The San Antonio Ledger. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 10, 1851 Page: 2 of 4
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Office on Commerce Street, marly opposite tie
Navarro House, if
§«
mm
o
SAN ANTONIO.
TBUKSDAT, JULY 10, 1851.
—
for governor:
P. HANSBROUGH BELL.
I Ü í* i
for congress:
VOLNEY E. fíOWARD
r FOR GOVEHNOR.
igrA-arta utborized to announce P.
'OH CFLL r,s candidate for re-clectlon
íe office oí GOVERNOR. ^ t f
¿if We are authorized to announce E. M
" BE, of Brazoria, as a candidate for GOV^
OR. at the August election.
We are authorized to announce Col M i
Celebration of th« Fourth.
We publish to-day the speech of the
Hon. I. A. Paschal, delivered to a
large assemblage of our citizens on the
Fourth. r
We have never spent nor have we
ever seen a more pleasant celebration
SC/3 The address of Gen. Chambers
to the voters of Texas, appears in to-
day's paper. It takes up more room
of our national day. It would have
make a man unaccommodating, because he j and especially upon the snb|
ha* to perform his duty—unlets that duty j public debt; and I
conflicts with his private interests an(j : ser* tbat the disliono.
-- - .1*1-1 . . i ,; pudiation has never ^
than we like generally to give to poli- j feelings, then owing to the weakness of ¡ j not -
tical documents, but it is a god-send I human nature, we may reasonably expect j been a subject
I that publishers don't set every day, so |*> ,nd P«**blj «>• f ct > i«°oD«trated their minds and
'in the subject under consideration.—jf j cleariy and decidedly wmw )
, «i j . n , j i are with regard to the rate
office make, men crabbed to all wh-> do j The
not kneel at the beck of the^ffice holder. wUl discharge the public <féb"
deliver me from office and the office holder
pur readers will cheerfully excuse us
, , . . „ , for "makine hay while the sunshine?."
done the spmu of our departed heroes The address ¡s c|ear and lucid. the
an wort i g to ave been pie-: wn(¡ment3 expressed in it are such
sent and seen the mingling together of] that but few can (ake e tions tó | - —- - ~™ ■
the representatives of so many different Lu . -t . , ¡ spirit of Col. Hard
.11 J.; . U.i . Ilhem- and lts sty'e and language such , and |ajd more tbgn he ¡nteil(Jea for Col
I think MM" stated the unaccommodating
in too broad terms.
as will be understood by every one.— Ward hag eTer had the credit of
nations, all bent on doing honor to the
aUjoted1rtthlto tZ^sTót! * " re™mmend|fr ¡« a <*"*" PerasaL I and accomodating to. hi. friends,
i A i n i * . - .7 I Gen- Chambers has long been a citizen ¡ but to those who were opposed to him, he
brotherhood and seemed to vte.with of Texas> and at the breaking out of was crabbed, morose and Idictive. Thi.
em inpu íes owo emotion to out tjje rer0iuti0n, joined the standard of is the charge to the fullest extent, that I
common country. ! liberty. During the darkest hours when
1 he procession was formed upon
the
XSON a. a candidate for iK.W j ,he M¡|¡"taIy plaza; under direCtio¿ 0f j \"",cúonto"S 'h™'61""1 ^
jrf? NOR of Texas, at the eusuing
pn in August next.
« jaided b>' his assistant Marshals, from
Í30VERN0R at the election in August next.; thence it marched to the Alameda.
1-
Lieu-
■ r TT « . i every opposing force, Gen.
Chief Marshal Maj. Belger, U. S. A., ¡ f A .
J ° ' 'i Chambers was found amongst the
foremost to put to flight the foe; his
time and his means were placed at the
foil LIEUTENANT GOVEROR. j , h®Q aitfJ the °penmg ceremonies by j d¡sposai of his adopted country—his
W-\vv st- authorized to announce J. W. i l^e &ev- -*r- Flsh> ^aj- Capers lead inflllence abroad contributed milch to
#rnEit£/>x fif non^lon. íLs 3 Canál^RtC íor ¡ n<ar 1arstL*jn r>f TnrlnnnnrlAnnA oltor ! . ^
Mepeptience, after lhe gual 6ucceM of,he reTolution
lhe (ftice oí 1 jIextt. GpvtitNoa, at the approaching j
Anjpist election.
