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. PAPERS OF :MrnABE.\U BuoNAP.\RT.1o: L ,utAR
ri ons, the civil arm was paralized and powerless. They impri oned our citizens without cause, detained them without trial, and in every respect trampled upon our rights and privileges. They could not have been sent to Texa for our protection; for when they came, we were able to·protect our elves. nd, at the commencement of the colonial set- tlement , when we wei·e few, and weak, and scattered, and defenceless, not a garrison,~no, not a soldier came to our a sistanee. As another evidence of the ho tility of the l\Ie.'Cican government to the colonists, I will instance the following: On the 7th 1\Iay, 1824, when the late Mexican republic was divided . into states, by the convention tbat formed the constitution, the ter- ritory called Texas, not being sufficiently populou to form a stater was attached provisionally to the state of Coahuila. It was specially decreed by the same convention however that whenever Texas was suf- ficiently populous to· become a state, she should make it known to the general Congre s, and be admitted. In 1833, the people of Texas knowing that their numbers exceeded those of several of the old states, and that they pos essed all the requisite elements, met in solemn con- vention, formed a constitution, and sent on a delegate to the general Congress, with a respectful petition, praying to be admitted into the union. tlnstead of granting this ju t and legal re'}uest, they im- prisoned our delegate, my colleague, (General Austin,) in the darkest dungeons of the inquisition, and detained him, without a trial, for more than a year. And now; gentlemen. I have briefly depicted to you the ha_rassing nncertainty, and mLerable bondaO'e, under which we have laboured, ince our connexion with Mexico. I have depicted to you their in- cessant revolution , the insecurity and the violations of all law and order, nece sarily growing out of them. I have shown to you, that they have failed to extend to us any protection. and that they have endeavoured to destroy us entirely, by a vexatious, oppressive, and unconstitutional series of legislative enactments. ro one can denv but tliat this state of things would l1ave justified us in casting off the yoke. Yet we <lid not even attempt to do so. "\Ve groa11ed and languished under these multiplied oppressions, consoling ourselves ,vith the pleasing. but delusive bore. that a brighter day would dawn upon. us. While laying this flattering unction to our souls, and indulging dream of fancied felicity never to he realized, the military despot, Santa Anna, developed his tyrannical intention to reduce us to absolute slavery, or to involve all who refused to be slaves in one undistinguishing masacre. The particulars of his sanguinary career I will now proceed to unfold to you. Besides the · promi es to protect our persons and property, contained in the colonization laws, which I have just commented upon, the people of · Texas had another guarantee for their rights.. This ~arantee was the written constitution of the late fexican Fede1:a1 Republic. That constitution is almost a copy of the constitution of these U. States. The powers of government, a~·e divided in o legislative, executive. and judicial. The legislative powers are vested in a con- gress; consistinO' of a house of representative, and a euate. The executive power is vested in a presiden and vice president, elected
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