The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-01-10


AS a matter of fact, when she came into the
sisterhood of states 80 years ago, she brought
with her much larger territory than that Alto
gether there were 3S9,166 square miles of it. For,
as the map above shows, it comprised all of the
present Lone Star state, the western half of the
present state of Oklahoma, the eastern half of
New Mexico, an irregular but stable chunk of
Wyoming and larger segment of Kansas.
But it is not in the matter of size alone that
Texas is unique. She is the only one of the 48
states who was an Independent republic before
she Joined the sisterhood of states. AS such
she had her own army and navy she sent ENJOYS
to European courts and received ambassadors at
her capital in return.
Six flags have flown over her lands. Spain first
claimed sovereignty, basing her claims to Texas
on the discovery of America by Columbus, the
conquest of Mexico by Cortez, and the explora-
tons by Cabeza de Vaca Coronado and De Soto.
France disputed SPANS claim because in 1884
La Salle searching for the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river, landed the coast of Texas and
planted the French flag there. But La Sale was
assassinated by some of his men and France
never made good her claim
So the flag of Spain waved over Texas until
1921 when the Mexcans gained their independ-
ence from the Spanards and for the next few
years Texas was part of the republic of
Mexico.
The year before Mexico threw off the yoke of
Spain Stephen F. Austin the Father of Texas"
left Missouri with colony and settled in Texas
Other Americans followed and by 1927 Texas
had a population of 10000. Three years later
it had grown to 10000. Mexico began to be
alarmed at this thrush of settlers. On April g.
1880, the Mexican congress passed law forbid
ding further colonization
But that did not halt the Americans. Soon
there were clashes between the American set
tiers and the Mexican officials BY 1885 there
was a state of open warfare for the Americans
who had become Texans were resolved to be
free from Mexico as the Mexicans had resolved
to be free from Spain. President Santa Anna of
Mexico came to Texas with AIN army of 1000 to
crush the revolt On February %, 1886, he be-
sieged 6San Antonio which was held by 100
Texans commanded by Col William B. Travis.
On March 6 Santa Annals hosts swept over the
walls of the historic mission, the Alamo and
slaughtered it's defenders, thereby making inn
mortal the names of Travis, James Bowie and
Davy Crockett, the Tennessee bear-hunter.
In the meantime group of Texas patriots had
gathered at the town Of Washington on the
Brazos river. There on March they adopted
document which began with this statement:
when a government has ceased to protect the
lives, liberty and property of the people from
whom it's legitimate powers are derived, and
for the advancement of whose happiness it was
instituted; and so far from being a guarantee
for their inestimable and inalienable rights, be-
comes an instrument in the hands of evil rulers
for their oppression--when the Federal Republi-
can Constitution of their country, which they
have sworn to support, no longer has substan-
tial existence, and the whole nature of their gov
eminent has been forcibly changed, without their
consent, from restricted feaeratiye republic
composed Of sovereign states, to a consolidated,
central, military despotism, in which every In
terest is dsregarded but that of the army and
priesthood, both of which are the eternal enemies