Evening star., 1909-06-27

doubt Santa Anna knew that what Texas
really wanted was American rule, not
Mexican rule. Independence, not depend
ence. Into Texas there was coming d
constantly increasing number Of colonists
agricultural developers-from the United
States. And into Texas there also Were
coming all sorts of adventurers, many of
them fuaitives from justice. who Were
safe in Texas. but not within the bor-
ders of the United States.
Santa Anna was vain, tyrannicai, brutal
and unjast. The Texans were rebellious.
insistent and determined. Armed clashes
between Mexicans and Texans were fre-
qucnt. Mexico needed strong hand and
a wise head to guide it in those days 1t
had neither. Santa Anna, after sup
pressing some outbreaks in Zacatecas,
turned his attention to Coahuila and
Texas, FOR Coahuila, too, was dissatisfied
Meanwhile Texas required nothing so
much as leader To Houston. sinking
his sorrows in the Cherokee country,
there came an invitation to go to Texas.
He went III December, 1872, Travelled from
NacogdncHeS to San Antonio and when
he returned to NacsgdCches he wrote a
long letter TO Andrew Jackson. At Nacog-
doches he was told he was wanted to
lead the revolutionary movement, and he
was elected delegate to a convention
to be held in April. 1888. That conven-
ton formally demanded separation from
Coahuila Santa Annals response was to
cast the delegate who bore the dispatch.
Col. Austin, into prison. And then, when
Lorenzo de Laraia, a fiery republican.
Mexican ambassador to France, resigned
his post as q protest against Santa
Annals violation of the Constitution of
1924 and fled to Texas and Texas refused
to surrender him. Santa Anna issued
decree that all Texans must disarm. To
carry out his order Santa Anna sent his
brother-in-law, Gen. Cos, to San Antonio
with force of 100 men, many of them
conVicts.
November 3, 1885 Texas. in a conven-
tion at San Felipe de Austin, appointed
Houston commander-in-chief of Tits mill
tary forces and Henry Smith was ap-
pointed president pro tenn. December ..
Independent of authority from the pro-
visional government, Ben Niam, with
small force OF Texans began an attack
on Cos at San Antonio, and December
II Cos surrendered, pledging himself
never to bear arms against Texas again.
That much accomplished, nearly every
one in Texas. except Houston, thought
the war" was over He was the one
man who saw the future clearly. Most
of the men under arms in Texas We're
members of independent bands. Many
OF them disbanded. going to their homes
venturers, under a DR. Grant started on
a wild expedition to capture Matamoras.
only to be captured and slaughtered.
Santa Anna. with an army of 5000 men.
was en- route for Texas, and February
90, 1886, he arrived at San Antonio. There
was a little garrison there commanded
by Col. Travis, gallant South Caro-
linian. Houston had ordered him to re-
tire and also had ordered Col. Fannin.
in command at Goiiad, fifty miles from
San Antonio to join him at Gonzales,
but Travis and Fannin disobeyed orders.
With Travis were James Bowie and Davy
Crockett. The garrison at San Antonio
took refuge III the Alamo. and there it
gave battle to the Napoleon of the
west" In all the worlds history there
is nothing to surpass the heroic defense
of the Alamo. From February 23 to
March 6 the little band of about 1J4 men
held Santa Anna and his army in check.
Then the survivors of the decimated
force surrendered and every one of them
was butchered
In the capitol grounds at Austin there