¿if We are Authorized to announce the Hon.
Q. O. KEEN AN a - a candidate for the ofiice of
íwiTr.XAXT Gov
gust election.
£^*We are
which followed the
Hon. I. A. Paschal.
address by the ¡
The remarks oi^
As a man, Gen. Chambers is intelli-
gent and affable, he fully understands I
hare heard against Col. Ward on that
score. Col. Ward may have been a good
soldier in the revolution, but if to loose
a leg entitles him to be Commissioner,
those who lost their heads ought to be made
Presidents. ™
As to the claims of Capt. Crosby to the
office, I do not know that he has any, nor
does hev*et up any, nor does he tell the
peopla that they ought to elect him be-
cause fals« accusations have been made
which
of
value with a liberal interest; but they will
not settle it at its nominal amount: and
they believe that justice neither requires
nor could approve of its being so settled.
Some injustice may and no doubt will re-
being I suit from the plan prescribed by the act j er tendency than tl
1 of March, lS48.forthe ascertainment of' * *
the amount and the classification of our
liabilities; but it would be difficult to de-
vise any general system under which
special cases of hardship would not arise
to claim a legislative intervention. The
mode adopted by the auditorial board
provided by that act in reducing the nom-
inal amounts of our liabilities to their real
value at the time they were incurred
anditheiraction uuder it have from tiiueto
unication and
alleviation of the burthe
the most important
reckon the
on
down w
must
ispare
them in
Í-a canoiaateiortne ornee oí ! 1T . , | 8oni «uu uuu ,, i«> '""j uuuciatanus
bnor, at the approaching Au- j1 aJ- Capers, and the reading of the our civil and political history, and our
I Declaration, was made and done in a ] civil and political wanls,—and ive he-
iuthonzed to announce Colonel t j t , . i i • ! ,. r '
MATTHIAS WARD, as a candidate fur Lieu- j maMen> Sl> ie: ana made a ctetp mi , }ieve
rnant Governor
inrwe are authorized to aunounce Major
JAMES S. GILLET as a candidate for Lieu-
t.-nant Governor at the next Au#"^ election.
FOR CONGRESS.
|"7* We are authorized to announce the Hon.
VOLNEY E. HOWARD as a candiadate ' for
re-elfciion to represent the Western Con pres-
iona' District in Congress, at the ensuing Au-
gus-t election.
We are authorized to announce Cant. G.
KTLEWIS as a candidate to represent the Wes-
tern Congressional District in the Congress of
the United States. Election in August next.
|We are authorized to announce Gen.
HUGH McLEOD, as a candidate to represent
lhe Western Congressional District of Texas in
the Congress of the United States.
COMMISSIONER OF THE LAND OFFICE.
PTWf are- authorized tQ announce Capt.
STEPHEN CROSBY—thépresent Chief-Clerk
in the General Land Ofiice—as a candidate for
Commissioner of the General Land Office at the
ensuing August election.
|3T We are authorized to announce TIIOS.
Wm. WARD as a candidate for Commissioner
of the General Land Office, at the election in Au-
gust.
FOR DISTRICT JUDGE.
We are authorized to announce THOM-
AS 3. DEVINE, Esq., as a candidate tor DIS-
TRICT JUDGE of the Fourth Judicial District,
at the next August election.
VW We are authorized to announce D.
C. VAN DERLIP as a candidate for DIS-
TRICT JUDGEofthe Fourth Judicial District,
at the next AugtL-t election.
FOR STATE SENATOR.
jnr we are authorized to announce I, L.
HfcAYVT'f, as a candidiate for State Sena-
.ur, from the District composed of the counties of
Bexar, Medina and Comal.
8 ?rwe are authorized to announce JOHN
O. MEUSEBACH, as a candidate 1'orStat^ Sen-
ator, for the counties of Bexar, Medina and Co-
mal: *
FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
We are authorized to announce Major R.
S. NEIGHBORS as a candidate to represent
Bexar and Medina counties in the Lower House
•f the next Legislature.
rgr We are authorized to announce Capt. W.
