Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-06-20
The Texas Legislature.
4 PEN PICTURE OF A SOUTHERN STATE HOUSE
AND ITS OCCUPANTS.

.
| Letter To the New York Tribune.l
I visited the Legislature this morning,
going first to the House. The hall is toll
erably well adapted for the purpose, but
is dirty and shabby Part of the plaster
ing has fallen off the ceiling, the walls are
1 discolored, the windows, never washed,
are hung with old green cambria curtains,
which to save fixtures are tied in knots,
I the big fireplaces have nomantels and are
only huge, black holes in the wall, and
| the wood is piled on the floor, accumula-
49,, l-.--,,-- - L---L ,rI .li-. IL. s..a,laol
| door leading ont to the portico has lost
its lock and is kept closed by bar made
of an old signboard, bearing the name
| Pianos in large letters. 1t is n very
economical Legislature, and the member
who should propose an expenditure of
| fifty cents for bolt or of two dollars for
wood-boxes would, no doubt, he severely
censured for extravaganza. When | en-
tered the House the Clerk was endeavor-
ing to read bill and smoke n cigar at
the same time and most of the members
were smoking with their feet on their
desks. The Speaker had collapsed into
his big chair and was quite invisible from
the front, and the whole body had n wild,
western free-and-easy air. L lighted II
cigarette and found a seat next to a VEN
erable colored member, who had removed
one of his boots to ease his bunions, and
had elevated the relieved foot to posi-
ton within two inches of the right ear of
the white member just in front of him.
The pictures on the walls soon distract
ed attention from the w-makers. On
one side of the Speakers chair hangs II
life-sized portrait of Stephen Austin, the
Connecticut Yankee, who was the
first President of Texas-a wiry, intense,
sharp-featured man, looking more like II
lawyer than frontier hero. In his hands
he holds a scroll labelled Constitution
de Ia Republica de Texas" Did the an
tist think the language of Mexico would
be preserved after her government had
been rejected? This picture is balanced
on the other side of the Speaker by fine
full-length portrait of Governor Sam
Houston in the attitude and with the ac-
cessories of Stuart's Washington re-
markable picture, faithful to the smallest
details of the veins and tinger-nails and
the texture of the carpet. The old Texan
hero has a grand leonine face and an I'M
posing figure. The mighty Nimrod of
early Texas history, David Crockett, is
the third in the trio of founders of the
State commemorated ON the walls of the
Capitol. He is in hunting costume of
deerskin shirt and leggings, with long
rifle in his hand aud n powder horn slung
at his side. The smonth face and long
hair parted i'll the middle give the coun-
tenance rather feminine look, or would
if it were not for the strong nose and
month and the stal alwart form
A dauby battle-piece which the State is
asked to buy for $1,000 attracts far more
notice from visitors than these noble por-
traits of Texan heroes. 1t represents
Gen Lee at the battle of the Wilderness,
riding along the Confederate front, with
group of generals Gathering at his heels.
The rebel battle-ilag tlaunts bravely ut
the head of line of savage-looking men
i'll gray, while in the far distance, dimly
seen through the smoke, are the Stars and
Stripes, born by retreating line of blue.
There is nothing noble i'll the picture.
The faces, except those of Lee and Stone
wall Jackson. are brutal and ferocious.
Mast never drew worse faces i'll his carl
caturrs Of the rebels than this Texas ar
tst has painted This coarse reminder
Of the civil war eX,-itcs uuhoundrd admir-
lllbll. anu II ti~tlstllN stAlpNu
Of enthusiastic visitors. What is the
motive for rdisplayinGit thus conspicuously
in the legislative hall. if il is not to keep
alive the bad passions and prcludices
surviving the downfall of the rebellion
Soon after the war CuIcd, when 1t WAS
proposed To commemorate some of the
victories Of the Union hy paintings in the
Capitol ai Washington. Charles Sumner
protested aeainst thus perpetuatinS the
memory OF II conflict between brothers of
the same nationality, ami lIs protest has
been respected ever since. Texas. 1t
seems, l. not .'u WIS., and uagunimOus.
In The Senate Chamber there is another
m-menio of the helliuu--l portrait Of
the Texas General Green in full Con-
frderatc uniform. Green lost his head by
Il cannon ball. \ Uninnist, who knew
him well. tells me that he was at heart
a strong Union man, and was dragooned
into the rebellion. like many other old
Wings in the South. If the Texas Sem
ate believed this it would probably take
the picture down.