Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-04-24
TEXAS'S OWN FOURTH
@r=E'-E ~
MARCH 2 AEGA H6uDAxlIN LONE

Hs A
Gsspara.,o. rtS1h ANfaiSss w..s Form wv
In,o Eject on That Day--strong Doc
ument Drawn Up As n Declaration Of
Independence.
uTrICS ,AL4}D Tku ,
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 mystifed II
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 JulyNis in
the history of the thirteen, original
colonies, the second of March Is in the
history Of Texas. a@'t @! A5~I@
. uTheiopenin of the year 1885 found
Texas i'm quite an Anomalous eondi-
ton, She was engaged in active fight
ing against Mexico and yet seemed to
have a % other idea, than that of re-
naming a portion Of Mexico. InS NoA
vember OF the preceding year a gather
ing known as the general constellation
had been held at San Felipe. The name
consultation was applied To- this be-
cause the Mexicans ] were fprejpdiced
against convention" 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 list or March OF the next year.
On Feb. / an election was held, and
fifty=eight were chosen as delegates to
that Igathering.l5I -t-Ge@Jl LaIl1i& =.
These. assembled March lin the pic
tpresque old town of WashingtonS on
the Brazos. The next day they unan-
imously adopted a declaration, OF :in~
dependence. 1t was, written by George
C: Chttdress, and is considered a strong
document. The opening lines are as
fo9ows.:tw 7isty u Tnf Ihl"L@'A
When a Government has ceased &
protect the HTesg liberty and -properS
lQf! the peoplea from whom its legiti-
mate powers are deriyed~=-EIiLI
1t then proceeds to state eoncisely
and vigorously sixteen, separate points
in, which the government of Mexico
had failed Id its duty to Texas. It then
states that hthese and other griev-
ances were patiently borne until thaS
reached .the cpointtat which forbear-
ance ceased to be a virtue. ~ Itldsclares
that the Texans then took up arms, N
defense of the national &c onstitdtion9
that is, the Constitution, of Mexicb-
but that now the necessity of self
preservation DEGREES an eternal politi-
cal separation" It closes by commit
ting the issue to the decision OF the
Supreme Arbiter OF the destinies or
nations" ,tar% .t,r.t .av ~ .l.-.lapGe
The first name, signed Is that OF
Richard Ellis, the president of, the
gathering. Then follow the names of
hftylons others Who were present.
Sam Houston was one OF. these. Last
come the names or six others who
were elected Delegates, but were not
present, and signed later. Nearly all of
the ffty-eight"n names are now perpetu=
ated as the names OF counties on the.
HtapIof Texas. 1% %
After all. however, one can not help
feeling that this declaration of indie
Dendence was largely a matter of form.
Practically speaking the connection
with the mother county had F~aIseady|
been severed. There had seen ~sofre
months Of actual fighting. The battles
of Conception, Goliad and Gonzales
had already been fought. San Antphip
had alfeadygBs tsaptated by the
Texans and recaptured by the Mexi-
cam At the very time the convention
was In session Travis, Bowie, Crockett
and fhei brave followers were makfnE
their last heroic stand at the Alamo.
Oni Sunday, March 6, the last letter
written, by Travis was received. When
the presidents read The message one
member sprang to his feet and moved
that the members OF the convention
arm themselves and march immediate
ly to the Alamo to relieve TsaFis.
sam HOUSTON opposed TINS. re larmed
that the first duty of the convention
was to establish . government and a
constitution. He offered to collect
troops himself and march to the relief.
This he did, but all too late. On the
night Of the very day when they were
discussing it-Sunday, March g., 1885,
the fnaf attack was made. All tbe
world knows the result. The Alamo
fell, but its glorious fall made forever
impossible the failure of Texan indie
p~endence, 80 peacefully declared in the
quiet town of washington only a few
days before. IL pCad b 9.t= Ga5Ts.
,TJUT ia IA
The Rubbish Got In.
The last time Rudyard Kipling was