The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-08-08

/ mel Kemper, Colonel Ills L. Bean,
| General Toledo, Colonel Perry and
General Xavier Nina were all leaders
| who were more or less identified with
insurrectionary movements against
Spanish authorities. Guerrilla war
fare, battles, captures and butcheries
almost equaling in atrocity that of
the famous Alamo, marked all these
years up to the treaty of 1919.
! In 1918 the Spanish were defeated
with loss of 1000 killed. In another
engagement nearly $500 Americans
and MeXicans were killed, and 700
\ peacable inhabitants of San Antonio
were murdered in cold blood. In
1917, General Nina was defeated,
captured and shot. The celebrated
pirate Laffite established his head
! quarters on Galveston Island, and was
not dislodged until 1921. In the very
year of the treaty settling the boun-
Diary DR.. James Long, n Tennessean,
organized a revolutionary expedition,
marched into Texas and proclaimed
a provisional government. He sought
leo that series of revolutions which
finally eliminated in her national
independence; and with the advent
of Stephen +. Austin in Texas affairs
came a class of American settlers who
were hOme-seekers and home-makers,
rather than adventures seeking the
phantom of political empire. The
Austins were the men of destiny for
that wild, lawless and blood-stained
region. They builded better than
they knew; they planted the germ
which was destined within a few
years to grow into an American
state.
But the days of her trouble were not
ended. Mexican rule over an Anglo
Saxon population meant only mis-
rule, jealousy, oppression, wrongs I'M
speakable. Texas revolted, and under
the leadership of Gen. Sam Houston
won her independence at the battle of
San Jacinto April 81, 1886.
On July 4th the convention of Texas
met to consider the act of annexation,
ratified the same, and before it adj
jOurned prepared a constitution for
admission as state into the Federal
Union. The annexation was COM
pleted by Joint resolution of Congress
December %, 1915.
But this was not accomplished with (
out violent opposition. The wing
party, then in the zenith Of its power,
saw in this acquisition OF empire only
the expansion of slave territory.
Great Britain and France looked F..
askance at the movement, because /
they We're jealous of our growth, and
they had hoped TO take the young
republic under their own protection. 1
With Mexico it meant war. Her pre- I
text was the old subject of disputed .
bOUndaTy-TeXas claimed to the Rio .
Mexico claimed 10 the .
Nueces. But it would have been war
had there been no dispute about the
boundary. Notwithstanding the op-
position OF the wings to the measure,
they gave their vigorous aid TO the
war, both in congress and in the field.
One OF the great wing leaders, Clay,
lost son at the battle of Buena Vista,
md it is q curious fact, if the annexa-
ion had q political significance, that
-he war with Mexico gave one wing
president 10 the country and another
Thig candidate for the high Office in
he persons OF Taylor and Scott.
TIE CALIFORNIA CONQUEST.
Our next acquisition OF territory
comprised the vast region living west
md northwest of Texas, and stretch
nc thence 10 the Pacific ocean, and it /
vas the natural result of the Mexican
var. The region comprised al OF
What Is now California, Nevada, Utah
md part OF Colorado, Arizona and !
New Mexico. There have been Deople 4
7ho thought il wrong on the part of
he United States to take this terri
0ry from Mexico and keep il.
Tins acquisition rounded out and
ave symmetry 10 our possessions,
nd under the circumstance ii would
ave been little short OF q national /;
in 10 have failed OF its ACCOMPLISH
lenL Our government agreed to [
i've 4leEic0 IS, o00, 900 for this ces- I
ion, and the purchase was douhly
lrtunate for our country, from the (
.et Fba1 within a very short time :
hereafter came The yrOrlC-famoIsS gold )
which added many mir I
oBS to 0uT wealth, and within little Y
.uyp Iilsu three wears from the time
ben California WIS Il revolution
dozen Spanish province gave her 40
SSSinU - s. state On the fIeaern1
mon.