Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1861-01-09

For the Herald
THE CRIsIs--wlIAT is OUR DUTY
No. 10

r. upon the general government, ana
or it gasps for breath. Heretofore we
n have heard of angry debates, and n
;. dead lock in elections in Congress I;
but now members arc refusing. to
i. sit upon a committee to take into
consideration tho state Of the Union,
States arc calling home their repre-
I scntativcs-and all over the South
e special sessions of the Legislature
n and State Conventions arc being
!; called. Each succeeding mail brings
some new developments Of greater
It significance. What means it all?-
How stands the case? What is the
duty of every good citizen? Let us
/ look to the matter in time!
d We have Investigated affairs de-
: liberately and clearly, and are sat
isfied in our mind as to the path
which duty points out. "Be sure
you are right-thea 90 ahead!"-
.. When a boy, generous Kentuckians
took us by the hand and led us up
, to her temples of learning. To all
that we are, and hope to be VIC owe
the South; and we should be un-
grateful indeed, to withhold help
ing hand in the hour Of danger
We propose then to give few plain
reliable facts to the readers Of the
Herald. We don't write for those
who are posted, and whose minds
are made up; but rather to assist
those who are in doubt and are
halting.
All good men are patriots, and
they love their country. And all
good citizens respect the opinions Of
other good citizens. Good citizens,
however, often. imbibe prejudices
which lead them into gross error.
Prejudice is the greatest barrier to
the progress of truth. How well
an artful politician knows this
Pointing to union speech, he calls
it " Abolitionisn." Another point
ing to a southern article, calls it
"Disunionism," "rebellion." This
one was a Knounothing this an
"Od Whig-that Democrat"
and Seceder," &c. By such cXple-
tives, to which some imaginary obi
um is attached, they hope to arouse
prejudice and close the minds of the
uninitiatcd to the appeals of both.
Let us not be deceived! Old party
lines are broken down. We are all
beaten. We have a common enemy
which threatens to destroy the
whole South. 1t is now the north
against the south-it is self protec-
ton. We have been conservative,
and union loving, but our enemies
now have the field and we must
meet them!
Our people are emigrants, as
mass from other States. Each man
has brought with them the habits,
politics and religion of his old State.
And it is too often the case that for
years he reads the papers of the old
home to govern him as to his duties
here. If he is in doubt, he writes
to an old adviser in distant State
for council. Our people distrust
each other too much and are con-
tinually prone to look back to Geor-
gia, Tennessee, or the State from
which they emigrated for standards
of action: With what safety or
propricty can we look to Kentucky
or Tennessee for counsel las to the
cotton, sugar or casting interests of
Texas? And while many of us have
been looking back thus, the whole
South has been looking to the north
ern States. We have been looking
at ourselves, watching our interets p
and studying our duty through
northern spectacles. In law, medi-
cine and theology we goto the north
for books. They expound the con-
stitution for us--they teach us mo-
rails and good manners-they tell us
what to wear-they furnish books
for our children. We send to the
north for cheap papers; and with
out knowing it slowly imbibe north
ern ideas of government, duty and
morals. 1t is an alarming fact that
the southern mind has been almost
as subject to the will of the north,
as mesmeric subject is to the will (
of the operator. 1t is time to awake
out Of this sleep that has bound us ,
so longl Don't look to the northern
papers for advice these times Let !
us think for ourselves! Let us !
make personal sacrifices for the sake
of united action shun division, for
there only lies our weakness I!
1t is suggested that the people of
Texas elect at the ballot box on
the 9Th of January next delegates
to State Convention to assemble
at Austin, on the 4th Monday of the
same month. AS we are called on
SO soon to act in this matter, it may
be proper to notice the subject in
this connection.
This war upon slavery is a war
upon the most vital institution of
the eight cotton States. They are
to-day in imminent peril. They
are bound to take decided action, !
for their preservation. Texas is
one of them and the brightest star
among them in prospective. The
other cotton States are each assem-
bling in convention-they are NOV
ing quick and strong. Supposing
Texas pulls back, and the other sew
en- cotton States cut loose and set up
for themselves. In that event the
widest anarchy would prevail here
our people would "run to and
fro, whispering with white lips
the foe-they come they come "
Threatened by Mexicans on the