Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-26
RECORD Of EARLY
HISTORY IS FOUND
Data Extending Back to Six
teenth Century Is Discovered
in San Antonio Archives
tSpecial to The HeraIdl

SAN ANTONIO. Texas, Dec. 25.-
The discovery by a newly elected
county clerk at Bay City, Texas. of an
cient and historically important docu-
ments has brought attention to the
fact that in the county and city ar
chiVes of San Antonio and in the pos
session of the Catholic church here are
yellowish papers written by the Fran
ciscan monks, records of the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, that to the
historian would be priceless boon.
At Bay City the new county clerk in
assuming his office and straightenlng
up old papers so new book racks could
be installed the other day came across
the certified returns of the election IN
Texas for and against secession from
the Union, a muster roll of companies
that Joined the Confederate army, an
inventory of the Matagorda county
property of Stephen +. Austin, the
great colonizer of Texas, and also
case of papers a hundred and hty
years earlier than these and concern
ing affairs of the earliest days of Texas
1t is evident they contain matter or
intense historical interest, but no
county clerk, within the memory OF the
oldest official, has ever had the hardi-
hood to disturb or investigate these OLD
papers. 1t is possible that the election
returns on the vote for secession VIII
be turned over to the State Historical
society.
RECALLS EARLY HISTORY
The date brings back the days when
Sam Houston as governor OF IeXas op-
posed secession and was deposed. From
the beginning of Houston's admlnlstrd-
tion the whole United States was eX-
election.
Most of the southerners felt that the
election of Lincoln would be followed
by civil war. Gov Houston did all he
could to prevent Texas from leaving
the Union, but the majority of the peo-
pie favored secession and had no
sympathy with the governors views
He WAS importuned to call conNen-
ton, but as he was not Wiling, SeNeral
leaders of the secession movement IS
sued the call, Whereupon Houston
called an extra session of the leglslat-
ure to meet Jan. II, 1861, to consider
what should be done. Excitement was
at such pitch, however, that the pe"-
ple would not wait. On Jan. they
selected delegates to a state convention
which assembled in Austin Jan. %, lool'
and was Immediately recognized by the
legislature in special session as repre-
senting the will of the people. BY a
vote of 166 ayes to seven nays Texas
withdrew from the Union, an action
that when submitted to the people was
ratified by an overwhelming majority,
Texas by the decision of the conven-
ton Joined the Confederate states OF
America. and all officers were required
to take the oath of allegiance to lne
new government. This was willingly
done by all but Gen. Houston, Secre-
tary of State Cade and Adjt, Gen. Mar
tin. Their offices were declared vacant
HOUSTON REFUSES TO QUIT
In spite of the protests of Governor
Houston. who refused to retire on the
ground that neither the legislature nor
convention had the right thus to de-
prive him of office granted by the citi-
ems. Lieutenant Governor Clark was
sworn in as governor. June Governor
Clark issued a proclamation declaring
that war actually existed, officers be-
gan to enroll volunteers and by No
Vember there We're more than $1,000
Texans in the Confederate service.
The Bay City documents throw
much light on this stage of Texas his
tory. Bay City, with San Antonio, was
one of the old centers of population
playing an important part in the
drama of the settlement of Texas. Not
only would the historian find much new
material, but the writer of romance,
out of these yellowed papers, could
weave many a story of herosm, hard
ship and love. The Franciscan Friars,
when they built up the missions extend
ing from the Rio Grande to the Sabine.
kept complete records of their work
in civilizing and Christianizing the va
rious tribes of Indians, and many of
these records, with other papers re-
lating to Spain's activity in settling the
province of Texas, are now in possess
sion OF the Catholic church. Were they
translated from the Latin they would