer was at low tide, the officials began
to resort to all sorts Of expedients for rails,
ing money. Even cockpits and bull-fights
were taxed, and every available resource
was called upon for the yield of revenue
The colonists had been so long exempt from
taxation that it was with exceeding bad
grace that they complied with the tax
eatherer's demands when he came around.
Another thing that made 1t more irritable
to have to pay was the presence of squads
of Mexican cavalry with every tax collector
to enforce his demands. This had too
much the Dir of tyranny and oppression to
the liberty loving. Americans, and it rank.
led in their bosoms that they should be in
suited and menaced when there was no ne
cessity forit.
o.-Was there any other disturbing cause
ut work?
There was; and q cause too
that effected the material interests Of the
colonists in no slight degree. The bulk of
them were from he southern
states and bad been raised glpto believe in
the institution OF slavery and very many Of
them had property Of this kind and it Was
threatened by tile Mexican government.
The constitution of Coahuila and Texas of
1927 had abolished slavery in the state but
it had been modified in its application
to- Austin's colony, so az to per-
nit the introduction of slaves
as peons. In 1929 Guerrers abolished
slavery, and i'll 1850 President Bustamente
prohibited the further introduction OF
slaves. The colonists, however, held on to
their negroes and continued to introduce
them, but they knew such property was in
constant danger of being taken from them,
and the convention of 1888 passed
a resolution d%enouncing the slave trade,
hcnsive and irritable. The efforts of the
Freedonians had made the Mexican gov
| eminent suspicious of the Americans aud
although it-had implicit confidence in AVS
tin himself, it was doubtful of many of the
leading men of his colony. These causes
produced a barrier to full confidence and
harmony between the two peoples and each
seemed TO be watching the other all the
time.
O,-What other reasons existed for Great
ing distrust in the minds Of the .MexicansH
AIN 1925 President John Quincy
Adams had instructed Mr.. Clay, secretary
of Texas by Mexico to tho United States,
and this failing, the offer was made in 1927,
of $1,000 600 for Texas with
the Rio Grande as the boundary
line, or $500, 900 with the
Colorado river as the boundary ine, and
this was also rejected. When General
secretary Of state, again offered to purchase
Texas, offering $4,000 600, the dividing
ridge between the Nueces and Rio Grande
rivers to be the boundary, and prOportionatp
sums for the territory east of the Lavaca,
or the Colorado or the BRACES rivers, but
none of these propositions were entertained
ct all. They, however, made the Mexican
government suspicious of the American
colonists in Texas, and they were well calcu-
lated to do so.
Q.-To whom can be ascribed the initia- |
tory steps which led to the Texas ~revolu-
tionf
A.-To President Bustamsnte. Tie issued
a decree in 1880 prohibiting the further
emigration of Americans into Texas. He
then ordered that Mexican convicts should
be transported to Texas, thus making it a
penal colony. He established custom housss
at the principal coast towns, distributing sol
diery throughout the colony and supported
them on the custoas dues and the taxes on
colonists. He put in command of his sol
liarN, T.r.n DiaIrns RraAhnrn Enan mud
Ugartechea, all of them except Bean, men
of turbulent and violent natures and
cordial haters of the Americans. Bradburn |
was the most hostile and aggressive Of these |
commanders, and hesitated at no outrage |
upon the people. He was the
power. He declared martial law, arrested
and imprisoned officials on mere p%retexts,
property from the people at will and
protected his vagsbond troops in whatever
and outrages they saw proper to
He abolished municipalities and
new ones, but was not successful in
his appointees to fill the offices they
as they fled to Austin's colony, which
was outside of Bradburn's district. The
municipality he erected was at Anahuac
which was inaccessible by vessels, except Of,
very light draught, and this was a hardship
the people on the Brazos, ~ they
did a large business by water.
Q.-What Gid the people do2
A.--They held an Indignation meeting at
aud sent DIR. Branch T. Archer and
b.. McKinstry to wait on Brs6burL
demRud the abrogation OF the order.
Brsjbuyp wanted time to consult General
Teran. then IN Tsmpico, bur tbs committee
being bold, determined men, would consent
10 no delay and Bradburn yislded to their
demands. He then declared tho negroes
free and offered refuge 10 all who would {
seek it in his fort, and quite a number fled
10 him. He then sent = guard and arrested {
@. Jack, William b. Travis and {
Edwards, and although he could
specify no charges against them, he threat
sned to send them 10 Vera Cruz for trial.
Q.-What was the result Of these tyran- I
meal acts OF Bradburn1 q
A.-Ths greatest indignation prevailed a
among the colonists and they started a
numbers towards Anahuac. They 5
a military company with $
Frank w. johnson (still livin }; in conf {
nand, and Warren ID. @. Hall as second 0
)iicer. This was in June, 1882. A deputa. b
Of citizens was sent 20 Bradburn to de- 7
nand the release OF the prisoners, but he r
TO comply. The military company !
hen determined TO attack tho fort. but v
Colonel Sanverin, a Mexican colonel, ofjuEt {
md conscientious views. TO prevent q a
offered 10 act rs mediator, and a
allied on Bradburn, who, At his solicitation D
greed 70 release the seventeen prisoners 4
le had in the morning u the colonists n
Vould release Toe nineteen .! Lis soldiers b
hey had csptured thst evening. The 4
,olonists complied aud released the nine a
cen soldiers, but Braoburn next morning 9
e be had heard that Piedras was j
uproaching from Mexico, refused TO turn q
n prisoners loose, and the colOnists began u
,rerarations to torn the fort, sending on q
o Brazoria for q cannon. .
News came. pending The attack on j
be fOff that Santa Anna had pronounced d
.aiust Bustamsnie and declared In favOr b
Z The constitution oil8-A a.
Q-What then trnnspircdl Of
G-on the night Of the I5,h Of June a e