The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-02-11
Party Spirit.
From the Austin stalelman

F''"' WV NNAllN Tltlt imNn
~ Is very we'll for the Galveston
news, Houston Mercury aud kindrc
Journals To lulk about what thoy torn
.ne Independence Of the press, aud I,
lhVelgh in vehement terms nunIns
party spirit and To dcpricate the cours,
OF what ARE called partlzan Journals
oul They ought not, and surely In,
intelligent men of the country vii
not cease to remember the past an,
the present condition Of public affairs
II ~ were u mere question between
tlle ms and outsp OF Office and Office
holders, then the course of these iour.
mails would be proper there would be n
lolty spirit of patriotism exhibited In
their apparent se(-abnegation.
IN all sincerity and candor, have
these contemporaries forgotten the his
tory of the country for tho last EIGHT
years, aud particularly for the past
lou" If they have, the citizens OF
leNas, they may rest assured, have
not, and viii never cease to remember
those Ill iated years ms the darkest and
gloomiest IN our political history. And
now, when this night Of gloom is pass
ing away, and the people are eXulant
NJ mo reasserlion Of the principles. of
public liberty, ingtained even in the
minds OF the young, are they TO be re-
buKed, and the press that speaks for
them TO be censured when they give
expression TO their joy? Are we 10
cease to remember that we had gov
ernor distinguished for his talents,
ndelity to principle and patriotism, set
aside by arbitrary power and super
seded by n man who was rejected by
me people? We refer to Governor
ihrockmorton. Now, when these dis
tlhgulshed gentlemen are no longer as
pirants for position, and when our mo-
yves cannot be misintcrpreted, we can
speak of them rs they deserve.
Are we to forget that melancholy
period when the officers of n great and
noble commonwealth are removed
and military despotism occupied the
honored places Of the civil govern
ment" These papers know and the
OF this State have painfully |
remembrance of tho |
tyranny exercised over this peopIe.
when stOckadcs were created and the |
prison employed for the INCORPORATION
)i our best and most worthy citizens.
It was the oman on horseback" re,
iival of the days of the "iron mask"
Do not the editors of these journals
know that it is a principle stamped
lpon the American mind, that the first
luty of citizen is an oLiiorrence of
hat military cont.Of which asserts its
power oypa civil government? Mr..
Webster, in his dictionary, in defining
he word "epoch,' in order TO enforce
sentiment upon the mind of the read
II, quotes the memorable words of Mr.
Madison: "rhc fifteenth century was
he unhappy epoch of military estab-
ishments in time of peace" What
has been the course since then, during
he Davis administration, which these
ournals have mt times lauded?
Has it not been one continued scene
If official corruption, bribery and per-
Idly?
And with the knowledge of all these
hings, to talk of no partyism, conserv-
Itism, and the adoption of q policy
which means, if it means anything, a
bind forgettulness of the past, and the
continuance of men in power whose
conduct has shocked the moral senti-
nent of the country! Let us say to all
uch, that while the good and true men
If Texas are willing to be silent in re-
;ard TO the past, they are firm and true
II the path of patriotic duty, and that
hey regard fidelity to party, in our
PRESENT condition, not as factious or
but an open, honest de-
ense of the principles OF public liberty.
f they, or the press which represents
hem, failed to speak, the very stones
would speak for them.