The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-04-03

4 claimed, but exercised.
/ You have been transferred like sheep from the sham
bles government has been fastened upon you winch
is 10 be supported from your pockets and vet you have
not been consulted You to be taxed in the SHAPE
of tariffs on the necessares and uxuries of life which
YOU have hitherto purchased free of duty You are t.
have high pastage and all else in proportions and tt
forego the freeman's privilege OF electing your owl
president and vice-president, provisional congress
taking the matter out OF your hands You are to sup
port constitution which ignores the very name OF thu
people, and to go into government, where YOU are t
pay tribute to king Cotton and enjoy the privilege
equality until youare involved far that independence
viii be impossible, and you will be ready to put the
State of Texas with her territory equal in extent to al
the other cotton States the of the cOntederaey
on the terms of slave basis. This is the programme
marked out for you You were told the Union must be
dissolved that it might berecOnstraced Now you are
told that reconstruction is improbable and impossible
1t is well known to the people that had ordered al
election for delegates to convention of the southern
States The legislature repealed the law under which
the election had been ordered and the convention Their
assumed the power elect the delegates which it did
on the very day provided for the election of them BY
the people believe that the people should elect theil
public servants The convention not willing to
trust the people.
You have withdrawn Texas from her connection with
the United States Yeur act changes the character OF
the obligation assumed at the time of my Inauguration
As your chief executive am no longer bound TO sup
the constitution of the United States. If your act did
not relieve that obligation, it nothing. If this is
not the result OF the action of the people, the position
a the officers Of the Stath government, and especially
that portion who members of this, convention has
indeed been anomalous one Have they still been
acting under their oath to support the constitution OF
the United States. AS your executive, matter what
my views may have been, | am bound to reflect your
expressed will. have endeavored 10 do So Were
asked to to support the constitution and laws of
the confederate States which have never SEEN and
your chief executive to render my allegiance to that
government, when you have never in any manner or
form declared your desire to become annexed to the
same
Feow-citizens in the name of your rights and liber-
ties, which believe have been rampled upon refuse
to take the oath. In the name of the nationality of
Texas which has been betrayed by this conyertion
refuse to take this oath In the of the constitu-
ton of Texas which has been trampled upon refuse
take this oath In the Of my own conscience and
my manhood which this convention would degrade by
dragging before it, to pander to the malice of my enc
mics when by the constitution the priyene is accorded
me, which belongs to the humblest officer to take my
oath of office before any competent authority, refuse
to take this oath.
am ready to be ostracsed sooner than submit to
usurpaton. Office has charms for me- that it must
be purchased at the sacrifice Of my conscience and the
loss of my self-respect.
love Texas too we'll to bring civil strife and blood
shed upon her To avert this calamity IshalI makeno
of this State, except by the peaceful exercise of nv
functions When can longer do this shall calmly
Withdraw from the scene leaving the government in the
bands of those who have usurped its authority but still
claiming that am its chief executive
expect the consequences of my refusal to take this
oath. My office viii be declared vacated If those
who ostracise will be but true to the interests of
Texas as L have endeayored to be, my prayers will
attend them.
Feow-citizens, think not that 1 complain at the lot
which Providence has now assigned me- 1t is perhaps
but meet that my career should close thus have seen
the patriots and statesmen of my youth one by one
gathered to their fathers, and the government which
they had reared rent in twan and meme like them are
left TO unite it again. stand the last almost of race
who learned from their lips the lessons of human free
dom | am stricken down now because will not Weld
those principles which have fought for and struggled
to maintain The seyerest pang is that the blow comes
in the name OF the State of Texas deny the power
of this convention to speak for Texas Ihave received
blows for her sake, rnd am viii to do so again.
protest. in the of the people of Texas against
all the acts and dongs of this convention and declare
them null and void. | soemny protest against the
acts of It's members, who bound by no oath them
selves, in declaring my office vacant because refuse
to appear before it and take the oath prescribed.
1t has accomplished its mission, and its chief objects
has been fulfilled IF to drive from Office and defeat
the will of the people is honor it may wear it, To
prevent my having opportunity to send message to
the legislature, which meets on Monday March 18th
am required to appear its bar to-day and take the
test oath. Even Shyock granted the full three DAYS
ere ne claimed his pound OF flesh The convention pre-
Scrbed that time the limit but its president has been
less gracious than Shylock, and camors for the bond
ere two days are gone. If thus deprived of the
poor privilege OF putting upon record my sentiments
througha refusal on part OF the legislature to receive
my message, will lay the same before the people and
appeal to them, as l declared would do in nv nau-
sural. SAM HOUSTON |
THE SECESSION Row IN Observation-Disclosures to a
call for meeting published in the Courier to express
sympathy with the SOUTH crowd at an early hour last
evening assembled in the east of the court house
and the meeting was organised by the appointment of
the usual officers
Major T. II. Hunt, chairman of the committee on
resolutions tried, time and again. to read the report
and it was finally adopted by those upon the stand with
out its being read.
Mr. Duncan charged Mr. Guthrie with disturbing the
meeting
Mr. Guthrie retorted that he not concerned in it
The ex-grand secretary then said Mr. G's friends /
we're doing it, and expressed himself highly delighted
9ut called upon Mr.. Ray chief of police to que the
lot.
Mr. Ray took the stand amid terrible uproar, but
he crowd would not listen to him.
MIR Hunt becoming impatient, sat down.
The president appealed to Mr. j. L. Smyser charging
lm with creating the row, to quiet the trouble He took
he stand, but he had effect whatever After stating
the president that he regretted the riot and that it
vas none Of his inshgating VIM. Preston johnson
moved that the resolutions be read
The chairman announced that it was moved and sec
'nded But three cheers for the Union we're given
With willthree more for the south with equal hearth
less Three g2oan for the submissonists were groaned
hurrah for jeff Davis given by small portion of
he crowd Cheers for the SOUTH for the Union, for
Davis, for the pelican flag for South Carolina and for
thousand other things were given consecutively to-
5ether, and inextricably mingled in general riot
At this juncture furious fight began in the body of
he hall, and the crowd began pouring out of the hall
n a very promiscuous manner, TIE police rushed in
md made two arrests and took the parties to
The intense excitement continued henceforward without
Interruption, varied by occasional fight. The hall
ost full quarter of its contents by this time when Mr.
iunt again attempted to read the resolution At this
moment an American flag brought in, part of the
rowd Justify cheered it.
1t was thrown down once, but in moment ii made
is reappearance, and after that flag after flag was
brought n the cheers for the various ensgna of party
n the meantime making the solid building tremble. We
AVE seen tumuls, riots and disturbances of all sorts
tut we never witnessed such scene as that at the
ourt house last night. 1t beggars description The
ecessionists were in large majority, but no excuse
hardly justifes the act of disturbing the meeting.
Louisville Democrat 10th
PORTS OF ENTRY.--The Montgomery Advertiser saws
the following publication is by authority"
MONTGOMERY March In n,,rs,srno sc A. -. 81