Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-03-24

Tie mnlOfliy 81 the 'uWWlilN' "N wv
Condition of the State reported tho follow
. Ordinance
"The people Of the State OF Texas In Com
ventioa assembled, acknowledging The su-
,prcmacy OF The Constitution Of the uniisi
States, aud the laws made Ia pursuance
thereof do orlain that the Ordnance pass
ed 10y q Convention In the city OF Aus ~,
on the lst day OF February, 1851, entitled
"An Ordinance TO dissolve the union be-
tween the state OF Texas aud The other
SAFES, united un,ler the compact styled the
Constitution OF the United States OF Amer
lea. b. aud the same IL hereby rnnnlled
and declared TO be OF no further 20, CT
II was moved TO sales.--future the Ordinance
reported by the minority OF the Committee
IN its place, which WIS to declare the Or
dlnance OF Secession ",o be null aud vold
ab mlto." Upon this motion, Judge FaA-
RgR s.iL;
Mn. rRssiDESr--l do not Intend TO dis
crss the question OF secession. That mas
been discussed for the last forty years, by
the abesl minds the world ever saw. That
has been decided by one Of the most terri
bic wars that stands recorded In history.
But there is a principle involved IN tins
challenges my respect. rciieralo now,
what announced in The early pnri OF tins
Convention, thai conflict OF poliiicnl op.
inion is hot u crime. call the attention
of gentlemen. TO The fact that there Is not n
nation uron The lace OF tho eailh that has
engaged by treaty, or otherwise, 10 deliver
up refugee, Ia consequences OF political
opinions. Political offenders are not with
=. a.. a L.. ~ Eaxnfnmput
upod eurih. That gives the sanction OF The
world TO The fact that any man may enter
min his political opinions, AMI that this ~
virtue and not q crime.
will now state Que more proposition
aud nm done. The conflict of political
opinions was C principle involved in tho
late contest. The war with all It's disasters,
it's fearful consequences, its priva'ions us
trials aud sad effects, was the consequences
RI OF political opinion and not the prIciplc
upon which the South aud North acted.
Shnll we now SHIFT our action from the
principle involved, to the consequences
that resulted rom tho announcement and
assertion Of that principlel l answer
TIA, VIC shall not.
What, then, is to be the guide Of our ac-
ton and what is 10 be the controlling
rule Of our conduct In regard to that; |
have only 10 say, let us, by affirmative ac-
tion, nckno Wedge the supremacy of the
Constitution of the United States, and the
laws made in pursuance thereof, and re-
nonnce, fully and unqualiiiedly, the right
OF secession.
II you declare this ordinanre null and
viod db miho, in accordance with the re-
port o. the minority OF the Committee, what
do you do? You invalidaie all the mar
riages you bnstardize pl the children of
the counfry-you annul every contract
made, and yoa annul every debt, since the
Ordinance Of secession.
stand here, to-day, to vindicate the 9Th
Judicial District, IN all OF its acls and pro-
cecdings, during the war. | proclaim 10
the world, that throughout the war, il pre-
serv d, unimpaired its nws and protected
every man that oicnpiel the soil, without
regard 10 his polticni opinions. That dis
trict preserved the integrity OF the State Of
Texas, so far as, il was concerned; that dis
trict held the property OF the people, and
the patriotism qf the State, (if you choose
go TO call it) in trust, and kept them in
trust until the Government OF the United
States came forward TO receive them that
district maintained its laws, intlc, until
the Provisional Government took posses.
sion OF them thai strict used aud excr
cised its laws 10 protect Tho citizen from
the mob; that district, without regard TO
a man political opinions, protected him in
the enjoyment of all his rights. The Inv
was ever successfully exercised 10 preserve
the peace, and protect Tie person, life and
property of the people, and will be
stretched and qnartetel upon the porch of
the capitol, in tho presence of the assern-
bled multitude; before | will say that the
Government which brought so mich good
to the country, or that ordinance under
which this state Of things existed, was
null and void, ab initio.
have said enough, and | have said as
much MS my rejecting man can ask, me to
say, wlen1 have said an, willing TO re-
cognze the supremacy Of the Constitution
of the Unite Sta'cs, and renounce afr
malively, the right of Secession.