**Chapter 54**
Texas (3)
Winter of 1833, a village in Texas.
"Have you heard the rumor that immigrants who came through the United States have more land?"
"Ah, that rumor? I've heard it."
"It's said that Stephen Austin is involved. The Texas Rangers are all said to have vast tracts of land."
"Is that true? I was wondering how Stephen Austin was doing it, but the others were just hanging around, not working. Now it makes sense."
"Yeah. If this is true, the rumor that he bribed the governor and officials is definitely true. Isn't it?"
"Well... It's likely. Damn it."
Rumors about Stephen Austin's corruption were spreading simultaneously in various villages.
That wasn't the end of it.
Another village in Texas.
"Stephen Austin has another reason for raising the Texas Rangers."
"A reason for raising them? What else is there besides dealing with the Comanche tribe?"
Harry was intrigued by his neighbor's hushed words. He had heard from Nick, a fellow villager, that the bad rumors about Stephen Austin were true, and he had developed a grudge against him.
"If it's simply to deal with the Comanche tribe, why would they take part in law enforcement? There's definitely a bigger scheme. There's also a rumor that Stephen Austin blocked the governor's request for more guards from the Mexican government."
"...Come on, are you saying that Stephen Austin is trying to oppose the Mexican government? That seems too far-fetched, even for him."
"You might feel that way now. But wait and see. He'll soon reveal his true intentions."
There were those who warned of Stephen Austin's danger.
Harry just assumed his neighbor disliked Stephen Austin a lot and dismissed it.
But that warning soon became reality.
***
Stephen Austin, unaware of what was happening in various parts of Texas, was confident.
The people of Texas will follow me.
He prepared a speech in San Antonio.
"Stephen Austin, the pioneer of Texas, will give an important speech about the future of Texas. Please join us!"
Naturally, to gather a large crowd, he used the Texas Rangers to spread the word about the speech beforehand.
Stephen Austin promoted himself as the pioneer of Texas, but in fact, settlements existed before he arrived.
If there had been no settlements, Texas wouldn't have been recognized as part of Nueva España during the colonial period.
"Stephen Austin is giving a speech!"
"A speech? Is something happening?"
"It's about the future of Texas. It seems important?"
"Then we should go."
Spanish settlements were mostly small villages in western Texas, a distance from the American side. But having a foundation and not having one was a world of difference, so American immigrants settled mostly around these existing settlements.
One of those places was San Antonio. It was founded by Spanish missionaries and is one of the oldest settlements in Texas. And now it has become the largest settlement.
Stephen Austin adjusted his immaculate suit and ascended the makeshift podium set up in the plaza of San Antonio.
Hundreds of Texans gathered in the plaza were waiting for his first words.
Stephen glanced around, took a deep breath, and began his speech.
"Today, here in this beautiful plaza of San Antonio, we have gathered to talk about the future of Texas.
Texas, this land, is built with our sweat and blood. We have cultivated this land with our labor and protected it with our hands.
Remember, when thousands of Comanche horsemen attacked Texas, we risked our lives to defend this land."
Texas was built solely by Texans. It was a message emphasizing that.
Most people nodded in agreement with Stephen Austin's words, but some had a "no way" feeling.
Stephen Austin continued.
"The Mexican government has sent less than a thousand guards to this land. Yet, the central government of the Mexican Empire does not acknowledge our sacrifices.
They are now threatening our freedom by building a railroad all the way here.
Once this railroad is completed, they will try to disband our Rangers. The safety and freedom we have protected for decades will be at risk.
They are also greedy for our land. They say they have too much land and want to take away the land we have cultivated for years.
Their greed will not stop there. They will impose more taxes on us and try to control our lives."
It was all false propaganda.
Control in this era is synonymous with force. The central government's control strengthening means that the army will come to Texas. In that case, the Texas Rangers, an overly large unofficial armed group, would be unnecessary and could be disbanded without consequence.
The statement about taking away land is similar. It's natural to reclaim land that they have beyond what was contracted with the Mexican government.
The same goes for taxes. Many Texans are paying ridiculously low taxes compared to the land they own. It's not about taxes increasing, but about them becoming normalized.
Stephen Austin knew all this but didn't care. He believed this was truly for the benefit of the Texans.
The Rangers, the large land ownership, and the taxes would no longer be a problem if they joined the United States. So, this is beneficial for the Texans.
"We 'Texans' must be united. Our voices must resonate throughout Texas.
We must show our unity so that they cannot infringe on our rights."
In a corner of the plaza, Lieutenant Ricardo, wearing a hood and covering his face, thought.
