USA > Texas > The history of the republic of Texas, from the discovery of the country to the present time; and the cause of her separation from the republic of Mexico > Part 6
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58
A COLONISATION LAW PASSED.
force to compel the dictator to fly from the presi- dential chair, which Bustamante soon after occu- pied in accordance with the general congress.
Amidst the horrors which in December, 1828, had filled the capital, reports reached Mexico from the heads of departments in Texas, stating that the colonists were constantly committing acts of open rebellion, whilst individual complaints from colonists were also received by the government from Texas, complaining of the depredations of the Indians, and that the country was filled with troops who were also employed in the commis- sion of outrages, while others cried aloud for mili- tary succour. Amidst these conflicting statements the federal government was for a long time at a loss to know what course to pursue. The presence of a military force was obviously called for by the reports of the heads of departments, and to have withdrawn it on the suggestion of the colonists who complained of the depredations of the Indians, would at once have endangered both the lives and property of the settlers; therefore the government, after spending much time in mature consideration as to the best means of removing the evils com- plained of on both sides, passed a colonisation la in 1830, repealing all laws then in existence which prohibited foreigners from settling on the Mexican territory, with the view of increasing the population, so that numbers might protect them against the Indians, and thus render the continu-
4
59
EXPULSION OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
ance of a large military force in Texas useless. But a clause in that law prohibited citizens of foreign countries lying adjacent to the Mexican territory from settling as colonists in the states or territories adjoining such countries, (that is, the United States to the north, and Guatemala and British Honduras to the south,) and suspended contracts, not executed, opposed to the tenor of that prohibition. This law, however, was no sooner passed, than the Anglo-Americans from the southern states (slave-holders) flocked into Texas, which, instead of frightening the Indians, swelled their jealousy to such an extent that they became openly hostile to the settlers; and the influx of slave-holders helped naturally to neu- tralise the power of the Mexican government, by giving confidence to those who had already arrayed themselves against the Mexican government, both in and out of the state legislature of Texas, which was self-constituted, in violation of the colonisa- tion contracts and Mexican laws, until they excited the government, by playing with its constitu- tional prerogative to such a degree that it ex- pelled the state legislature, which was done by force, and the most refractory of its members arrested and committed to prison for high treason against the federal republican government of Mexico.
About this time, (September,) Mexico was again .haken to her centre by revolutionary movements.
60
GUERRERO SHOT AS A TRAITOR.
Guerrero, immediately after he had abdicated the presidency, formed a government in opposition to Bustamante ; he also drew up a new consti- tution, got it sworn to by his followers, and there- fore deemed it binding on the nation. But in February, 1831, Guerrero was taken prisoner, (after much bloodshed,) tried, and shot as a traitor. Thus tranquillity was restored to the capital and in all the Mexican provinces except Texas, where the go- vernment and sovereign congress found it absolutely necessary to continue to exercise the compulsory powers vested in them by the state and federal constitution, in order to re-establish the peace of the province. Accordingly, the state legislature, which had been hastily dissolved by force, was now dis- solved by proclamation, and an ayuntamiento was established at Liberty, a small town on the Trinity river, in eastern Texas; and the settlers who were anxious to see peace restored, succeeded in returning Don Francisco Madero to preside over the ayuntamiento, which was to inquire into the state of the province of Texas and to report to government, so that congress might legislate in a way best suited to meet the emergency of the case.
The ayuntamiento was quickly beset by indivi- duals and petitions, praying to be put in possession of the lands to which they were entitled under the colonisation laws ; and complaining of the gross indolence and frauds practised by the officers ap-
61
JUSTICE TO THE SETTLERS.
pointed by the state of Coahuila and Texas to preside over the land officers.
