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

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my fortune address you but never before, even Il
the porilous days of the old republic, have the rights
and liberties of the people been III such danger that
as their chief executive have been forced to appeal
them against usurpation. The time has come.
Worn out with the cares Of Office had retired to th'
bosom of my family, spend the remnant OF my Day
in peace. Amid fortyfye years of toll in the public
service had yet lost the hope that the happiness
and peace of the humhlest citizen would be vouchsaet
to the closing years of life which had been beset since
manhood with constant strife and turmoil. 1ou Wer'
not satisfied to let me rest You appealed to me tt
forth and raise once again the standard OF thu
people. You urged me to forego the peace of hom'
and the duties owed to the children | am to leave
among you and the shock of party for yoursake
History will say that did only when to refuse woulC
be ungratetul to people who had long cherished ant
honored me. | yielded to your solicitations and was
elected by your suages and entered on the discharge
of my duties governor, inspired with hope that by
arduous devotion to your interests, and the aid o.
Providence, might prove myself equal to the task be
fore me.
The difficulties that have surrounded me are known
to you all. Deprived of the cooperation Of either
branch of the legislature my efforts to reform abuses
and effect measures calculated to promote the public
good have been parayse6 Instead of support and aid
from the Legislature and the officers OF government
every effort has been made with few exceptions to
ntepose obstacles to prevent my carrying out your will
If your will has not been fully executed II corruption
has notbeen driven from high places if sound legislation
has not been given ?ou if your frontier has not been
defended if extravaganza still runs riot with the sub
stance Of the people If the treasury is bankrupt and
debt hangs you visit the responsibility upon those
who had the power | have done my duty.
When | became your chiefexeeutiye, the soemnites
of an oath were imposed upon me. The constitution
became my rule of lction. 1t intrusted to my
keeping, and, though excitemena and passion should de
mand me to yield it p that oath required me to refuse.
When rash counselsbesought hasty action, it my
duty to be calm and prudent
When, on account of the election of Mr. Lincoln to
the presidency of the United States was urged to call
the legislature, refused to do until such time
believed the pubic interests required it. To all said
that if the peopb desired the legislature called would
not stand in Their way When satisfied that the neces-
sity existed cled it together and upon its assembling
urged upon it he importance of immediate action in
reference ydr relations with the United States and
with respect tothe frontier and the treasury.
In the meantime the convention had been called
which assembled on the 28th of January That CON
venon besde being revolutionary in its character did
receive the sanction Of majority of the people
As the representative of minority however large it
could camthe right speak for the people 1t was
without the pae of the constitution and unknown to
the laws which, had sworn to support. While sworn
to support the constitution it my duty to stand
aoof from all revolutionary schemes calculated to sub
vert the constitution The people, who free from
such solemn OBLIGATIONS Observation-Disclosures and thereby
absoye from mine, my oath only having reference
to my acts in tho capacity of their chief executive but
a sworn Office my duty too plain to be misus-
derstood. Becalse others lightly regarded the
bond they made With heaven, furnished me no excuse
if my conscience condemned the act III had believed
that the time bad come for revolution should have
thrown off the buthen of official OATH resigned my
Office, and one OF the people, alree and independent
citizen have adei TO my countrymen to action.
believed that th, constitution and the laws would pre-
vide remedy, AMI therefore not ready for revou-
ton.
! do not impugl the motives Of all the members of
this convention Nor do | believe that the spirit of
malevolence which has characterised portion of its
members should be attributed to the convention as
whole. Ny intercourse with the convention and its
committees has ben frank and courteous and while its
halls have daily r@ounded with denuncations of my
conduct have held my peace. large number of its
members are men whom have known and respected.
yet respect them believe them still actuated by
high and noble Desires and though associated with the
majority, whose usufpations | condemn, am ready to
accord to them the desire to perform action butsuch
as their views Of duty seemed to require.
The legislature refused to submit the question of oar
relations with the United States government to direct
vote of the people but authorised the convention to do
80. The Legislature having recognised the convention
thus far, was wiling sanction the act because saw
that in other way would the people get an opportu
nifty to express THEN will did So protesting against
the assumption Of any other powers the part OF the
| knew full well the design of the leaders
OF that movement. saw that in their hands neither
constitution nor laws would be sacred and put upon
record my refusal 10 sanction any attempt their part
to touch the rights secured to you by the who
framed the State constitution.
My worst antcipaors as to the assumptions of power
by this convention have been realised To enumerate
all its usurpatons would be impossible as great por-
ton Of its proceedings lave been insecret This much
has been revealed:
Il has elected delegates to the provisional council of
the confederate States, ut Montgomery before Texas
had Withdrawn from the Union and who on the I'd day
Of March, annexed TeXaso the confederate States and
constituted themselves members of congress when it
vas not Officially known by the convention until the 4th
of March that majority of the people had voted in
avor of secession. While portion of these delegates
representing Texas in the congress of the confede
ate States, two of them, still claiming to be United
States senator's have continued to represent Texas in
he United States senate, under the administration Of
r. Lincoln administration that the people of Texas
rave declared odious and not to be borne Yet Texas
las been exposed to obOquy and forced occupy the
idiculous attitude before the world, of attempting to
maintain her position of the United States and
It the same time claim to be one Of the confederate
states,
1t has created a committee of safety, portion of
whom have assumed the executive powers of the gov
Fnment and to suppant the executive authority have
ntered into negotiations with federal officers This
ommittee and commissioners acting under it. have
aused the federal troops to be removed from posts in
hem located with their arms and field batteries on the
oast where, if their desire is to maintain position in
he country they cannot only do so successfully but
estroy the commerce of the State They have usurped
be power to draw these troops from the frontier; but
hough in possession of ample stores munitions of war
nd transportation have failed supply troops in the
lace of those removed. AS consequence the wall of
'omen and children is heard upon the border. Deyas-
alton and ruin has thus upon the people; and
lough the convention, with all the means in its power
as been in session two weeks has been sent
devasted frontier
The committee of safety has brought danger instead
safety. 1t has involved the State in an enormous
Expense for an army where no army was needed and
eft unprotected those who needed protection 1t has
exposed the State to rdicule and wounded the chyary
nd historic pride of the people, by sending army of
ver thousand men to attack a single post upon the
'io Grande, which has been permitted to defy them
ntil such time as its commander fit to withdraw 1t
as assumed to appoint agents to foreign States and
reated Offices military and civil unknown to the laws
t its WILL keeping secret its proceedings
This convention has deprived the people of right to
now its doings by holding its sessions in secret.
1t has appointed military officers and agents underits
ssumed authority
1t has declared by ordinance that the people of Texas
atty the constitution Of the provisional government of
he confederate States and has changed the State con-
tuton and established test oath Of allegiance to the
onfederate States, requiring all persons now in Office
, take the same, suffer the penalty removal from
nd aptu ted bra Of