G. Crump as a candidate to represent the coun-
ty of Bexar in the lower House of the next Leg-
islature.
'We are authorized to announce ED-
EYRE as candidate to represent the
' of Bexar in the next Legislature.
To the Editor of the San Antonio Ledger.
Sir: You are authorized to announce
my name as a candidate at the approach-
ing election, to represent the counties of
Medina. Bexar, Comal and Gillespie, in
the lower branch of the next Legislature.
Should I be the choice of the voters of
the district, my best exertions shall be
used to promote what I consider the best
interest of the State, and particularly, this
section of the State. It being my adopted
home, my interests and the interest of my
immediate district, are the same.
To accomplish which in the most speedy
manner, would be to releave the State of
its liabilities by the payment of her pub-
lic debt without delay,—taking the scaled
rate as a standard. The State has abun-
dant means to pay what is justly due
her creditors, together with the ^interest
and have a handsome sum left in her
Treasury, which, if properly disposed of,
would yield a large revenue to the State,
quiet sufficient to educate every child
within her limits. Or if applied in the
payment of the current expenses of the
government, would relieve her citizens
enterely from taxation.
To present to the world a State with
such agricultural resources as tho State of
Texas possesse ¿free of debt, and free from
taxation, would cause immigration to an
extent cnequaled in the history of the
United States. As the true wealth of all
countries consists in its agricultural pro-
ducts, such" a policy if adopted by the
State would, in a few years, place her far
in advance of most, and equal in ira
tance, to any State in the Amerl ~~
Your obedient servant,
O. i
San Anton jo, July 1,1351.
A grand dinner and ball Was to have been
give a to Senators Houston and Rusk, at Hunts-
ville, on the 4th of July.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION AT HUNTSVTLLE.
Col. Howard and Gen. McLeod met at Hunts-
tille, the gathering was extremely large, aad
among the distinguished persons present, were
Senators Houston and Rusk.
We have received letters from two or three
gentlemen residing a^yUsville. who allcon-
curin «aOut tho ptply JCoL Howard to
¡Fort.
> hours,
lower
[ Lewis hard-
iedly the fa-
vorite? the Lostin Press
to
! pression upon the assemblage. Judge
' Paschal did much credit to his decla-
i
matory powers in delivering his ad-
dress; he riveted the attention of his
hearers throughout his discourse. Af-
ter the address the procession was
again formed and marched back to
the ground, where it starjfid from, and
dispersed until three o'clock, the din-
cellent dinner prepared under the di-
rection of Maj. Gillock. Toast upon
toast was drank, and speech upon
speech was made, all breathing the
most perfect patriotism. There was
one person, however, when called up-
on for a speech, backed out and flew
to his covert, he was the only one
though, and we hope his friends will
forgive him.
" He that bolts and runs away,
Ma} live tu .speak another day !"
It is past the power of our pen to do
justice to the Ball at night, let it be
enough for us to say, that it was all
that could have been asked. Beauty
and wit was displayed in its most
fasinating forms ; never did our ladies
look handsomer. Had the test been
made, a good many Aristotles might
have been found who would have sub-
mitted to the bit and spur. It was
no place for Sir Isaac's mental abstrac-
tion, it was no time for thought, every
one seemed bent upon enjoying the
moment.
We are indebted to the officers of
the army for much of our amusement.
They kindly placed at the service of
the citizens, the excellent band of the
8th regiment, under its skillful master,
they besides, in many other ways, con-
tributed to the common amusement.
We cannot close this without a re-
mark upon the public celebration of
our nation's birth-day. Its effects must
be the most happy. A public practical
expression of devotion to our country,
and her ins^tutious, by the aged, must
instill into the young a like feeling;
and so long as it is properly keept up?
there will be no danger of revolutions
nor disunions. We hope that the day
may never pass with us without a
celebration. We are, perhaps, more
called upon to celebrate it than any
other community in the Union. We
have many foreigners among us who
know nothing of our government, who
have no national feeling in common
with us; they are daily becoming citi-
zens, let us by our axmple make
them citizens in deed not word. Let
us induce them to partake with us in
our festivities, they will soon partake
our feelings, and when so, they will be
citizens indeed.
him worthy any trust that
might be confined to him.—If elected,
no doubt but what he would make a
good Governor.
