The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-02-12
NO 90


n Retired Texas Statesman.
rhc best satirc We have seen upon 3lr. !
Davis aad his call Tor Federal bayonets /
against free government, IS 70 lafound in
the following withering safilt. lrtn the
New York Tri5aae. Il Is the more sewers /
coming from Republican Journal. For
tunately, Texas has but nine electoral votes !
and her lale Governor was not conh,sleretl an
oracle OF wisdom even in RsdicSl circles.
# it had been different psShaps Texas
would have met the fate Of unhappy I.oui.
siana;
Well Davis 3. ]. Goyer1orat one time.
and one of the willingest men in. 9Texes
to continue in that office, seelns TO hive /
gone out he hlazed up "a little, which at 4
tracted considerable attention. hickereds 1
sputtered and went out He was good I
deal of man, Davis was. His grip on
the Office of Governor was sound and /
healthy. He held it at great expense of |
time, blood, and treasure, to say nothing Of
telegrams 70 Washington, which are quite
costly. He was a very fur MANA man
who was willing 10 doalmost anything for
peace. It was only for the sake Of peace
that he gave up the end Of the capitol he
had possession Of and let 20 the Office to
Coke, whose only claim upon it was that q
mere majority of $4,000 of the voters Of
Texas had expressed a preferepee for him
Davis's position in the whole affair has
been in all respects admirable When the
Legislature, passed law providing for iini
election of Governor and Legislature, he ap-
proved and signed it like leading states 1
man. When the administration cdnventi0n /
for State officers was held, that greatl
hearted man stepped forward and Tesenediti
from disaster by taking the nomination for
Governor himself. There was nothing mean
about Aia. One or two unworthy people
wanted it, but he recognized the crisis and
unlesitatinglyt threw himselfintoth the breach,s
filled the convention with his friends, and
in the manly and dignifed way so. eharac-
teristic of him and his class, wrested the
nomination from the ignobe and base per
sons who sought it and took it himselfh He
did it, we must believe, from no selfish mo-
tive. 1t was to save the State and the
party. But when the votes were. counted
and it was discovered that he lacked some
fifty thousand votes of an election, it put a
new face upon the matter. eNoifurther,
proof of the utter untitness of the people of
Texas for selfgovernment was needed, 1t,
was not his fault. He hid done what he
could to save the State, and anna jorityfof
! so, 900 wretched,s ignorant and misguided
votes had been registered against hims In
some of the States this. would have been
deemed sufficient cause for Federal inter
ference. Itwas really a high-handed OUT
rage, and some governors would at once
have called for troops to put 1t down. Not
so Davis. Davis was calm. lie wonld first
exhaust the resources of statesinanship.
Manifestlya law which provided for an
election which showed so, 600 majority
against the administration and against him,
and which abolished the Supreme Court,
was Unconstitutional And so a Mexican
/ who voted the administration ticket twice
was arrested for illegal voting and brought
before the imperiled court. The court,
/ which would be discontinued if the election
were valid, held on to the Mexican, though
| a grand jury refused to indict, and the dis
trict attorney refused to prosecute him, and,
| in the most able and impartial manner, pro-
| nounced the election null and void. The
| state of the vote was sufficient proof of the
4 unconstitutionality of the, act, but ahe
opinion of the Supreme Court authoritative
lY announced it. Itonly shows how unrea-
sonable the people of Texas are, that even af-
ter this they insisted on inaugurating Judge
4 Coke, for whom they had, in the most
reprehensible and unprineipled' manner,
given sc, 900 majority. Davis, still longing
/ for peace, but bent on supporting the Con
stitution. even il he had to stay in Office Ia
/ do it, telegraphed to Washington that, IL
the entirely ineKcusable and lnnaccountablt
condition of the public mind in the State,
| there was great danger of bloodshed unless
| Federal troops were sent down there to take
care Of the Constitution. SingdlaFly enough
the President repled that he had better sub,
i nit to the verdict of the people. Then :hl
autographed that his, life was in;danger. The
j President did not seem to care. The Attol
ney General did not seem TO care. There
4 didn't anybodyDseem to care. And there
was Davis in, one end ofrthe State gapito
] strengthening up under the Constitution ani
carrying it almost alone-with the othel
archives-and his announcement that fiiI
4 life was in danger excited no enthusiasm
u anywhere. The administration is so uich i
!, leading statesmen, that;the peril Of a,singl
II one, even such, a one Dayis, occasions ~
, anxiety. =" i'''a - i'4
I, Meantime, Coke, the Governor elect, d
the most brutal and high-handed manner
sent him a letter demanding the archives
Deserted by the Federal government, al
, alone in one end Of the Capitol, staggerin,
under the Constitution, what could ne DO
Ah, then the statesman shone-out in him
Resting his head upon his hands, he remem
al beredl The crowning glory Of The Admih
r istration was its successful estab bliSlmeutso o
! the principles of arbitration Tie rose an
wrote note. He said to Coke; Let u
u arbitrate this matter. Let Us leave it
"A President Grant. 90 Governor Coke seem
to be anything but ariglTtniinded MANI II
o declined te arbitrate. It IS q painful reiieC
o ton that any American citizen could refgs
e TO arbitrate. Davis was Wiling to leave
eitherto the President or to Congress. Coul
= anything be fairerg But. Coke refused.
u And then DaYis went out and, left TeKa
y TO the tender mercies of Coke. Poe
/ Texas. we cannot blame Davis Indeed
III no one could blame him now II he shout
O pack his earpct-bag and move out Of .tli
State. Texas deserves It. m And how prou
we. all ought ia. be Of Davis He and ia
rell are representative statesmcn, Dare
offered TO ''swap of a judgeslip for
n second class mission TO save troul5e an
e keep the peace. -DaEis-offeEed- arbitrai
e against so, 600 majority to avoid bloodshet
:, What a pity that that kind Of statesmen b
so rapidly disappearing frofn public iifc, j
II sl ~ d5zT--- y - 3
. - Ie0NNrs1eArEn.l 5. ala 81 1of
) PabIe WeigheFs, n
Before expressing any opinion npoir q
: merit Of the bfR introduced bt AIF. SIM
: SON, and now before ono Of the cofnmittel
Of the House, We have been at some pan
TO ascertain just what the iawnow Is tpo
u the subject, and especially what Il is 4
t tended to Be under this bin. Under the "a
a ssit now stands, a. win be seen by refcrene
i weiphefs TO the number OF six isiay Be- Il