Madero therefore brought this subject under the consideration of the ayuntamiento, who soon discovered a conspiracy, in which every man con- nected with the land office was concerned, to defraud the government, and to reduce the newly- arrived colonists to beggary, and so to make them the enemies of the government, who had not only made a liberal provision for them, but had also given them a political existence, which was not tainted with the "accursed system of slavery." Yet the conspiracy existed, and the strong arm of justice was necessarily raised against it, and soon put the conspirators to flight. The ayuntamiento having lent itself in some measure to forward the views of the ungrateful agitators, was immediately dis- solved by an order of the military commandant, General Mier y Teran, at Anahuac, where a land office was opened for the purpose of giving the settlers the necessary license to enable them to locate themselves on their lands, as the colonisa- tion law directed, which was promptly done under the eye of the military commandant. These measures gave general satisfaction to those who were really anxious to settle themselves peace- ably on the bounty of the Mexican nation, while it had a direct tendency to destroy the influence of those who had no object in view but to revolution- ise the country.
62
SANTA ANNA ESPOUSES PEDRAZA.
Those who held commissions from the state of Coahuila and Texas lent their assistance to the disaffected ; and none were more conspicuous in this way than Don Francisco Madero, and Jose Maria Carbajal, a surveyor ; both of whom were arrested by General Teran, at Liberty, and sent to Anahuac, where they were imprisoned. Every settler who had arrived in the country during the reign of dis- order was now put in possession of his grant of land, and the well-disposed proceeded accordingly ; but the revolutionists, who received their grants merely as a blind, still kept lurking about the towns of Liberty and Anahuac in idleness.
In June, 1831, the number of these idlers, who were destined to fight against the Mexicans, was found to have increased, imperceptibly, from fifty or sixty, to upwards of two hundred; which was no sooner ascertained by General Teran, than he sent a reinforcement to Colonel Bradburn, the command- ant at Anahuac, with orders to arrest the leaders of these lawless intruders as vagrants, which was ac- cordingly done. Their associates still remained, under various disguises, in the country, waiting for the signal of rebellion, which was soon afterwards given by their countrymen and political scouts, at Vera Cruz, where the standard of confusion was again raised by Santa Anna, who now espoused the cause of Pedraza, whose place as president was unconstitutionally filled by Bustamante.
Santa Anna at this time believed the democratic
63
GENERAL TERAN DESTROYS HIMSELF.
federal constitution of 1824 to be the only form of government suited to work out the salvation of his country ; and he attributed all the evils which had befallen Mexico since its introduction, to the abuse of the executive power by those who were elected to exercise it. Santa Anna, therefore, did not hesi- tate to take up arms in favour of Pedraza, who was one of the victims of misrule. On the 2nd of Janu- ary, 1832, he openly declared in favour of Pe- draza, at Vera Cruz, in opposition to Bustamante ; and called on Coahuila and Texas, with the rest of the states, to support him.
To this call the Anglo-American colonists re- sponded by besieging the different Mexican garri- sons in Texas, and cutting off all communication between them and the commander-in-chief of the provinces. The number of the colonists was in- creased daily by the influx of Anglo-Americans, who entered the country as settlers, though they were regularly enlisted, in the United States, in the mili- tary service of Texas. By the introduction of troops in this way, the revolutionists soon found themselves strong enough to attack the Mexicans ; which they did, and defeated them. Fort Velasco was first besieged and captured; and Nagodoches was subsequently attacked and carried. General Teran, the Mexican commandant, destroyed himself, owing to political feelings, strongly excited ; and the Mexican army having fallen into the greatest disorder, the rebellious colonists fled to their homes,
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64
PROTECTION TO THE COLONISTS.
dreading the severe chastisement they deserved, and which speedily followed, but not from the quarter whence it was expected.
The Indians, who refused to join either party, kept a vigilant eye on their movements, and no sooner detected the absence of the military force, which was sent into the country in the first in- stance to check them, than they fell upon the colonists, whose strength was completely paralyzed by the cholera, then raging with most destructive virulence throughout Texas, from the beginning of the summer to the close of the winter of 1832. At this distressing epoch, the peaceably-disposed colo- nists, who were styled the "peace party," appeared before the Mexican congress, with a petition setting forth the true state of Texas, and praying the government to defend them from the Indians, and to take such steps as would also protect their lives and property from the lawless intruders and strangers who were scattered over the whole face of the country.
Bustamante having in December abandoned the presidency to Pedraza, the latter received the petition with the most generous courtesy, and at once granted the protection sought for by the colo- nists at the hands of the government; but the introduction of troops into Texas, which had been called for, tended to inflame the revolutionary spirit that had crept into the country, and had remained passive only until the leaders of the war party found
65
PETITION OF THE GENERAL CONVENTION.
that the military force was not sent to punish the rebellious, as they deserved, but, if possible, to restore peace without bloodshed.