"The unity of Texans. It's exactly as His Highness, the Crown Prince, said."
Even while executing the plan, he had a slight "no way" feeling. But it was His Highness's order, so he simply carried it out.
"He even got the wording exactly right. The rumors of him being a genius were true. ...But can even a genius do this?"
While Lieutenant Ricardo was in awe of the Crown Prince's insight, Stephen Austin continued his speech.
"Together with all of you gathered here today, we can create a powerful community that no one can challenge.
We are making history here today. It's time for us to all join forces to create a Texas for 'Texans'!"
He didn't directly say that they should fight against the Mexican government and gain independence.
Even Stephen Austin thought that was too radical. This wouldn't happen overnight.
He would have to build public opinion over months and years.
What he considered crucial in this first step was the identity of "Texan."
If he could create this identity and make the Mexican government appear as an "external force" trying to suppress "Texans," he could achieve his ultimate goal.
As the speech ended, the Texas Rangers in the crowd began to applaud and cheer in response. Soon, the general public was swept up in the atmosphere.
"Woohoo!"
The people of Texas who came from the United States have little sense of Mexican identity.
Mexicans were a minority in Texas, so they had no contact with them and thought they hadn't received anything from their government.
"Texan. What do you think?"
"Well, we're not Americans, and it's awkward to call ourselves Mexicans. Honestly, 'Texan' is the most fitting term."
Many people thought so, but many others didn't. They were mostly immigrants from Europe.
"The Mexican government hasn't done anything for us?"
"Didn't they give us the land, the farm tools and seeds, the food support until we got our harvest, and didn't they transport us to the settlements by covered wagon for free?"
A few Mexicans were outraged.
"That American bastard is talking crazy."
"So what, are they saying they're going to declare independence from our Mexican Empire?"
Stephen Austin's speech spread throughout Texas in an instant.
Wasn't he the undisputed top local figure in Texas? His speech contained shocking content.
The atmosphere in Galveston, a port city that had grown rapidly due to the influx of a huge number of European immigrants recently, was tense.
A tavern in Galveston.
Two men were drinking and talking.
"I don't understand what's wrong with Stephen's speech."
"Exactly! What are we if we're not Texans?"
The two big guys were talking loudly enough for everyone around to hear.
People in the tavern were looking at the two big guys who clearly looked like they could handle themselves.
Then someone said.
"You're damn loud."
The tavern fell silent.
The big guys got up.
"Hey. What did you just say?"
The man who had said "You're damn loud" also stood up.
"I said you're damn loud."
"You can tell just by looking at his face. He's a mestizo."
The big guy, clearly a white man, confirmed the other man's face color and swaggered, as if he had won.
"Texas belongs to us Texans. You Mexicans haven't done anything for us."
"So what? Are you saying you're going to rebel against our Mexican Empire?"
The Mexican man scoffed and retorted.
The big guy hadn't thought that far yet, but he blurted out in anger.
"If my life is needed to protect the rights and freedoms of Texans, I'm willing to give it!"
As strong words poured out from the big guy, the atmosphere in the tavern became even more tense.
"Stop it!"
As the customers began to sneak out, the tavern owner intervened.
He pulled out his gun and shouted.
"Hey! If you're going to fight, go out and fight! Don't damage my business!"
"..."
"Hmm. We'll see about that."
Bang!
The big guys slammed the door shut as if they were venting their anger.
Similar incidents occurred throughout Texas.
Arguments, big and small, broke out in inns, taverns, and even on the streets.
The residents of early settlements like San Antonio mostly supported Stephen Austin, but residents of newly developed settlements like Galveston resented his claims.
It's likely because of the different interests between the existing American immigrants and those who had recently settled from Mexico and Europe.
Stephen Austin began touring various settlements, starting with San Antonio, giving speeches.
While there were those who moved in the front, there were also those who moved in the back.
***
"You've heard about Stephen Austin's speech, haven't you?"
"...Yes. It gave me goosebumps. How did you know this?"
"I just anticipated his insidious intentions. But I'm worried that some people are being swayed."
Seeing his neighbor, who had predicted that Stephen Austin would blame the Mexican Empire while mentioning "Texans," Harry made a decision.
"We have to step up."
"Us? What can we do?"
"At least our village shouldn't cooperate with Stephen Austin. We need to warn them beforehand that if they fall for it, they'll be sacrificed for his ambition."
Harry said it as if making a vow. His neighbor also said.
"Yeah. The Mexican government isn't a pushover, and we don't need to die a senseless death by recklessly opposing them. We need to save our villagers."
The two men nodded solemnly.