£3= We are happy to have the plea-
sure of announcing to the public, that
all our friends, without exception, who
were suffering from the sudden risita-
tation of the "big heaül,'*upcn Satur-
day last, have recovered. We have
within the last day or two called upon
many who were afflicted, they assure
us that their hats fit as well now as
ever they did. They all speak in the
highest terms of the "water cure," as
applied in this disease, and say it was
the only thing that afforded t iem per-
manent relief.
The County in which ir never
Rains.—Well, if Bexar County is it,
deliver us from one in which it does
rain ! Never have we seen better sea-
sons than those we have been favored
with this summer. Last week we
had almost daily showers, and on
Tuesday almost a steady rain for the
day,—¡Sam Slick's "juicy day" in
England could not have better deserv-
ed the term. Our crops are going to
be abundant. The yield for the ground
in cultivation, is greater than ever be-
fore known in the country.
Sd3 The article signed " Texas," is
crowded out this week for want of
room: it shall have a place in our
next. We speak in advance for it, a
careful reading and serious thought
upon the suggestion made. Other
communications are on file and will
receive attention in due time.
: against him heretofore. But there is one
j thing that Captain Crosby does have, and
I that is "merit," and in these matter of
j fact times, merit goes a good ways, and I
i think the people would rather take it into
consideration and support it at the polls,
than to support unaccommodating spirits;
it may do for military men to be contrary
and crabbed, but we want civil officers to
be civil and accomodating.
That ';sturdy probity and inflexible
firmness," should make a public officer
unaccommodating, is a new thing in ph\-si-
ology,—and Col. Ward's case is the only
one upon record that I know of. The doc-
tors of politics and of medicino neither
know how to treat the complaint, and I
fear that Col Ward will have to suffer on
without relief; and until there is an evi-
dent change of his heart, the people will
keep him at his own proper level.
E.
íJ^The Hon. H. M. Lewis, has
publicly announced himself a candi-
date for Representative to the next
Legislature from the counties of Bexar
and Medina. His many friends would
like to have an exposition of his views
upen our State affairs.
£3= The playing of the Military
Band of the 8th Regiment, on Sun-
day evening last, was a rich treat to
our citizens. Why wont the Col. let
it remain with us a while longer?
for the ledger.
Mr. Editor : Permit me through your
columns, to aay a little upon the election
of Commissioner of the General Land
Office.
My friend "M." in his article published
in last week's Ledger, portrays in Btrong
colors, the claims of Col. Ward to the
office, and intimates in strong language,
that the people of right ought to vote for
him, " the gallant old soldier of '35"; and
no doubt he would further have it, that
because Capt. Crosby has ever been only
an Ixcellent clerk in the office he should
not aspire to any higher distinction.
The Mall hat Failed Again! It also seems that WM." would chide
We have no mail from the " the : Jou a little for not devoting some of your
States" this week,—cause—we don't jink and PaPer his Sorites' cause, and
know,—unless coal has "riz," and ! with >*ou he embraces -your abie contribu-
Harris & Morgan can't afford to start tors" ¡n his chidinSs' We!l ,ir>thia *U
their vessels out of New Orleans, or it ¡loois "e11 enou«h 00 PaPer- 11«
lfifcy be they have found a better spec-
ion elsewhere, in which they can
use their boats to mote profit. It makes
but little difference to them whether
Texas has a mail or not,
Mr. Saltmarsb, our enterprising
stage cont^áslorr |siegular in his trips;
its no fault otitis that we have no
mail.—The stagecomesand goes, wet
or dry.
Oregon,
& We
ter on hand that
for want of
ly in keeping with the known character of
Col. Ward, and I fear we, with the charac-
ter also of my friend "M." to blame all
who do not do just as they would have
them. But sir, this disposition in would
be public men, is not commendable, nor
will it meet with the popular favor of the
people.
" M " very ingenously excuses Col.
Ward's "want of a spirit of accomodation,n
and lays it all on the "multiplicity of
fradulent claims." Now in all probability
this is true, for it is notorious that Col.
Ward had more to do with fradulant land
claims than was bargained for when he was
appointed to that responsible office. It
is a little singular, however, that this un-
happy disposition in Col Ward should be
made so apparent before his dismissal
from the office; it certainly ought not to
To the People of Texas.