In the spring of 1833, the war party, nothing daunted by the presence of a military force, re- newed their labours under a new mask, and in a much milder tone. Having previously laid down their plans, and organised themselves so as to carry them into execution, they assumed the title of a " General Convention," and proceeded to call a meeting of its self-elected members at San Felipe de Austin, a small town on the Brazos river. The first act of the convention was, to prepare a peti- tion, which was subsequently despatched and pre- sented to the general congress by Colonel Austin, setting forth the many disadvantages Texas laboured under from being annexed to the state of Coahuila, with a plan of a new form of government for Texas, which the petitioners prayed to have established. The petition then went on to state, ---
" That Coahuila and Texas were totally dissimilar in soil, cli- mate and productions.
" That the representatives of the former were so much more numerous than the latter, that all legislation for the benefit of Texas could only be the effect of a generous courtesy.
" That laws happily adapted to the one would, on account of the great dissimilarity in their interests, be ruinous to the other.
" That Texas was in continual danger from the aggression of the Indian tribes, without any efficient government to protect her in such cases.
" That the present legislation has been calculated to exasperate
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66
AUSTIN'S ADVICE TO THE COLONISTS.
the Indian tribes, by withholding their rights ;* whereas by doing them JUSTICE, valuable auxiliaries might be gained, instead of deadly enemies ; which would be the policy of Texas,
" That Texas possessed the necessary elements (a population of 80,000 souls) for a state government ; and that, for her attach- ment to the Federal Constitution of 1824 and to the Republic, the petitioners pledged their lives and honours."
The receipt of this petition filled the Mexican government with suspicion. In the first and last paragraphs they found two glaring falsehoods, the first backed by a frivolous complaint, and the se- cond by gross duplicity. The first falsehood is, " that the climate, soil, and products of Coahuila were totally different" from those of Texas, whereas it is well known that the latter is divided from Coahuila by the Nueces river only, which is so nar- row that it scarcely deserves to be called a river. In the second place, they complained of the laws passed by the state legislature of Coahuila and Texas, as being merely " the effect of a generous courtesy." Thirdly, the policy of the Texans towards the Indians will be seen hereafter.
Lastly,-the petitions falsely asserted, "that Texas possessed the necessary elements for a state government," by which the Texans meant that she possessed a population of 80,000 souls; while it was a well known fact, that there was not more
* Meaning those secured to the Indians by the Colonization Laws. I am here availing myself of Mrs. Holley's condensed no- tice of the Petition of the General Convention.
67
THE CLOSE OF FEDERALISM.
than one-tenth of that number in the province ; therefore, as " a population of at least 80,000" was the necessary qualification required by the federal constitution of 1824, for the Mexican provinces before they could become separate states, the prayer of the petition of the general convention was re- fused by the general congress of Mexico, whereupon the representative of the convention, Colonel Aus- tin, wrote from the city of Mexico to his partisans in the ayuntamiento of San Antonio, recommending the Anglo-American colonists in Texas to organise Texas into a state de facto.
This letter of Col. Austin's fell into the hands of the Mexican authorities; and Austin . was arrested and imprisoned-not for the mere act of presenting the petition of the general convention of Texas to the Mexican Congress, as the Texans falsely assert, but for an act of rebellion against the Republic of Mexico ; for the attachment to which the petitioners' lives and honour were pledged. Having now ar- rived at the close of the history of the federal constitution of Mexico, it will be necessary for the reader to bear in mind the conduct of the Anglo- American settlers towards their generous benefac- tors the Mexicans, during the reign of federalism, in order that he may be able to take a correct view of the conduct of the colonists, at different periods subsequent to its abolition, and the es- tablishment of centralism, which will form the subject matter of the following chapter.
F 2
CHAPTER III.
