Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-07-13
d'ERCgEAEs.

1NfA Z AMNN hsth NNtiiNitrl Tor recollection II
August next, aud having accepted this nomina
o. tor, take this ma,hOd ot addressing myselg 1
70 YOU,
10 Ia proceeding to tho task, Il ia not to hs c.
4 peoRd II IL ware possible in m address like this
>, 10 advert 20 the vlrious questions Of GdminisrA
)" non enter ~ length intO tho motives which hav
lei 10 their adoption. The unanmaty whiol
rha''eteriIod tho action Of that Convention, 10
weYating 50 large proportion Of the people
y Fal' re such task unnecessary
nt1n"st tho questions Of difficulty, presented
. on1'Ne' i's aG'i IN December 1857. Lgiuud noa
so 9lQmincnt rs those of Intcrna! Improvement
anu tie unhappy and disturbed condition or tht
y Frontier counties, OF the course OF policy pur
sued In the former, there seems tO have been
general and universal concurrence Of oniniun
y but with the latter, it seems to have been les.
fortunate and satisfactory in its results, Expe
rence has estabiised the policy Of regarding cor.
porations in the light Of public contractors and
holding them to strict accountability to law, us
the best, If not the only means, Of atiordng pro
lection to investments Of capital-both ut home
and abroad-at the same time, chat there is no
other so we'll calculated to advance works oil
paramount Importance 10 an early completion. -
Connected with this policy, il is of equal import
ance, That all unnecessary restrictions, touching
the proposed donations from tho State, should be
dispensed with, and their advantages made deriv-
able to the companies fast us the progress of
the roads will secure the public agains. ultimate
loss and disappointment.
! The difficulties on the border or frontier cum
ties, arising from the frequent torlys Of Indians
upon the settlers, properly belong to the United
! States Government for adjustment, but the neg
lect OF which has been the source of frequent and
almost continual annoyance to tho present and
| past administration of the State Government
Remonstrnnce and complaint have been repeated
. IL. Il ~.
without enectng any adequate change of policy.
1t was among my first official acts, to address the
General Of the Department on the subject, and
communications have been subsequently, continu-
ed to the proper authorities as immediate Occa-
sion has required: the only practical benefit from
which has been, the authorization Of the move
ment Of Slai Van Dorm, but without adequate
force to afford security against recurrence of
danger. As there s2oHs to have been much mis-
apprehension OF the powers and duties Of the Ex
cutlVe at the same time that my course has boen
most grossly and wirully misreprescnted, must
ask indulgence for their brief explanation. Be-
toro entering o!Gce, the Legislature had appro-
priated twenty thousand dollars for frontier pur-
pose1, with which my predecessor had called out
and stationed number of men on the irontior.-
Soon thereafter, an additional appropriation of
seventy thousand doIars, by which Capt. Ford
and onQ hundred men were .eceivGd for six
nionths& .%5Jp service of these nsn, inclusive Of
border, h4d consumed with the pxccntion of few
dollars, the entire appropriations, whom upon
rouewni 1f dcpredatiOns IN the fsN C.pt's Ford
and BourlanI were authorized t. raise cOmpa-
MES in October, consisting of ncGr ous hundred
and ninety men, and directed 10 station thtm at
the points Of danger, Although there vas no
law authorizing this measure by the Executive,
felt justified by the emergency the precedent bag-
ing been set by my predecessors in cxtron9 cases
with the subsequent appreciation Of The Legisla-
ture. Bat here tits to be remember d, that!n the
exercise OF 30 high power, there are bounds
which tbs officer dare not transcend in obedience
10 his obligations to tho Constitution, (SocLion 8
Article ~ of which says: "tIiat no money shall
he drawn from the Treasury, except in pursuance
OF npprOpl iati0ns, made by specific law; and
(Scction S3 Article y that the aggregate amount
OF debts hereafter contracted. shall not exceed |
the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, except
in casa Of war, to repel invasions or suppress !
insurrections,' &c. 1t must therefore, be mani
fest to any unprejudicied mind, that under these
provisions my powers are limited, and thnt'I
could have done little more in the exercise of ex>
treme powers than has been done, without riolat-
ing bote its sense and spirit because the compa- |
MES oil Ford and Bourland cannot possibly in |
volve q charge against the State OF less than from
sixty to seventy-liye thousand dollars; provision
for which, the ensuing Legislature will be called
upon to make.
So much, then, for the erroneous impressions
made prevalent in certain locallties by designing
persons, or those uninformed of the tacss-that l
have neglected the frontier, and that the Govern
or by virtue Of his office, has either control over
the treasury, or power to call out armies of men
at his own discretion, and that the Legislature |
will be under ohligations to pay them But, II 1t
be said that the contingency contemplated by the
Constitution existed, then may it not DO asked
why the Legislature did not provide Tor 1t Inc
same, or even worst state Of affairs existed
during its session than at any time since. \
similar state of affairs has existed ut Intervals
for the last ten or fifteen years, and although no
state administration has done go much on Its own
responsibility, or through the Legislature, yet
ths entire blame has been taken from the should
ere u the U 5. Government which mas been deal
to aii rsnonstrance and petition, and thrown up
on the State Government, which OF right had no.
thing to do with the question AitouSh the
proper allowance is due for the misrepresentation
of those who have been exposed to these depreda-
tions, yet it is manifest that much OF the exist
ing dissatisfaction is attributable to the cunning
and artful Misrepresentation OF tstled ana
ambitious persons, who have had only the most
malignant personal or political ends to gratlty
1t is plain from the foregoing facts that 81! has
b2en done consistent with the authority OF the
Legislature, at the some tune that no ordinary
responsibility has been assumed oy the Executive
in addition thereto. Now in regard to the re-
serves. BY act of the 5th Legislature. passed in
1853 and 81, jurisdiction was expressly ceded to
the q, s. Government over them, before the In
iians were permanently located there, and thus
for the time being the State parted with all au
thoritv over them, the act of cesson placing them
as much boyond The control Of either the Ezecu-
tive or Judiciary of the State, as ifthey had been
situatsd in the remotest State Territory OF the
Union. Notwithstanding this have felt 1t my
dusy to use eye~y effort to maintain peace and
prevent the violation of public law in good faith
In ny let er OF the 18th of September last, to the
President, called attention to the insubordinafe
condition of one of them. and gave warming OF the
consequences which would follow. After the dii- !
fcalty in Palo Pinto, in Dec, Issued a proclaim
alton 10 prevent further acts Of violence. again
in March addressed the people of the frontier,
u. ,rr.1gu &, r. 4. : r.