Fellow-Citizens :
I am a candidate for your suffrages
at the approaching election, for the office
of Governor of the State. In the exercise
of a constitutional right inherent in our
democratic form of government, I have
spontaneously come before you, uncalled
by any clique of a party whatever; and
if I should be raised by you to the ele-
vated and responsible station for which
I have offered you my services, 1 shall
watch over the honor of' the State, with
a sleepless vigilance, steadily directing my
attention to the interests of the people
alone-. 4 the last twelve years I have
been entirely withdrawn from public life
devoting myself exclusively to the adjust-
ment of my private affairs which had be-
come greatly deranged by my efforts
during our revolution, and the heavy ad-
vances of means I then made to maintain
our liberties and establish our indepen-
dence ; and I have consequently not be-
come identified with any of the various
parties that have sought to rule the com-
monwealth. I therefore expect to meet
the opposition of the leaders of all such
parties whose aim has been the accom-
plishment of private ends rather than the
promotion of the commom weal and gen-
eral prosperity. Yet I do not seek to be
Governor for the purpose of waging war
against the plans of any party whatever ;
and I «hall certainly offer no opposi-
tion to any scheme which may not oper-
ate against the general interest of the
people; for I am in favor of the utmost
freedom of action, whether by individu-
als or combinations of individuals, whose
objects may be in concord with the gener-
al welfare.
I came to Texas more than twenty years
ago, whilst I as yet in the early dawn
of manhood and I have remained com-
pletely identified with it in all my hopes
and interest; I therefore never became
connected in action with either of the
great politic parties of the United States.
But I was reared at the foot of Monticello
and drank at the pure fountain of Jeffer-
sonian democracy at an early age; and
the principles I then imbibed have been
confirmed by subsequent reflection.—
Having performed an humble, but zeal-
ous and active part in adding the Lone
Star, of indenpendent Texas to the
glorious constellation of my native coun-
try, I shall hereafter act with the demo-
cratic party in strict accordance with
the principéis of the constitution. But
I canowt. yet disóard the feeling that I
am more a Texian than a Democrat; and
that whenever the interest or honor of
the State may require a liberal intepre-
tation of a democratic principle. I shall al-
ways be inclined to yield to it such con-
struction. I entertain no prejudices against
persons belonging to the opposite party,
and I wish to judge and be judged rathe^
by measures, than by party cognomens.
The glittering millions which we have
received from the United States for the
surrender of a portion of our domain
and soverignty, seem to dazzle the vision
of our politicians, and blind them to all
other topics of public interest; as when
we gaze full upon the blazing sun for a
moment, and turn to other objects we
can preceive nothing but a darkened pic-
ture of his effulgence, still impressed
upon the sight. Whilst I shall not effect
m&sferi
them: whilst he must be impelled to the con-
clusion that our legislation can have no otli-
a^>f involving the coun-
try irretrievably instigation. We began
with the ancient Spanish law and Mexicau
legislation superadded, aud these still govT
em the old rights an^ intercst ot the coun-
try, and yet they renu^n locked up in a
foreign language, wholly unknown to the
people, and accessible only to a few adepts
who, it would seeui, hafe had influence
enough to prevent an appropriation suffi-
cient to supply our courts with tho books
and authorities requisite to ascertain them,
time been submitted to the public.and it ap-; althongh earnestly demanded by % the
pears that a large majority of our credi- J judges, as being absolutely necessary
tors, have acquiesced in the adjustment, j enable them properly to dispatch the
surrendered the original evidences of their | ¡nessof the countr}'. After the establisfi-
elaiius. and accepted certificates for their ment of our independence, instead of the
par value! I would earnestly and respect
fully advise such of our public creditors
as seek to disturb this adjustment, and
call it repudiation, to desist. They make
a dangerous experiment upon the pub-
lic patience.—And I apprehend that any
remodeling of the system adopted, and
revision of the action of the auditorial
board might produce a result far less fa-
vorable to their wishes than the one of which
they complain.
