The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-10-01

THE Gollad oonven ton adopted res
olutions indorsing Governor Coke "as
patriot aud statesman, honest and
above reproach," and expressing con-
hdence In and approval of his admin
istratlon. The secretary was instruct
cd to convey TO the governor u ccrti-
fled copy Of the resolutions. From
some cause they We're delayed, III tran
sa,,and did not reach their destination
until week before last.
Governor Coke, In reply TO the letter
Of the secretary conveying the resolu
tlons, expresses his grateful apprecia'
ton Of the high testimonial to his OIL.
cial course afforded by the resolutions,
and then proceeds to make n defense
of the action of the Legislature In re-
fusing to call constitutional conven-
ton ut It's last session.
We surrender our editorial space
this morning to u republication of so
much Of the governors letter rs re-
lates to state affairs:
The disorders of the body polite,
consequent upon the great civil war,
upon the upheaval of our social, domes-
tic and labor institutions, upon the
measures of reconstruction enforced
by the government of the
United States, and upon mal-ad.
ministration of the state government
from 1867 to the incoming of the pres
ent administration, are too deep seated
and complicated to be reached and re-
moved in the short period which has
elapsed since the fifteenth day of Jan
uary last. Much of good was accom-
plished, under circumstances of I'M
usual difficulty,which, in my Judgment,
has never been fully appreciated and
understood by the people, by the thir-
teenth Legislature. Many of the choic-
est blessings of free government enjoy
ed by the people of Texas to-day, were
secured to us 10y the ability, tact, man
agement and perseverance of that
body. Their action paved the way to
the grand revolution, which, in Janua-
ny last placed the government of Tex
as In the hands of her own people.
tenth Legislature towards bringing
back the government to q heallhful
condition. But reforms indispensable
to good government, which neither of
these bodies could accomplish, because
of distractions to be found in the pres
ent constitution, remain to be inaugu-
rated. These perfected, through the
medium of q convention to frame u
new constitution, which will be called
as soon as the legislature meetsin Jan
uary, and Texas, In all save the heal
ing which time alone can bring, will
be restored to her pristine vig0r of rep
resentative, Observation-Disclosures
An earlier consummation of this result,
so dear to the heart of every patriot,
and SO essential to the prosperity of the
country and the welfare of the people,
while greatly to be desired, could not,
/ am satisfied, have been reached by
more hasty or precipitate means,
without mourning the risk of peris,
which, considering the interests at
stake. it was the part of wise
craftsmanship to avoid. am aware
that much diversity of opinion exists
among the people rs to the wisdom of
the action of the fourteenth legislature
in declining to call a constitutional
convention at the last session, and that
many of the ablest and best men of
Texas, whose opinions have justly great
weight with the people, believe con-
vention should then have been called.
While i would unhesitatingly have
approved q bill providing for consti- !