Seeds of Discontent (looking deep into the past)

SEEDS OF DISCONTENT (We Have to Look Deep into the Past)

How was Antonia de la Garza able to hold on to her land for nearly 30 years before leasing it? When you really think about it, she was gifted that land in 1853 by Manuel Becerra's daughter Maria Josefa. Yet, why was her land undisturbed for 30 years? She didn't lease the land, which was adjacent to Antonio's, until 1884? Now if you do the math, Antonio ran into O'Connor's goons in 1875. Her land was adjacent to his. Why was she untouched? Why did she go free when the parcels of land were adjacent to each other. 
I have a pretty good hunch. This is simply because she was married to Don Carlos de la Garza, that's why. Is it fair? Let's discuss the particulars, the why. Simply, if you helped the gringo out back then, you were good, you were solid. Lord only knows how much the gringos of Refugio and Goliad loved Carlos de la Garza. All you have to do is peruse through el pendejo's book: Refugio from Aboriginal Times to the Present by Hobart Huson. They loved Carlos de la Garza. He could do no wrong.
He had made friends with the Fagan's and several other ranching families in Goliad and Refugio. He even stepped in and saved some of the gringo's men from being executed at Fannin's massacre. Nothing against it. He just knew how to stay in their good graces. Because of this, all the gringos from around the area knew of him and his wife. They adored him. This leads us back to why she kept her land. She kept her land because they were acceptable Mexicans. They were part of the gringo click.
This is why her land went untouched for years, even after they came after Antonio de la Garza. You know why? Because Francisco, brother to Carlos de la Garza, didn't play those games. He was his own man. He didn't need their acceptance; he didn't need their approval. He stood on his own two feet. Otherwise, if Francisco had been in their "white graces" Antonio would have still been there. Another reason it went south for Antonio and not Antonia is because Antonio's grandfather was Becerra!!
A big reason and the motivating reason is because Becerra was extremely disliked by James Power. O'Connor was Power's nephew. O'Connor knew how much Becerra was disliked. Power had told him everything. Becerra and other officials hated Powers!!! He hated them! He relayed to O'Connor how much he despised Becerra. All these reasons pointed favorably to Carlos de la Garza's wife - Antonia. That is why she was left untouched...
Mark





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