The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-01-17
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government Of TcXas-that Is, the
President and Congress of the Rcpub-
lic-but also by II convention of dcpu-
ties to be chosen by the people. The
latter requirement created n dilemma,
rs there was no authority in the con.
stitutlon or laws for calling such n con-
veution-a body TO dissolve the Repub-
lie and erect 1t into q state OF the
Union. But the statesmen of that day
regarded themselves as the servants
and not the masters of the people. They
regarded the people in n free govern
ment ms the fountain source from
which all political power sprang. Now
we ask the attention of all men to the
course adopted.
Arson Jones was President. His
term of office had commenced but q
few months before. He had nearly a
full term to serve. He was, moreover,
conditionally opposed to annexation.
Yet, as a true Democratic Republican,
he adopted the only possible course to
let the SOVEREIGN PEOPLE express
their voice in the paramount issue SO
deeply affecting their welfare.
President Jones issued his proclama.
ton, reciting all the facts, and then
not "oRDERINu," for he had no such
power, but RECOMMENDING, that OH
the fourth day of June, 1s45, the peo-
pie should elect deputies to a conven-
ton. He went further, as population
had greatly changed since the Consti-
tuition fixed the representation by
counties, and IN order to secure n fair
expression to the whole people, he
fixed the number of delegates anew.
He and all the statesmen of Texas
held to the doctrine that this course
was irregular; yet, if the people, by
their solemn act, through the ballot
box, ratified it, it would be legal and
binding, the same as constitutions
when ratified by the sovereign will.
What followed?
The delegates were elected, and
among them were Rusk; Hemphill.
Lipscomb, Pickney Henderson, Volney
e. Howard, Ochiltree, Baylor, George
William Brown, LIP. Evans, Navarro,
E. II. Tarrant, Isaac Van Zandt, and
others of high character. Sam Hous-
ton was elected, but did not take his
,n,t l,nn,,n Ia ,,rnu At, n lost yisit tn
General Jackson, on his death bed.
They met in Austin on the 4th day Of
July. Rusk was called by reclamation
to preside over the>body. They made
the constitution of 1915, submitted it to
the people, who ratified it, and under
it Texas went intothe Union us State.
President Jones cheerfully yielded his
high position to James Pickney He'll
derson, first Governor elect under that
same State constitution.
All officers of the Republic-Prcsi-
dent, Vice-Presidcnt, Cabinet, Foreign
Ministers, Judges and all county Off
GERS, without Il solitary exception in all
TeXas-promptly and willingly bowed
TO the majesty Of the peoples voice,
yielded up their offices and retired to
private life. 1t was the fairly expressed
will of the people, but expressed out
side of the constitution and laws, on a
paramount question, to which they
Yielded cheerful obedience, and by
which the government itself was
changed from an independent Republic
TO Il State in the American Union.
When the faithful historian hereafter
comes to contrast this illustrious mani
~festation of genuine Iep%ublicanism
with the events now transporting IN
this State, his pen will pause while he
,eeXamines to assure himself that such
things were possible on the soil ofTcXas
in1874.
Here we have lived four years gov
erned by men elected under the frowns
Of the bayonet. At last a free and fair
election is held under a law passed in
strict accordance with the existing
OOllSlllullOll- luISCSV WV SfSi
known in the State has been peace
fully cast-by the unprecedented ma
jority of fifty thousand the sovereign
people have elected their officers for
another term of four years. Yet, in
the face of all this a foul conspiracy is
formed to rob a whole people of their
birthright. The illustrious example of
The patriots of 1915 is trampled under
foot by charlatans clothed with a little
brief authority.
A mock case is made up, and a Su-
preme court is found shameless enough,
in order to hold on to their own offices
md perpetuate their copartisdns in
power after their terms have expired,
md in opposition to the peoples will,
such q court, thus tempted by intense
self-interest, is found to decide the elec-
ton illegal, to ignore the overwhelm-
ing voice of the State, and to miscon-
strue, from motives purely partisan and
selfish, a plain and simple clause of
the constitution, the true intent and
meaning of which were known to
every one engaged in this vile con-
spiracy against liberty.
The narration of these facts by the
imp artial histor ian.of another day,
will constitute the foulest blot on the
pages of Texas history. He will at
tribute most of the previous wrongs to
the passions of the war and the rule of
the bayonet. But this great outrage
by a civil tribunal, in a time of abso-
lutte peace, four years after the restora-
ton of civil government and the with
drawal of the bayonet, will stand with
out a parallel in the jurisprudence of
America. We will have to go back to
the bloody assizes of Jeffries and the
times of Alice Lyle to find a greater
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