El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-01
Tomorrow The Anniversary
Of Her Indepen-
dence
AST0RY OF HER TRIALS
In Subduing The WarIike
Spirit That Marked Her
Early Years And Attain
ing Statehood

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the
declaration of independence of Texas
and legal holiday throughout the
state. In Ell Paso the banks will close
in observance of the day so mem morable
in Texas history.
The declaration of independence Of
Texas was made at q conven tion be Id
| at Washington. q small town in the
state, ON March LIST, 1926. The grie-
vances which led to this action were
many and dated back to the first es-
tablishment of American colonies in
Texas by Stephen Austin.
Mexico was an alien race and rec civ
ed but little sympathy from the Ameri-
cans. 1t was not the Mexico of today,
q peaceful, well-governed, orderly
country with life, property and civil
rights of all protected. 1t was then
rent and torn by constant revolutions
and disturbances. No government
could preserve peace throughout it's
immense territory and one revolution
succeeded another. Presidents were
seated by the military one day only to
be overthrow the next, and mean
while there was no security for life and
property, especially of foreigners.
In 1924 by an act of the Mexican con-
gress Texas was joined to the sta te of
Coahuila temporarily for all purposes
ofgovernment. This proved q frui tful
source of trouble. The Americans
were in the ascendancy in Texas while
in Coahuila the Mexicsns predomi-
mated. While Texas desired peace and
quiet, Coahuila was convulsed with
revolutions and the friction increased
every year. Armed collisions followed
and charges of bad faith were made by
each of the parties. The military
chieftains who rapidly succeeded each
other in power paid little attent ion to
the rights and just grievances of the
Texans, and war followed in 1885.
At first independence was not de-
clared, the Texans like their Amer
lean ance stors of the revolution claim
ing to be fighting only for the rights
guaranteed them by the Mexican C on
stitution of 1924. They however or
ganlzed an army, set up Q provi sion al
government and sent com ission ers to
get aid from the U nit I'D States.
Victory rested win the Texans from
the start and Independence soon fol.
lowed. On Mach 1st q convention
was held at Washington to draft
declaration of indep endence and draft
constitution. Richard ELI 8, of Red
River. was president and h. 8.
Kimble, secretary. The great major
ity OF the participate were Americans
by birth or descent but there were a
few native Mexicans among them.
On the second day OF she conven tion
the declaration of the independe nee of
Texas was unanim ously adopted. On
the Is cOnstituu oo was adopt d.
David G. Burnett wa chosen president
and Lorenzo de ZsvaIla, one of the
native Mexicans who joined in the
movement for inde oenience, vice.
president, and Gen, s IN Houston COM
mander-in-chief of the army. The
events that followed, the
siege of the Alamo, the
victory OF San Jacinto, III . annexation
to the United STATES aud the ensuing
war are familiar subject to ell Tex
ans.
The day is celebrated throughout
the length aud breadth of Texas. The
public schools of Ell Paso will be given
q holiday tomorrow and brief exercises
q Sfrh anfo ~