The position, assumed by the Treasu-
ry Department of the United States, claim-
ing to intervene between Texas and her
creditors in the adjustment oftheir claims,
and menacing the retention of the
whole of the reserved five millions
until releaces are filled by all the
creditors holding claims against
Texas for which the impost reven-
ues were specially pledged, thus seeking
to give to any one of them the control
of the whole five millions* is an insult to
the sovereignty of the State, repugnant to
the dictates of common sense and justice,
and cannot for a moment be tolerated.—
Texas needs no guardian to aid her in
the settlement of her just liabilities, or to
watch over her morality. If she did, she
would scarcely seek one amongst Wall
street brockers or in Galphin Cabinets ;
the honor and safety of Texas require that
she should adjust her owti liabilities with-
out the pragmatic interference of any ex-
traneous power, and discharge them by-
her own officers from her own treasu-
ry-
The reports of our Comptroler show the
entire nominal amount of the claims
against us to be $12.322,443; and the
real amount of our indebtedness according
to the actual vajue received to be $0,818,-
798. This latter estimate is what Texas
will be willing to take as the basis of a
settlement with her creditors. Let us
examine the rule by which they should
be paid; I am of opinion that one sim-
ple and just, equally to the people of
Texas and to their creditors, may be ad-
opted. Let us glance back upon the ear-
ly history of our country for the resolu-
tion of this proposition, and we shall find
that from its rich vacant domain has
been the great attraction, the sola reliance
as well to the hardy immigrant who, pos-
sessing no wealth, but sinewy arms and
a dauntless courage, came to establish
upon it au independent home, as to the
capatalists who, investing has capital in
its fortunes, looked to the same source
for a profitable return. The first has given
his strength, his toil,his health,his courage,
and to secure his home, to redeem it from
a savage and wilderness condition, and to
erect into an independent sovereignity,
fit to be the abode of enlightened freemen,
and prepared to receive the luxurious capi-
talist who advanced his means, but re-
mained far away enjoying all tho
ments of a refined civilization.
has been accomplished, and ti
cent domain, has been won, and
immigrant has made himself its lord
sovereign. Will it not be just, will ii
be generous, if the absolute control of
domain, should say to the capitalists
will dispose of this domain equally for
your benefit and for ourS-
return to you the means youAave advanced,
with a profit in interest equal^Vto wfiat
could have been obtained for it. in the best
money markets in the world ; and our side
to improve the country of our homes, to
.sustain the government we have establish-
ed, and to educate our children ? What
then was the whole amount of this domain;
and what proportion of it has been dispos-
ed of?
From the best information at my com-
mand, gathered from the reports of our
Commissioner of the General Land Office
and other sources, it%ppears that our
entire State contained (242,000.000) two
hundred and forty-two millions of acres ;
and that the territory sold out of it to the
United States contains sixty-six millions
of acres ; (45,000.000) forty-five millions
of acres have been located and surveyed
by our citizens and others holding claims
from the government, and outstanding
claims for about (10,000,000) ten millions
rotect its4
indem~
of the Fed-
should be
d settlers
t of their
believed
detriments to
e plain and
and thorough
st will. I think
a plan to the Legis-
;tions. The original
exican "population has certainly, now
many claims on our benevolence. No,
people could be placed in a more difficult,
embarrassing and distressing position than
they have occupied duriug our wars. Be-
tween contending and hostile forces, their
losses have beeu necessarily very great,
and to whatever side they might be dis-
posed to incline, the dangers they were
everywhere surrounded, were alike formid-
able. It is time that a victorious
and magnanimous people, now controlling
the destinies of these victims of a revolu-
tion, should discard their animostics and
prejudices and convert them iuto spmputh-
ies.
