The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-02-12
PARTY SPIRIT.

It is very well for the Galveston Be'es,
Houston Mercury and kindred journals to
talk about what they term the Independence
of the press, and to inveigh vehement terms
against party spirit, and to deprecate the
course OF what are called partisan journals,
but they ought not, and surely the intelli-
gent men of the country will not, cease to
remember the past and the present eondi-
ton Of public affairs.
lit were q mere question betkeen the
..ins and outs'' of Office and ofiiceholders,
then the course Of these journals would be
proper; there would be lofty spTrit of,Pa-
triotism exhibited in their apparent self
abnegatiOn. aa
In all sincerity and candor, have these
cotemporaries forgotten the history Of the
country for the last eight years, and Partic-
ularly for the past four9 If they have. the
citizens of Texas, they may rest assured,
have not, and will never cease to remember
those ill-fated years as the darkest and
gloomiest in our political history. And
now, when this night of gloom is passing
away, and the people are expltant at the
re-assertion of the principles OF public lib
erty, lngrained even in the minds OF the
Young. are they to be rebuked, and the
press that speaks for them to be censured
when they give expression to their JOY
Are we to cease to remember that we had a
Governor distinguished for his talents,
fidelity to principle, and patriotism, set
aside by arbitrary power and super
seded by man who was rejected by
the peopleg We refer to- Governor
Throckmorton. Now, when these dis
tinguished gentlemen are no longer aspi-
rants for position,. and when our motives
cannot be misinterpreted, we can speak ol
them as they deserve. Are we to forget
that melancholy period when the officers OF
great and noble commonwealth were re-
moved and military despotism occupied
the honored places of the civil government
These papers know and the citizens of this
State have painfully appreciatiFe Tememi
brance of the tyranny exercised oyer tins
people, when stockades were created and
the prison employed for the incarceration Of
our best and most worthy citizens.
It was the "man on horseback, =
revival of the days of the 'irer
mask" Do not the editors of these
journals know, that it is a princi
pie stamped upon the American mind, that
the first duty of citizen is an adherence OF
that military control which asserts itspowel
over civil government Mr., Webster in his
dictionary, in defining the word ''epoch,i
in order to enforce a sentiment upon the
mind of the reader quotes the memorable
words of Mr.. Madison: "The fifteenth
century was the unhappy epoch of military
establishments in time of peace" Wha
has been the course since then, during tht
Davis administration, which these Journals
have at times lauded9 aass
Has it not been one continued scene o
official corruption, bribery and perfdy7
And with the knowledge Of all thes
things, to talk of no partyism, conservatism
and the adoption of policy which IirDHs
if it means anything, blind forgetfdlAe Res
of the past, and the continuance of men i
power whose conduct has shocked the mora
sentiment of the country Letus say oal
such, that while the good and true men @
Texas are willing to be silent in regard t
the past, they are firm and true in the pat
of patriotic duty, and that they regard fide
ity to party, in our present condition, nc
as factious or unreasonable, but an oper
honest defense of the principles of publ
liberty. If they, or the press which rel
resents them, failed to speak, the ver
stones would speak for them.