The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1873-12-13

Whenever sdllvicnily populated,
should become separate State. Under
this guarantee, in the year 1885 Texas
elected delegates to a convention to
prepare and send to the Federal govern
ment of the city of Mexico constitu-
ton for Texas, and ask that she. be adj
mitted as sovereign State into the
Mexican Union. That conventions,
now little over forty years ago, en-
braced among its members the moral,
intellectual and patriotic lights of the
country, of whom were Stephen f.
Austin (the father of the country;
William II. Wharton (the Patrick
Henry of Texas; Sam Houston, whose
name afterwards BECAME worldwide;
James Kerr, the first American pioneer
of Western Texas; Nestor Clay, young
star of the first magnitude, soon after
wards to 80 down In death; David G.
Burnet, afterwards first President of
the Republic; Robert NJ. Williamson,
the famous Three-Legged- Willie, and
brilliant army of talent, genius and
patriotism never surpassed by any
| conv0cation Of equal numbers on the
American continent. That was the
| first effort of Texas to live under free
constitution, made by her own people.
Austin, the father of Amerlcanism III
this country, was deputed to bear the
proposed constitution to the city Of
Mexico and ask Its acceptance by the
Federal government. Instead Of q
friendly reception, he was cast into
prison and there held for two years.
So Texas began early to learn the value
of liberty and to despise tyranny.
ethe re volution began In 1885
Texas again elected q convention to
form free constitution, as an inde-
pendent Republic, in defiance of Mex
lean despotism. To that illustrious
body, which assembled in the town OF
Washington on the first day of March,
1886, the people sent Sam Houston,
Thomas J. Rusk, James Kerr, Daniel
Parker, John A. Wharton, Charles B.
Stewart, and a second array of noble
patriots and statesmen, fully equal to
the great cony vocation in 1888. Men OF
chaff and superficial attainments were
rejected in both cases, and only the
choice spirits of the land selected to
pioneer the ship of state through those
perilous periods. These noble men
enacted the constitution of 1886, al
instrument which won admiration
from every State in the American
Union, and from the wisest statesmen
in Europe.
] Next came the convention of l845
connected with annexation, TO form ,
constitution for Texas as State in the
Union.
In that third convention of 1915
Texas again she'd luster on her name
by sending to it men then famous 70
wisdom and pirity, andsSine Of then
: aft, ards ,powii la lis viiole nation
as cmineni ssatcs1rn among tscn
ThomaS . Risk, James flitcsDe,
Henderson, Chief Justice John Hemp
hill, Judge Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Val
Zandt, volney E. Howard, Georg
William Brown, Charles b. Stewart
and Others. The work of their hands
the constitution of 1916, was regards
in all parts of the Unitn, by many Q
the ablest men in the land, as an i'm
provement on any State theretofor
? adopted In the United States. low
: largely copied her constitution fror
this one Of Texas.
The next constitutional assembling
In Texas was that in connection wit
secession In January, 1881, compose
n about one hundred and eighty men
/ bers, embracing. as much talent, es
o perience, integrity and patriotism Z
ever assembled in the State, Bt
their labois were rendered null an
: void by the fall Of the Confederal
= States government, and need not
, Mrthcr mentioned.