As Governor of this State, I shouhV-
m it my duty to enter into communi-
cation and cultivate a friendly understand-
ing with the government of the Mexican li-
mitrofic Stales of Xaiuauiipaj, N ueva |jeo.it
Coahuala, and Chihuahua, for the purpose
adoption of a plain and sinfple codo, anala-
gous'to our circumstances and comprehensi-
ble by the people, another antiquated enor- of procuring their co-operation on several
mously voluminous system was inflicted objects of great common interest and im-
upon us from England with scarcely any j portauce. The commerce of the II:o
of the improvements of modern times: ' (J-rande already amounts annually to
and we have subsequently added to these j many millions of dollars, and is rapidly
two systems, legislation enough of our ¡ augmenting. Nearly one half of the
own fora century ; still rendering confu- ¡ Mexican states arc receiving importations
siou worse confouuded. Of this old Eng- ¡ through that channel, and the quantity
lish system, thus improvideutly adopted would be increased toa vast amount, if
by youthful Texas, an illustrious English the navigation of that noble river should
philosopher, jurist, and philanthropist has be improved to the extent to which it is
said: '-But in your land of freedom and susceptible; and the rich alluvial border
good government, for you and your legis- would be converted, like those of the Mis-
lators, freely deputed agents and servants sissippi. into continuous plantations. The
of a free and self-governed people, thus
to be perpetually on the hunt for law, thus
to rake for it in every sink of corruption,
thus blindly to keep on importing a suc-
cession of deaf and dumb matter from a
country of slaves, what is this but treason
against your free constitution V* And
again he says : i;you have happily! bro
the yoke of foreign oppression ; b
yoke remains, of English Eithci^idcs,Te
alted judges ; the common law, that tissue
of impostures to which you still yield
your necks to be pinched and galled, un-
der the hands of one class among you,
for whom, while they are comforted, all
others are tormented. Day by day it con-
tinues—and so long as you continue to
crouch under it, will continue to be more
and more bulky-more and more allective."
Even our last Legislature passed a law
known as the probate law, addressed to un-
lettered judges for its execution, going
home to every family in the State, and con-
trolling and regulating the rights and in-
terests of widows and orphans, so volumin-
ous, so complicated and obscure that it im-
presses us with the apprehension that their
estates must be inevitably swallowed up
in the administration. It is a well-known
fact in the history of our legislation, that
many of the laws seeming to have beeu
enacted for general purposes, were passed
to affect and cover particular objects and
interests. Indeed, it is high time that a
general reformation should take place,
aud that a code should be adopted com-
prehensive, yet simple, so that it may pass
into the hands of the people, be under-
stood by them all, and become a text book
in the common schools of the country.
It is absolutely necessary tlias a complete
collection of the Spanish and Mexican laws,
under which most of you hold your pro
perty, should be obtained and tran:"
for the use of the government and
of the country. Your rights
demand it. ft is emphatically
upon this subject "a little le
dangerous thing."
Iu obedience to the wistiés of
of my friends I must allude to
present Condition of the Federal
States I have mentioned are equally in-
terested with our own in this great work,
and would join with us in urging before
the governments of Mexico and the United ./f'
States, the importance of this great inter-
national channel of iutcrcomniunicati mi.
Under the treaty with Mexico, by which
J;he government of the United States has
ound itself to defend the frontier and res-
train its Indians from depredations, the
proposed work assumes an aspect of vast
importance in a military point of view;
and funds expended for its accomplish- -
ment, would be funds saved, by the fa- "
cilities which it would afford for purpose
of defence. But this important matter
will probably lie dormant until it may bo
waked up by the efforts of the States im-
mediately interested. 3
A mutual good understanding with the
States I have mentioned, with regard to
persons held to labor, is of vital impor-
tance to the West, for the advancement
of its agricultural and planting interests.
At present, slaves cannot be carried with
safety beyond the Guadaloupe river ; and
and the Mexicans beyond tho llio Grande'1
engaged in agriculture, encounter great
difficulties by the desertion of their labor-
ers across the river ; but from investiga-
tions which Í made last sumtfoer, I aw
confident that such an understanding m
bo easily established, as will render slave
labor safe and profitable throughout the west
under the protection of an act of our Leg-
islature, which should be passed to make
desertion and flight of slaves a criminal
offence, so as to bring them under tho
treaty stipulation with Mexico, for the
mutual surrender of fugiti ves from justice
ur Gorernor, 1 should also dee,
unicate with the chief
'our sister State of Louisia-
e the co-operation and aid
in the improvement of the
Sabine river, our com-
lliould neither be neg-
iyed. The facilities which
> a large extent of
ders of that*
pay t'ae expeudi-
to treat this subject with less consider- according t
ation than others, I shall nevertheless, of their el
if elected, endeavor to keep many others balance in
of acres remain unlocat
aggregate of (121,0Q0,0(
and twenty-one mi
disposed of, and le
same amount, or
domain, free from al
branccs whatever.
