About Dictator Who Once Ruled Texas.
San Antonio Express newspaper, May 12, 1940, Sunday.
With the democracies of the world threatened by totalitarism leaders whose every whim is law in the country they dominate, it has been brought to light that Texas was at one time part of an empire ruled by a leader just as dominating as any dictator of modern times.
Decrees of Emperor Augustin Iturbide of Mexico, in the Spanish Archives preserved in the Bexar County Courthouse have been translated from Spanish by Work Projects Administration workers in the Statewide records project under sponsorship of the University of Texas and the Bexar County Commissioners court.
Styling himself in the proclamations, "Augustin, through Divine Providence and the Congress of the Nation, first Constitutional Emperor of Mexico, and Grand Master of the Imperial Order of Guadalupe, the emperor would issue a decree which would be put into effect in Texas just as they were in any other district of the empire.
Slavery was outlawed in Texas as early as Jan. 3, 1823, by a decree of Emperor Iturbide which read: "After the proclamation of this decree neither the purchase nor sale of slaves imported into the Empire will be permitted; and the children of all existing slaves shall be emancipated on attaining the age of 14."
Issuance of a single decree raised high barriers about the importation of "cotton fabrics made into cloaks and scarfs and also woolen fabrics of cheap weave used for the same purpose."
The emperor, according to the decree translated by the WPA workers, also prohibited the importation of salted meat, lard, rendered suet, soap, cheap chinaware, shoes, and clothing.
The old records point out that the career of the emperor was exciting but brief.
The army and the republican party revolted against Iturbide, and by the end of March, 1823, a Supreme Executive Power had succeeded him and the congress was calling itself the Sovereign Congress of Mexico.
It was not until April 16 the Supreme Executive Power found courage to issue the following order:
"The Sovereign Congress of Mexico, inasmuch as in the first article of the decree of April 8, it has declared that Augustin de Iturbide never was Emperor of Mexico, now decrees as follows:
"That anyone who shall cheer Augustin de Iturbide or in any other manner support him as emperor shall be denounced as a traitor."
The same day the congress decreed that all buildings bearing the word Imperial have the word National replace it.
About a month later, the congress had worked up enough courage to declare that:
"Since the coronation of Augustin de Iturbide was an act of violence and force and based on no right, there is no necessity of considering his action in abdicating his crown.
2 "Therefore the hereditary succession is null and void and with it all titles issued at the time of the coronation, all acts of the government from May 19, 1822, to March 29, 1823, are illegal unless confirmed by the existing government.
"The Supreme Executive Power is hereby directed to hasten the departure of Augustin de Iturbide from Mexican territory.
"This departure may be effected through any of the ports of the Gulf of Mexico and some neutral ship will be chartered at the expense of the government to transport Iturbide and his family to the place selected.
"Augustin de Iturbide is hereby granted for life the annual sum of 25,000 pesos, payable in this capital on condition that he establish his residence somewhere in Italy. After his death, his family will receive 8,000 pesos per year subject to the rules governing military funds.
"Augustin de Iturbide shall be saluted as "Your Excellency."
The ancient documents reveal that the emperor could not long remain idle despite the 25,000 pesos and the title in an attempt to regain his throne in 1824, he landed at Soto la Marina near Tampico, and was captured by Captain Gutierrez, who stood Iturbide against the wall and ordered a firing squad to "Fire."