Santa Anna, President-Measures of Clemency -- Texan Land Jobbing-Austin's Advice to the Colonists-Political Fanatics -- Rebellious Spirit of the Texans-Address of the General Committee-State Legislature of Coahuila and Texas-Defeat of Garcia -- Arrest of Viesca-Proclamation of General Cos- Declaration of the Peace Party in Texas-Proclamation of the Mexican Chiefs-General Cos joins Ugartechea-The Texans act on the Offensive-Centralism confirmed by Pro- clamation-The Texans commence Hostilities-General Austin resigns the Command-Acts of the General Convention- General Austin repairs to the United States-Military Successes of the Texans-Reinforcement of the Mexicans -- Suspension of Hostilities-Capitulation-Massacre of Fannin and his Men -Siege and Capture of San Antonio by Santa Anna-Death of Crockett and Bowie-Retreat of the Texans-Surprise at San Jacinto -- Capture of Santa Anna and the Vanguard-Santa Anna's Protest-His Execution discussed by the Texans- Retreat of the Mexican Army, &c., &c.
IN speaking of the federal constitution, I have always styled it a ponderous mass of complicated state machinery ; and to illustrate this assertion I have given, in the Appendix, my letter to Mr. O'Connell, published in February, 1840, in which the reader will find a summary comparison be- tween the federal and central forms of government ; and I will only further observe, that the enormous additional expense that cumbrous system entailed
69
SANTA ANNA, PRESIDENT.
upon the Mexican people, hastened a downfal which sooner or later would have been inevitable.
The extinction of the federal system in the latter part of 1834, and the establishment of centralism, were brought about by the following prominent circumstances :- Pedraza, who had been installed as president in December, 1832, on the forced re- tirement of Bustamante, gave up the reins of government in April, 1833, to Santa Anna, who in the mean time had been elected president, and Gomez Farias vice-president, according to the con- stitution of the federation. Santa Anna soon found himself unable to control the many unruly elements by which the government was surrounded, and confiding his powers provisionally to Farias, retired to Vera Cruz. The latter having obtained un- limited authority from the congress, carried on so extensive a system of persecution and banishment of those he suspected to be inimical to the govern- ment, that in the spring of 1834, the outcry became general, and Santa Anna himself now favoured the insurrectionary movements against the very party which he had been chiefly instrumental in elevating to power. Having resumed the presidential func- tions, he closed the general congress in May, and declaring it to be the national desire, he suspended the legislatures and executive governments of the several states as a preliminary to the establishment of a central, in lieu of a federal system ; and whilst these operations were carried on with more or less coercion during the remainder of the year, Santa
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70
MEASURES OF CLEMENCY.
Anna convoked another general congress, the mem- bers of which were to be elected expressly for the purpose of modifying the constitution of 1824, or of framing a new one.
In the interval which elapsed previous to the assembling of this new constituent congress, Santa Anna exercised nearly dictatorial powers in order to restore tranquillity. He recalled from banish- ment and released from prison the innumerable victims of Farias's persecutions. He turned his attention to the army and militia, which he re- organised, bringing the former into a good state of discipline, and disbanding a considerable part of the local militias, whose composition had long been extremely prejudicial to good order.
Agreeably to Santa Anna's summons, the con- gress met in the capital on the Ist of January, 1835 ; and after giving Santa Anna the most unquali- fied assurances of their approval of his conduct and views, which had already been backed by compli- mentary and grateful addresses from nearly every province and town throughout the country, the congress declared him president of the central republic of Mexico.
The vice-presidency of Gomez Farias, who, when driven from office, fled and concealed himself in the state of Zacatecas, having been declared vacant, the congress elected General Barragan as Santa Anna's vice-president. By the report on the state of the country, which Santa Anna sent to congress, it appeared that there were only five states, out of
71
TEXAN LAND JOBBING.
the twenty which formed the Mexican confederation, opposed to the change in progress. The con- gress, reserving to itself all legislative power, trans- formed the states into departments, the civil and military administration of which was subjected directly to the supervision and control of the supreme executive in the capital ; but in each de- partment there was established a council under the presidency of a governor to manage all their inter- nal affairs.
The first standard of rebellion against the central system was raised by the Texans, who, it will be remembered, had been the indefatigable opponents of federal government. The Texans, now pretend- ing their adhesion to federation, pronounced Santa Anna to be a traitor to his country, but more openly than before, commenced to make arrangements for the separation of Texas from Mexico.