I therefore propose
dened of one half
ten millions of <
United St
of vast importance to the State, constant-
ly under the attention of the Legislature
until I obtain its action upon them.
A somewhat general intercourse with
the people of the country who nave hon-
ored me with a freeer and more confiden-
tial interchange of thought and feeling than
they would if I had been a professional
and hackneyed politician, has made mel lions of dollars left to the
well acquainted with their opinions and
wishes upon matters of public interest
cent interest,
mately discharge by
domain ; or by
the privilege i
timeto receive!
low to be an
the operation
In this manner *1
istrict of Texas : and
should be understood that the view
e of it has a reference to principles
not to persons. I feel bound to ex-
my opinion that the great extent of
tate, the vast -amount of property
which is already, and which must soon be
Involved in litigation, ihc peculiar princi-
ples which must carry it into the Federal
our side, to Court for adjudication, and the deep un-
""' easiness which is extensively upon the
subject, demand a complete re-organization
of this branch of the judiciary within the
limits of our State, só as to secure to us
the presence of a member of the Supreme
Court of the U. States as a Circuit Judge,
and the selection ofthejurrors connected
with ii from every county in the State, in
a manner analogous to that which they are
drawn by lot for our State courts. Con-
stituted as our United States District
Court is at present, with the power ofjü¿
signating at which particular cases shall be
fi-ied.and if selecting by its own officers ¿he
jurrors to try them,it may be well to appre-
hend that the court may be converted-thin
an engine of injustice and oppression ; aircl
in fact, such au apprehension does already
prevail to a great extent through the coun-
trvaií The D^wer to acquire and maintain
ce of the people is quite as
;in a court as integrity in the
n of justice, and whenever its
ting an j organization is such as to render it an ob-
ject of suspicion and distrust, it loses its
usefulness, ceases to be a blessing and
mes a curse, ft is true that our
ej&lature has no authority to inter-
enrum- tere with the organization of this court *
to represent its wishes
pon the subject, and that
no doubt, would respect them,
shall be elected, I shall brim?
atter fully before the Le,
western borders of ou
any just and interesting
re and regard of
should X
dence of
to wh
imp
Í
- to I
favor of the prompt adoption of
affcctive system of internal
for our State, and I am
opposed to all delays for the purpose of
wasting Ahe interest arising from the
means atflp control upon feeble experi- £
nfents. Let us arise and advance to tho
work with a firm and resolute hand ; the
condition of the country demands it, and
our means will warrant it. Without
such a system our State will loiter and
languish in its advancement on account
of the lack of means of intercommunica-
tion and transportation. By its adoption
and bold prosecution, it will dash forward^
in the career for population, wealth and
power with a speed unparrclleled in the
annals of States. Why should we delay Í
Thp necessity for such improvements is
everywhere felt and acknowledged, and
their nature is well understood. And
why should we experiment X The maner
and the machinery with such works am
performed are familiar; and the most
scientific,skilful and experienced engineers
are ready to undertake and accomplish them
The policy of the hoarding up for the
present,the resources under our control io,
upon the i i terest, would bo
that of the wretched miser who.
garners up the proceeds of his-toils andk«
-gjls, depriving himself of the necessaries
of life even food and raiment to transmit his.
patiently accumulated gains to successors
wholovo him not, on the contrary lau^h.
at his folly and jeer at his sordid parsi-
mony. The present inhabitants of Texas
who have won its rich domain by their 4
toils, their valor and their blood, in a few
years morewill eease to control it. Now
that daJHBano longer surround, us, and
the wa'^^Vbeen made smootk.
our country will
"* rwjt class of ^
them wealth and* all the
ltfe, and feeling but littlf
* and"
\
ployed in the establishment^
«"'hooK the improvement of the meanl
may be en
ana protection so
sé Of their populai
rowth and prosperity, will
before the meeting of _
ire, by the forces of the U
should this not be the case, it
KBt;
employing oar
boldly i*
nditisn, I a®
necessity of a
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The San Antonio Ledger. (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 10, 1851, newspaper, July 10, 1851; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth179364/m1/2/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.