Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-11-03

tion of all pardons granted by uu
thority of tho President and trial'
for treason before military commits
sions, which may cnsue on such alb
rogation; the sweeping diSllan
chiscmcnt of our people, and th,
passage by Congress otan Enabling
Act TO authorize certain classes
which means the black race and ;
fraction Of our own people, TO create
n new State Government on the
ruins of our existing Constitution
and with such new State Govern
ment for Texas to rc.cntcr the \
mcrican Union These are threats
not made by implications but in cX,
press terms, under which your com
mittce have considered the amend,
mcnts referred to them and they
are stated at some length by youl
committee, that the House may
know that ave are not unmindlul oi
the solemn circumstances under
which we are acting. Our own cX-
perience, the history Of human pas
sion, do not permit us to consider
these threats rs unmeaning; the
Northern press foreshadows the sue,
cess of the Radicals the tolegraphic
wires are already heralding their
success in the first Northern clcc-
tions.
In determining the action which
your committee shall herein recon-
mend, touching the proposed amend
ments, they have not been guided by
considerations Of momcntary eXpe-
diency; they base their action on
principle. But as thas been insidu-
ously intimatcd, both by certain
portion Of the Northern press, and
in the letters of members Of the rad
ical party just alluded to, that the
adoption Of these amendments would
save for us our State government,
your committee will simply remark
that no pledge has been given-no
party is authorized to make such
pledge; that your State government
so preserved, and at the cost fprin-
ciple, would not be worth the hav-
ing.
If the proposed amendments to the
Constitution shall be ratified by a
sufficient number Of States to become
Il portion of the organic law Of the
country, Notwithstanding our rcfu
sal to ratify them, we shall then
yield to them full obedience as law
abiding people, If we reject them,
we can appeal from the passions en-
gendered by the late civil war, to
the sense Of justice, to the love OF
right, to the principles Of free, rcp-
resentative government, which, we
believe, are deeply and firmly i'm
planted in the hearts of the Ameri-
can people; we will "appeal from
Philip drunk to Philip sober" But
if, with willing and ignominious sub
if in very poverty Of manly
spirit if in delusive hope Of momen-
tary case, we sacrifice the inestima
bic. inheritance of American citizen
ship, and declare all who have been
most honored and esteemed among
us to be unworthy and infamous, we
shall incur the contempt, or at best,
but the sneering pity Of our enemies,
who would humiliate and disfran-
chise us; we shall take the first, IA
tai step in that rapid career ofabase-
ment of spirit, so often witnessed in
the history Of peoples, that abase-
ment of spirit which developed the
Greek Of the middle ages
out of the conqucrer of Marathon,
and which engendered the Italian
of the dark ages out Of the Roman,
once the mighty master of the
world. Nor have your Committee,
On the most careful and uninpas-
stoned review of the circumstances
surrounding us, found the least rea-
son to hope that any improper con-
,ession on our part, that any humil
ation or abasement, however am
pie or however abjoct, would obtain
or us the abatement of one jot or
one title from the malignant pur-
poses of our enemies. Nay, such
course on our part would stimulate
hem rather.
On the other hand, if We reject
.hese amendments, five lnluse WI
ingly to transfer our state noVern-
nent and our Representative rights
N the Electoral Colleges andin Con-
rress, from the great master race OF
,he faces constituting the Caueasian
'amily of nations, to "Aiiicans and
ihe descendants of Africans )" if
amid the ruins of our property, we
stand undaunted, unappalied by the
hangers which grid us, and refuse
to sacrafice for an empty
shadow, delusively promising pres
mt quiet, the rights Of the State,
whose representatives we are, the
priceless rights of American citizen
ship, rights declared in the Consti-
,ution itself to be inalenable, we
shall preserve our national spirit as
IN integral portion Of the American
people, we shall retain our own self
respect, we shall command the re-
,pect of the civilized world and
f our enemies we shall have the
honorable sympathies of the great
masses and Of the good men of the
Northern States and when the
passions of the day are past, they
will do us justice, and thank us for
he stand we here make Coward
ce, baseness of spirit never wins
Justice is often tardy, but eventual
y triumphs; the people of other
States will eventually say of much
abused Texas, her peopleare worthy.
Your Committee are then Of opin-
on that submitting to our situation
IN good faith, having frankly yield
d up the issues decided in the hate
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