The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-07-09

see that the finger of the statue bears the
correct relation in size and pose to the
ear or the foot. We can not yet pass
finally upon the symmetry of the works
of Texas authors; that can be done only
after years, perhaps generations, of in
yestigation; as yet we know 80 little of
our history prior TO 1898 that We can not
say how much Importance should be at
tached TO that period We can say, how
ever, that il our historians have hit upon
the proper proportions, 1t has been wholly
an accident, for they, as we, knew nothing
or little of the earlier periods. II would
be safe to guess that hundred years
hence the manuals OF Texas history viii
lay much more emphasis upon the ex
ploration of the Spanish and French, and
upon tho conflict between those two pow
ers for the possession of Texas; certainly
much more Importance Will be given to
the period of American colonization, ana
to that ten years during which Texas fig
ured as one of the independent nations Of
the world.
| have thus far tried to show that our
Texas historieg are in many respects I'M
reliable. that Aleir authors did not make
exhaustive use of even the most access-
BILE sources, and have tried to indicate
some of the lines along which corrections
will probably be made in the future.
repeat. then. that Texas history is an
unworked field.
II is also a field infinitely rich In ma
terlal. AS one follows from point to
point the details OF any topic, however
small, OF Texas history, his surprise
steadily grows that there is such an
abundance of material. No one yet knows
how ineXhaustble are the treasures of
the unexplored mine. The sources in
print alone make quite "A respectable IL
brary and yet no important collection Of
Texas documents has been published
Judge Raines in his admirable "Bibllog
raphy" mentions the titles of hundreds
Of volumes and sets OF volumes. most OF
which are on historical subjects. MI
CANNED offered for sale at one tlai..a col
lection of more than 1000 volumes relating
to Texas. The material in print deals
with nearly every phase Of the subject
from the Spanish explorations TO the most
recent times a very large part Of II deals
with the personal recollections OF the old
settlers, and this, next TO the official doeu-
ments and some Mexican books. Is per-
haps the most valuable part OF the mat
ter in print. To these Mexican books
would call especial attention. Our au-
thors have used them very sparlngly ~
deed, and yet they are rich in matter
which must clear M many a doubtful
point. | mention, for instance, the diary
kept by General Urea during the cam
paign OF 1885, a closely printed volume OF
1875 pages. ] am sure that you VIII agfee
with me in the assertion that study Of
this volume is prerequisite TO writing the
story OF Goliad. Then there Is the volumi-
nous work on the Texas War written
by Santa Annals second In command. Gem
eral Vicente Filisola. the two volumes OF
which. including appendices, contain more
than 1900 pages-more matter than Is to
be found In the whole OF Yoakum or
Brown. F'ilsola's little book OF e pages
In defense of his actions in this campaign
is also Of tho greatest value. as are the
reports OF Santa Anna and the account Of
the war lin 1872 psges) by Santa Anna
secretary, Ramon Caro-. who In this book
betrayed and exposed the president-gen~
eral. Others of equal value might be men
toned, but these are sufficient TO serve
as examples OF the voluminOus treatment
OF Texas history by Mexican authors and
to call attention to the necessity OF study
ing the Mexican accounts.
II Is the imprinted material. however
whose abundance and value strikes one
with surprise, not TO say Amusement. Ia
the vault of the county clerks Office In
San Antonio there has rested, almost un-
disturbed. for moro than half century,