The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-04-18
Communicated.
COMMITMENTS VI
rhe Dny ~ JNbilc' tsCOmN let Nj thF
I1pUItIs IlelulCe,

LHTOukn lHtlI NHohtU tpl'H'h'''F''
aud ratified Ivy them by q majority
never before attained IN the state, goes
into eiit OF az tue fundamental chartsr
Of our liberties. an.
THIS day every person holding oiiiee
under the former Constitution cceases
10 be an officer, and In succeeded by
one chosen by the people, at a full fair
and free election under the Wise ana
generous principles OF the new charter
without tumult, bloodshed, war or
revolution, tho change has been carri'
ed To frultion through the intelligence,
conservatism aud patriotism OF mi
lion and a half Of brave and liberty
loving people
But why should this transformation
be hailed as day OF jubilee, thanks
giving and rejoicing? Let the'evil
deeds Of eleven years answer.
When the war closed and Texas lay
PROSTATE subject to the will of the Vie
torious party, IA military Governor was
put over the people. Considering
the angry passions OF the
hour frailties OF our race,
the pressure from without aud the 0c'
casional rashness of some Of our own
people, the spirit Of truth and justice
demand OF him who would write III
their spirit the admission, II not the
affirmative asseveratlon, that as Mill
tary Governor for about year, receive
Ing his credentials from Il then preJu'
diced ruler, Andrew J. Hamilton, now
In his grave, acquitted himself In such
manner rs to be entitled to the respect
of the people. His persecutlon con-
tinued but u moment Till his better
nature prevailed and he sought 10 les
sen IL not to Danish tho sorrows OF the
multitude. Peace be to his ashes. Let
his errors he forgotten-his virtues
cherished.
Next came reconstruction on the
johnson plan in 1865. For the mo-
ment the people felt restored to theirs
and bravely went to work to re-estab-
lish liberty, law and constitutional
government for themselves and their
posterity. They framed new Constl-
tuition, elected full set of officers to
carry out It's principles and believed
all would he well. In dong so they,
while governed by the highest prlnci-
pies of patriotism, failed to realize ana
To provide for all the unavoidable ra-
suits destined to spring from the war,
The national power, under the control
of unreasoning men, lustful Of gain ana
supremacy, through the power OF the
bayone!, dethroned the chosen tune
tionaries Of the people, and removed
them into state Of enforced pupilnge
under military hppointees rs civil ON
GERS. The people groaned IN anguish,
bat we've powerless. Submission and
trust in the God Of Moses Were alone
left them, and these they embraced
with faith and hope. Power ran riot
over the land, and the people mourned,
BY aud 10y II new reconstruction, by
the ruling power at the National cap
itol, was planned aud put in execution.
The lately emauSipated slaves, mainly
kind and docile, but exceedingly ignor-
ant and easily Deguiled by the fork ed
tongues and lying deceits OF pretended
friends in the persons of shreWd white
charlatans, were clothed with the right
OF suffrage, while that sacred, inh erited
right was denied to thirty or forty
thousand of the best, wisest and most
patriotic sons and fathers of the State.
Under this new and forced recon
struction the bastard new State Gov
eminent went into operation IN the
early months of 1870. Not man was
chosen to State or District Office or "a
Congress, who could have carried the
votes OF a fourth Of the bona iide, labor
Ing, producing and tax-paying people
of the State In n fair and honest cleo
| ton mot one
Then began, in April, 1870, "A reign OF
terror aud official despotism, vulgarity,
robbery and murder, which to describe,
would fill q volume, and the recital OF
which would curdle the blood In the
veins of our Northern fellow citizens
In these calmer and happier days. Yes
thank God! let II be repeated, these
calmer and happier days.
This reign of terror-this unholy
reign OF ignorant, vulgar aud vicious
men continued, with greater or less
intensity from April, 1870, till the mid
die Of January, 1874, when the people
triumphed In so far as to get control o.
the Legislature and to place a man 0
their own choice in each State office
to be soon followed by the selection OF
new Supreme Court IN lieu Of one
which by q bubble as to the position
Of o semi-colon In plain sentence, had
loaned itself to an infamy no less than
the sacrifice of public liberty to the
perpetuation in power of a despised,
Inscriptions, and infamous COterie Of
partizans, .odious In the Utmost recesses
Of the public heart.
Hence, with renewed zeal, was con
tinued the efforts begun a year sooDer,
by the A Thirteenth Legislature, tc
knock the shackles from the limbs OF
the people and re-establish free consti-
tutional government in State whose
birth, youth and manhood had each
been baptised in patriot blood
Public virtue prevailed. A Conven'
ton, representative of the whole peo
pie was called, elected and assem- bled
II sent forth for ratification or rejec
ton new Constitution designed tC
promote the unity, honor, welfare and
glory of all Texas. The people In
their majesty, as with the voice
Of many waters, by the un-
precedented majority of eighty
thousand, in total Of $4,000, placed
their seal of appreciation to the instrll-
ments; and, on the same memorable
day, chose men of their own choice for
every office in the State-whether for
State, district, county or precinct. This
was ON day in the midst of winter,
when the sun of heaven, from his ris-
ing to his going down, shone forth in
oil the splendor and majesty of his re.
gal glory. The God of Washington
smiled as the ransomed people Of the
land--the old and the young-the halt,
the lame and the bliDd--peacefully is
sued from their homes and proceeded
quietly and thankfully to deposit their
voices In the box of liberty, guarded
by the angels Of Truth and Right.
This day--this blessed eighteenth