Much confusion had prevailed in the Coahuilan part of the state of Coahuila and Texas, during a portion of 1834, by the struggle of two factions, which terminated in the election of a new state legislature in direct opposition to Santa Anna's proclamations and the new order of things. That legislature elected Augustine Viesca governor of the state, and his unwarrantable proceedings greatly augmented the existing difficulties between Texas and Mexico. Viesca (whose public life history will brand as unprincipled, if not openly dishonest) commenced his career as governor of the state of Coahuila and Texas, by promulgating a decree in
72
AUSTIN'S ADVICE TO THE COLONISTS.
March, 1835, directing the immediate survey of all the waste lands of Texas, and also the sale of a great portion (411 leagues) of the public domain ;* thus creating a public revenue without the sanction of the general congress of the Mexican nation, which was most strictly forbidden by the federal consti- tution of 1824.
Having, for the sake of perspicuity, taken a rapid view of the general course of political events in the Mexican republic, more or less connected with the history of Texas up to its most interesting epoch, I must now go back a little in the order of time with regard to some of the most important local events of 1832-3, in order to enable my reader to perceive that this land job of 1835, and the abolition of slavery by Mexico, were the chief causes of the separation of Texas from the republic of Mexico. Col. Austin, who was arrested in the early part of 1833 for high treason, writes to his constituency from Mexico, 25th August, 1831, stating that " the government have remedied the evils complained of in Texas, and which threat- ened it with ruin, and those who acted last year in good faith, and with pure intentions of separating Texas from Coahuila, are now opposed to it, because the reasons which made a separation neces- sary, no longer exist." He then says, that "a public act of gratitude should be expressed by the people for those remedies that have been applied
See Appendix.
73
POLITICAL FANATICS.
by the state and general government to the many evils that were threatening Texas with ruin; that they should discountenance in the most unequi- vocal manner all persons in the habit of speaking or writing in violent or disrespectful terms, or in the language of contempt or defiance of the Mexican people or authorities ; and that they should dis- countenance all violent or disorderly politicians or men, especially all political adventurers and fana- tics." He then goes on to caution them against joining in the pronouncement of the state govern- ment of Coahuila and Texas in Monclova, in June, against Santa Anna, advises them to recognise Santa Anna as president, " without mixing in the internal disputes of the Mexicans, or being led by inflammatory men, political fanatics, political adven- turers, would-be great men, vain talkers, and visionary fools," and, finally, remarks, that " the farmers must (or suffer, as all hangs upon them) proclaim, with one unanimous voice, fidelity to Mexico, opposition to violent men or measures, and it will be peace and prosperity to Texas."
Col. Austin, who was himself the most crafty of the " political fanatics, political adventurers, would- be great men, and vain talkers," wrote in this bland style, solely to escape from the clutches of the Mexican government, and not with a view to restore tranquillity to Texas, which had now become very difficult, for, during Austin's absence, the col- lision between Santa Anna and the federal con-
74
REBELLIOUS SPIRIT OF THE TEXANS.
gress had taken place, and two parties had sprung up in the state of Coahuila and Texas, which were exercising the functions of government; one, the " peace party" at the seat of government in Sal- tillo, and the other the " war party" at Monclova. The former acknowledged the authority of Santa Anna as president of the Central Government ; and the latter were opposed to both Santa Anna and the then existing government. The mere existence of such a state of things gave " the would-be office- holders sufficient opportunity of broaching their favourite scheme of separation." Mr. Edwards, in his history of Texas, says, when speaking of these political demagogues, " I think I hear the reader exclaim, as every honest, sober, peaceful citizen of Texas did at the time, Good God! what a set of deceitful, ambitious, and ungrateful men has got into our country. What ! while they were sitting quietly under those very laws which they had con- fessed were granted to them more by courtesy than by strength in the state legislature, and that too by those very Mexicans whose prejudices are so often spoken of ? Was it prejudice which granted every thing the colonists required, as far as the power of a state government could be stretched, even to that of tolerating all religions in Texas, and that, too, while the Texan members of congress were but as two to five ? or was it too much for them, in the solitary instance of retaining the retail markets of their own state, for the benefit of their
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