Texas Almanac, 1954-1955 Page: 58
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58 TEXAS ALMANAC-1954-1955
public domain which was not readily con-
vertible into cash.
Argument Over Santa Anna.
The chief issue of Burnet's administra-
tion after the Battle of San Jacinto, was
the Treaty of Velasco and disposition of
General Santa Anna. Many Texans
wished to turn him over to the army for
court-martial and possible execution.
An unruly army was also cause for
concern by the civil authorities. Refusing
to accept the cabinet's appointment of
Mirabeau B. Lamar as major general it
chose Gen. Felix Houston by election. The
army had grown to about 2,500 because
of rapid accumulation of volunteers fol-
lowing the Battle of San Jacinto. It gov-
erned itself in boisterous fashion for sev-
eral months but civil authorities, fearing
invasion from Mexico, were afraid to do
anything to bring about a decline in its
strength.
Houston's First Term.
Houston was elected President in the
first national election in September 1836,
defeating Stephen F. Austin and henry
Smith. Mirabeau B. Lamar was elected
Vice-President.
The first Congress of the Republic met
at Columbia in October, 1836. At this
first election the Constitution, which. had
been adopted by the convention of 1836,
was ratified by the people. Austin was
named Secretary of State by Houston, but
the man who had come to be known as
the Father of Texas was in failing health,
and died Dec. 27, 1836, a short time after
assuming duties of office.
Houston sought to relieve the financial
situation by increasing the population on,
and the value of, Texas vast public
domain. The General Land Office was
established in 1837 to handle the land
problems, which included surveying the
vast domain, distributing land bounties
that had been promised those who had
taken part in the Revolution, and the
formulation of policies of colonization and
settlement under the laws of the Con-
gress of the Republic.
One of the lasting results of efforts to
induce rapid settlement was the "Home-
stead Law" of the first Congress, which
provided that a homestead could not be
taken for debt other than debt contracted
in payment for the homestead. The home-
stead law has been handed down through
changing governments and exists today in
the Constitution and statutes of the state.
Widespread frauds developed in Texas
and the United States in connection with
the practice of issuing land scrip. Much
forged paper was found in circulation by
the newly established Land Office.
New Colonies.
The Republic encouraged colonization,
following the empresario system, and a
number of large land grants were made.
Henry Castro brought 600 Alsatian fami-
lies to a grant west of San Antonio. Cas-
troville, which he founded, with its quaint
architecture remains one of the outstand-
ing landmarks of Texas today. Another
important colonization venture was that
of W. S. Peters for the settlement of fami-
lies in the vicinity around present Dallas.
A large land grant was made also toFisher and Miller, in the Colorado and
Llano Valleys. It was for this grant that
the caravan of Prince Carl of Solms.
Braunfels was headed when it decided to
stop at the great springs at present New
Braunfels. It was during the last days
of the Republic and early statehood that
most of the German settlements were
made in South Central Texas.
As the result of the policies of the Re-
public, immigration from the United
States increased and the population of
35,000 to 50,000 in 1836 increased to 125,-
000 or 150,000 by the time of annexation
in 1845.
Lamar's Policies
The second national election, Sept. 3,
1838, resulted in the election of Mirabeau
B. Lamar. The administration of Lamar
was distinguished for two policies-his in-
terest in education and his belief in an
aggressive military policy against Indians
and Mexico.
In the matter of public education, La-
mar played an important and construc-
tive role in early Texas history. Largely
because of his influence Congress passed
an act in 1839 providing three leagues of
land for each county's school fund in ad-
dition to a grant of fifty leagues for two
universities for the Republic. Subse-
quently, an additional league for each
county's school fund was granted. While
this action did not materialize in any
early benefit, because of the cheapness of
land, it did set a precedent and paved
the way for later educational policies.
Lamar's phrase, contained in his first
message to Congress in 1838, "The culti-
vated mind is the guardian genius of de-
mocracy," has become the slogan of
Texas advocates of public education:
Lamar has come to be known as the
Father of Education in Texas.
Lamar supported the Texas Navy in its
harassment of the Mexican coast and its
alliance with rebels in Yucatan. In 1841
he set about the establishment of juris-
diction over New Mexico by sending out
an expedition under Gen. Hugh McLeod.
The results of the Santa Fe Expedition
were disastrous, the expedition encoun-
tering many difficulties on the way to
New Mexico only to be captured after it
arrived at its objective. The survivors of
the expedition were marched to Mexico
City for trial, and eventually were re-
leased only through friendly intervention
on the part of the United States. The
principal result of the expedition was the
arousing of antagonism in Mexico City.
Cherokee War.
The Cherokees had entered Texas from
the east at an early date. Just when the
migration took place is not known but it
is a matter of record that their Chief
Fields was in Mexico City in 1822, en-
deavoring to obtain title to the lands on
which his people had settled in East
Texas.
The Cherokees were given squatters'
rights by the Spanish authorities, but
they continued to seek a written treaty.
With the revolt of the Texans against
Mexican authority, the Cherokees reached
an agreement with the temporary Texas
government. By this agreement the
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Texas Almanac, 1954-1955, book, 1953; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117168/m1/60/?q=waco+tornado: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.