The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-09
TEXAS'S OWN FOURTH
MARCH 2 A LEGAL HOLIDAY IN LONE
STAR STATE.
Separation From Mexico Went Form ally
Into Effect on That Day-strone Doc
ument Drawn Up As . Declaration OF
Independence

Few Americans are aware that in
one of the greatest states of the Union
the second day of March is a legal
holiday. Some would be mystified if
told. furthermore, that this is the date
of the Declaration of Independence of
one part Of the American nation. Such,
however, are the facts. The state is
Texas. What the Fourth of July is in
the history of the thirteen original
colonies, the second of March is in the
history OF Texas
The opening of the year 1886 found
Texas i'll quite an anomalous condl-
ton. She was engaged in active fight
ing against Mexico, and yet seemed to
have no other idea than that of re-
naming a portion ca Mexico. In No
| Tember OF the precAeing year gather
| ing known as the ge-s:al consultation
| had been held at Sa,. elipe. The name
| consultation was ap1.Ied TO this he
| cause the MeXicanS were prejudiced
| against conventions" This one fact
shows how anxious the Texans were
| to retain the favor of Mexico. Provi-
| sion was made for another council. to
meet the 1st of March of the next year.
|
! fifty eight were chosen as delegates to
that gathering.
These assembled March / in the pic
| turesque old town of Washington. on
| the Brazos. The next day they unan-
imously adopted a declaration of in
| dependence. 1t was written by George
c. Childress, and is considered a strong
document. The opening lines are as
| follows:
When a Government has ceased to
| protect the lives, liberty and property
of the people, from whom its legiti-
| mate powers are derived
1t then proceeds to state concisely
| and vigorously sixteen separate points
in which the government of Mexico
had failed in its duty to Texas. 1t then
| states that these and other griev-
ances were patiently borne until they
| reached the point at which forbear-
! ance ceased 10 be virtue 1t declares
that the Texans then took up arms in
defense of the national Constitution
| that is. the Constitution of Mexico
but that now the necessity of self
| preservation DEGREES an eternal pOliti-
cal separation" 1t closes by commit
| ting the issue to the decision of the
| Supreme ATbiter of the destinies OF
nations
The first name signed is that OF
Richard Ellis. the president of the
gathering. Then follow the names OF
| ffty-one Others who were present
Sam Houston was one of these. Last
| come the names of six others who
were elected delegates, but We're no,
~
the ffty-elght names are now perpetu'
ated as the names of counties on the
map OF Texas.
After all. however one can not helI
feeling that this declaration of indie.
pendence was largely a matter of form
Practically speaking the connection
with the mother country had already
been severed There had been some
months of actual fighting. The battle:
of Conception, Goliad and GonZale!
had already been fought. San Antonio
had already been captured by thu
Texans and recaptured by the Mex
cans. At the very time the convention
was in session Travis, Bowie, Crockett
and their brave followers were maxim:
their last heroic stand at the Alamo
On Sunday, March 6. the last lette
written by Travis was received. Whel
the president read the message on
member sprang to his feet and moved
thct the members of the convention
arm themselves and march immediate
ly to the Alamo to relieve Travis
Sam Houston opposed this. He claimed
that the first duty of the convention
was to establish a government and :
| 10
troops himself and march to the relief
This he did. but all too late. On thu
night of the very day when they wer'
discussing it-Sunday, March S, 1886
the final attack was made. All tn
world knows the result. The Alamo
fell, but its glorious fall made foreve
impossible the failure of Texan indie
pendence, SO peacefully declared in tn
quiet town of Washington only few
days before.