government to schools or other useful institutions. The present generation are as ignorant and bigoted as the past one, and so will continue each succeeding one to the end of time, unless some philanthropic and enlightened citizen shall arrive at power with a purity of patriotism and reach of intellect unexampled among his countrymen, and with energies of character suffi- ciently commanding to emancipate the nation from the thraldom of her priests-to curb or kill her countless military aspirants, thereby preventing incessant revolutions, and thereby enabling a new generation to experience the benefits of education and to qualify themselves in other respects for complete self-govern- ment. I have now gone through with the administration, or rather mal-administration, of the General Government. It is equally demonstrable that so far as Texas is concerned, there have been equal confusion, insecurity and injustice in the admin- istration of the State governments. Texas, as is known, forms an integral part of the State known by the name of Coehuila and Texas. During the past year th_ere were three persons claiming and fighting for the office of Governor of this State. There was no session of the legislature at the regular period, on account of this civil war, and fifteen officers of the federal troops elected a governor of their own over the head of the one elected by the people. At an extraordinary time the legislature was convoked, and fraudulently sold for a thousandth part of their value, millions of acres of our public domain. This legislature was finally dispersed by the threats of the General Government, and our Governor and one of the members were, on their retreat, arrested and imprisoned by the troops of the permanent army- leaving us involved in chaotic anarchy. Do not these facts con- clusively demonstrate an incapability of self-government on the part of the Mexicans? Do they not rry aloud for an immediate dissolution of all connexion \Vith them as the only rock of our salvation? Yes, the vital importance of a declaration of Inde- pendence is as clearly indicated by them as if it were "written in sunbeams on the face of heaven." No. III. ANALYSIS OF THE MEXICAN FEDERAL CONSTITUTION OF 18.24. It has been wisely remarked by that great illustrator of the machinery of governments, (Montesquieu) that there can be no
•
236
Powered by FlippingBook