The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-28

characters. Navarro and Seguin wer,
equal to the task, and when employed
performed this duty; but just when it wa
completed Santa Anna came to storm tn,
Alamo, and the grant was again lost, neve
to be again found.
For nearly hundred years the youth
and meidens of San Antonio were educst
ed, and passed from youth to oldage, Will
buffalo and antelope grazed within soun(
of the mission bells. Educated they wer,
indeed, but cut off from the outer worl(
they lived in city that was ruralizing il
the wilderness.
AUsTIN's ARRIVAL IN TEXAS.
Such was San Antonio when Stephen F
! Austin presented himself to the politica
chief Martinez on the 10th of August, 1921
He was promptly recognized as the repre-
sentative of ahis father, and at once ex
plored the country between the lower Col
orado and Brazos rivers. Thence return
ing to New Orleans, he came with the frs
permanent emigrants to the banks of thu
Brazos in January, 1922.
Thus Stephen F. Austin established thu
first permanent colony of American white
men in Texas. His contract required thai
each co!onist should bring with him a Ger
tlfcste of good moral character and that
he should be believer in the Christian
religion. Sir, knew many of them, and
the sturdy virtue of those first pioneers
was not excelled by like number of men
in any land. I have yet to learn that any
of Austin's first 300 was ever convicted OF
even indicted for felony.
VISITS MEXICO.
And now the revolution of Iturbide
compelled Austin to visit the City OF
Mexico to secure from the new govern
ment recognition of his empressario en-
terprise. He started on his journey of
1900 miles overland, travelling sometimes
| Oh horseback, sometimes on foot, beyond
Queretero disguised as a beggar to avoid
being plundered by bandits, and at last in
April, 1922, he arrived at the Mexican
capital For twelve months he watched The
shifting scenes of the bloody drama which
then oonvuIsed Mexico. There he met
Iturbide, Santa Anna and the rival mill
tary and civil chiefs Of the period, and
won the esteem and confidence OF all;
there he witnessed the coronation of Itur-
bide as emperor on the 10Th of August, in
1922, and he witnessed also his abdication.
There he penned the original draft of the
Mexican constitution of 1924, as his pri-
vate journals attest, which is now in the
possession of his executors, and which was
adopted more than year after his de-
parture, with but few changes.
RETURNS WITH UNUSUAL POWERS.
Returning by way of Saltillo in 1928, he
obtained from the legislative assembly of
Nueva Leon and Coahuila full confrma-
ton of his contract, and was invested
with plenary power over his colonial set
Element in Texas. He was made lieu
tenant-colonel by De la CARA, the militia
commandant, with power to make peace
or war with the Indians; to establish courts
and provide for the administration of JUS
tice. Never before on this continent was
any one man invested with such extraor-
binary powers by any government to
whose manners and customs he was an
alien.
The colonists were without law; Austin
prepared and promulgated for their gov
eminent civil ard criminal laws. They
were without judges; Austin established
courts for them and appointed judges,
who adjudicated their rights. He also
established military laws for the defense
of his colony. Thus Austin was the first
American lawQiver for Texas.
The rude pioneers who followed him to
the wilderness bowed without questioning
the authority of their chief, and 80 wisely
did he govern that in all his colony no
man grew impatient under his authority,
N no of
FROM 1928 TO 1927.
From 1928 to 1927 his empires sario con-
tracts were enlarged, under which he col
onized more than Thousand families.
This was the happiest period of this mans
life.
The emigrants who for months in 1922
had subsisted On mustangs and venison,
without bread, salt or coffee, now
looked on fruitful fields and plenty
everywhere. In their midst was
their capital, San Felipe de
Austin, where thier titles were obtaine
and which, like your capital of to-day,
was named for the father of Texas. If
mans dignity should be in proportion to
bis usefulness, no man who ever trod
Texas soil can rank Stephen F. Austin,
Ior tne Sdllenb pOlnb5 III MS career, winch
unwritten history will reveal, cannot
eclipse the merit of that patient toll and
high intelligence which organized print
tive government and prepared and Sc
cured the supremacy of just laws.
AUSTIN AvERTs wAR IN 1927 AND 1882.
A time of trial and danger was approach
ing. The colonies were growing stronger
and turbulent spirits in eastern Texas
precipitated the FREEDMAN war of 1927,
which threatened the destruction of the
colonies. Austin, through his influence
with SancidO, the Mexican commadant,
restored peace and averted the armed in
reference of Mexico. Thus he who had
established the first American settlements
was the first and Only man whose infu-
ence could save them from destruction.
Again in 1882 the flames of war burst
forth against the tyranny of Bustamente
and eliminated in the affairs of Anahusc
and Velasco. And now, when the central
government dispatched General Mexis
with military force to chas-
tise the settlers, who saved them