The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926 Page: 260
330 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the singing of wild birds, and the wailing of the small owls that
hoot even at midday, attract the attention of the traveler with
their melancholy and unnatural melody. In all the unfrequented
places wild bulls and cows, deer, bears, coyotes, wolves, and donkeys
are found, all of which flee at the approach of man. In the plains
the buffalo are seen in the winter when they migrate to where the
wild horses live. There are also beavers, otters, wild cats, tigers,
and small leopards, whose skins constitute the greater part of the
annual trade.
The Americans from the north have taken possession of prac-
tically all the eastern part of Texas, in most cases without the
permission of the authorities. They immigrate constantly, find-
ing no one to prevent them, and take possession of the sitio
[location] that best suits them without either asking leave or
going through any formality other than that of building their
homes. Thus the majority of inhabitants in the Department are
North Americans, the Mexican population being reduced to only
Bejar, Nacogdoches, and La Bahia del Espiritu Santo, wretched
settlements that between them do not number three thousand in-
habitants, and the new village of Guadalupe Victoria that has
scarcely more than seventy settlers. The government of the state,
with its seat at Saltillo, that should watch over the preservation
of its most precious and interesting department, taking measures
to prevent its being stolen by foreign hands, is the one that knows
the least not only about actual conditions, but even about its
territory. This fact is corroborated by the report given to the
boundary commission by the government itself with regard to the
lands granted in Texas to empresarios which when compared by
us with the map showed that grants of the same lands had been
made over and over again. Another amusing instance is that
of the deputy from the Department who in 1828 wrote to a
friend in Nacogdoches begging him to tell him about the region
from the Guadalupe on, and about all that was noteworthy, in order
that he might be able to speak about them in the legislature when
the occasion arose. Admirable fathers of their country! Alas,
wretched republic! Repeated and urgent appeals have been made
to the Supreme Government of the Federation regarding the im-
minent danger in which this interesting Department is of becom-
ing the prize of the ambitious North Americans, but never has it260
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 29, July 1925 - April, 1926, periodical, 1926; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117141/m1/286/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.