ought land and settled on the great
rivers. In eighteen twenty-one, Austin, with the permission of the
Spanish viceroy in Mexico, introduced three hundred families."

"That was a step in the right direction; but I am astonished the viceroy
sanctioned it."

"Apodoca, who was then viceroy, was a Spaniard of the proudest type.
He had very much the same contempt for the Mexicans that an old English
viceroy in New York had for the colonists he was sent to govern. I dare
say any of them would have permitted three hundred German families to
settle in some part of British America, as far from New York as Texas
is from Mexico. I do not need to tell you that Austin's colonists are
a band of choice spirits, hardy working men, trained in the district
schools of New England and New York--nearly every one of them a farmer
or mechanic."

"They were the very material liberty needed. They have made homes."

"That is the truth. The fighters who preceded them owned nothing but
their horses and their rifles. But these men brought with them their
wives and their children, their civilization, their inborn love of
freedom and national faith. They accepted the guarantee of the Spanish
government, and they expected the Spanish government to keep its
promises."

"It did not."

"It had no opportunity. The colonists were hardly settled when the
standard of revolt against Spain was again raised. Santa Anna took
the field for a republican form of government, and once more a body of
Americans, under the Tennesseean, Long, joined the Mexican army."

"I remember that, well."

"In eighteen twenty-four, Santa Anna, Victoria and Bravo drove the
Spaniards forever from Mexico, and then they promulgated the famous
constitution of eighteen twenty-four. It was a noble constitution,
purely democratic and federal, and the Texan colonists to a man
gladly swore to obey it. The form was altogether elective, and what
particularly pleased the American element was the fact that the local
government of every State was left to itself."

Houston laughed heartily. "Do you know, Worth," he said, "State Rights
is our political religion. The average American citizen would expect the
Almighty to conform to a written constitution, and recognize the rights
of mankind."

"I don't think he expects more than he gets, Houston. Where is there a
grander constitution than is guaranteed to us in His Word; or one that
more completely recognizes the rights of all humanity?"