The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05


ton OF Texas was begun by stephen
Austin. who conducted tho first party ~
! settlers to the Lower Brazos in December
| 1921 They went by the overland routs
from New Orleans. Some provisions Of tb.
land grant obtained from the Mexican Cow
| ernment by Austin are noted In the book
DeIore us. 1t was stipulated, for instance
| that the colonists should furnish evidence
that they were Roman Catholics, or shoud
agree to become such IN ostensible COM
formity to this stipulation the settler.
seem TO have given up their Protestsns
practlces Tor a time, and to have accented
tine ministrations of an Irish priest, who
celebrated marriages. christenings. &c.
After two years of weakness and nerv
the colonies started by Stephen r. Anst,,
took deep root and began to flourish. Mans
new land grants in Texas were obtainsI
by Americans, and so many Immigrant,
flowed in that by 1890 the number ~
white inhabitants was computed at nearly
10000, or about five times as man,
as existed in Texas ten years before IT,,
to the outbreak of the Texan revolution
however. Austin's colony was the prepon.
derant one, and Stephen F. Austin was
the foremost figure among the colonist.
The danger Of permitting Anglo Amer.
cans to settle IN Texas was soon recog.
nized by Mexicans, and In 1890 the Mexican
Congress passed Law forbdding further
colonization by adjacent nations in the bor.
der states Of Mexico. The law. although its
terms We're general affected only Jexss
an'l from its passage can be traced tbs
growth of discomfort which led 10 tho I'm.
rising OF 1885
Mr.. Garrison shows that the Terss
Revolution, like the American Revolution.
passed through two phases; at first il wss
a struggle for the constitutional principles
on which the Mexican Federal Republic
had been organized: and when this failed.
because Of the complete triumph of Santa
Ana in the Mexican States up TO the Rio
Ora nde, it became n struggle for indie.
pendence
The Republic OF Texas was brought int,
existence by a convention that met on
March I, 1885, at the town Of Washington
on the Brazos. Stephen F. Austin was az
the time in the United States, having been
sent thither az a Commissioner, but Sam
Houston was present in the convention az
delegate from Refugio. After drafting
and publishing a declaration Of inde-
pendence, the convention proceeded 10
frame a Constitution. The instruments
devised was in many of it's features copied
from the Constitution of the United States,
but 1t was, of course, adapted to a single
unified republic. Certain provisions OF
the Constitution deserve particular notice.
For instance, the Texans did not follow
the example OF the Anglo-Americans in
Louisiana, and try to accommodate them.
selves to the French and Spanish systems
of law. On the contrary, the Constitution
framed for Texas required Congress to
introduce by statute the common law OF
England. with such notifications as might
seem called for as early as it should be
practicable. The common law was to be
followed in criminal az well as civil cases.
Ministers of the Gospel and priests wers
made ineligible to the Presidency or to
Congress. 1t was declared to be the duty
OF Congress to provide by law, as soon as
circumstances would permit, a general
system OF education. As TO slavery, the
Constitution provided that persons of color
who had been slaves before their emigration
to Texas should remain such. Congress
was forbidden to pass any law to prevent
immigrants from bringing their slaves
with them or to emancipate slaves: nor
was any person to be allowed to free his
slaves, except by consent Of ConeteaA. un-
less he first sent them beyond the limits
Of the republic. Free negroes were not
to be allowed to live In Texas without the
consent of Congress. On the other hand,
the African slave trade or the introduction
of negroes from any country except the
United States was prohibited and declared
piracy. The establishment of slavery III
the Republic Of Texas was to be expected.
because the great majority Of the colonis's
were from slave-holding States, and many
of them had brought their slaves with them.
Mr.. Garrison's Investigations, however.
have convinced him that there is no founda-
ton for the notion that the colonization
Of Texas was deliberately planned by slave
holders in order to expand the slave-holding
area.
The defeat and capture Of Santa Ana
at San Jacinto on April 81, 1888, assured tho
independence of Texas, and the anniver-
sary of the battle was long the special
holiday Of the Texans, but Of late years
they have recognized the claims Of their
Independence day, March 2, and this is
gradually becoming the chief festal dav
in the Texas calendar For some years
after the campaign ending at San Jacinto
there was no exchange Of hostilities be-
tween Texas and Mexico. but in March.
1912, the Mexicans took San Antonio and
Goliad. They made no attempt to hold
those places, however. Reprisals on the
mart Of the Texans followed. In the sum-
mer of ls43, Texas and Mexico were brought.
through the mediation Of England, into an
agreement for a cessation Of hostilities
until Commissioners representing the two
countries should meet and arrange for an
armistice pending negotiations for peace.
The Commissioners met and agreed TO tho
armistice, but the President Of Texas re-
fused to ratify the agreement because
II referred to the new republic as still
part of Mexico. In June, 1874, Santa Anna
sent notice TO the Texas Government thas
hostilities were resumed, but, in pons
Of fact, the activity of Mexico was con-
fined TO massing troops on the Rio Grand"
and making preparation for the war WIN
the United States that seemed TO be mn
pending Mr.. Garrison acknowledged tnS
Texas did not need the assistance OF fns
United States In order to maintain her lnss
dependence She was quite capable OF
self defence. Her independence had been
recounized by the United States in 1881.