The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-09-25
now TEXAS DIFFERS FROM
OTHER SrAIEs-- - WHITER

pOlLiCal aDu religious OplplOns from
those about him follows in the narrow
groove carved out by his accustomed
leaders is not fit to serve the public in
any capacity, and yet there Is no
lesson which party-lesders SO con-
stantly impress upon their hearers
as that the assertion of free thought or
of differences of opinion deserves last
ing reprobation. + iit3rs trained IN
the faith that the party can do no
wrong, and that its leaders are already
sanctified, rarely think. But the world
moves, and in no State is progressive
freedom of thought and of the press
more pslpable taan in Texas. The
truth is Texas, as seen on the map,
projects out from the Gulf States and
from those west of the Mississippi,
having little community of thought
with either. Our newspapers are adj
dicted mainly to the discussion of local
questions. Each Texas publication
deYotes more care TO the consideration
of ''Texas facts and fancies" than to
questions affecting the Federal Union,
now proposed to he called "The Ma
tion." Prejudices that sftlict homege-
NOUS populations of older Southern
commonwealth have been rooted out
of Texas, and simply because of in
cursions of multitudes from all States
and all countries. The old Texans are
out numbered as three to one, and
whatever may be said of other
States the population of this is oosmo-
polItan. The only Northern people
ever known in Mississippi were the
carpet-baggers OF the Thsd Stevens,
Chisholm-Ames period of desolation,
knavery Ffeedmans' Bureau, robbery,
wrong and plumber. Those innocent,
rural populations who were sturdy,
copperas-breeches Democrats, educated
and led by Jefferson Davis and Lamar,
never saw any Northerners save those
of Chisholm's SOFT and Chisholm's con-
temporaries, who fled when elected
from offices. Those Mississippians are
Imbued with the profound conviction
that all "Yankees" are of Chisholm's
class of desperate, reckless thieves and
bumpers. But Texas was blest
with countless incursions of industrious
populations from beyond the Ohio and
these have eviscersted absurd local
prejudices of untraveled ignorance
wherever it existed and in politics and
in religion and in relations of races
and of emigres from different
sections there is less of antipathy than
among these populations of Philadel-
phis and New York City.
Among such people, rapidly made
perfectly homogeneous, there is no
need for cowardice in the conduct of q
newspaper. L iitors, like other people,
have the perfect right to say what they
think, and prescription, for opinions
sake, is wholly unknown. Therefore
it is commonly stated by Northern
men, like him who wrote the illus
trated Texan article in Harpep''S Month
ly, after traversing Texas from one ex-
tremity to the other, and in all dlrec-
tons, that we are the freest
In person and opinion of all
the jewellers on the continent.
In view of facts stated by the writer
for Harper and confessed by every
traveller. would not it be infinitely wiser
if Federal power be exerted in Missis-
sippi as in Texas. Here, its presence
is not recognized. Here there are
United States soldiers but they are
part and parcel of the people of Texas.
There are Germans and Yankees and
Butternuts and "Yanks" and Hooziers.
There are Romanists and .Protestants
and Bob Ingersolls and Major Penns;
this very diversity of be getting per-
feet unity which should pervade the
South. Not elsewhere.on Gods footstool
is freedom more perfect, wheth er
of thinking, expression, or action
in society or government. in mat
tiers of religion or politics. Why may
not the President and Congress
and the politicians employ the
force of Northern opinion diff
erently and shape differently questions
whose solution make presidents
and disburse spoilsG Why not beget In
Mississippi, even among the sand hills
of Kemper aud in the jungles of va
zoo, those very conditions of opinion
which have liberalized Texas and en-
a5les popular and learned preachers
to effect the absorption and incor-
porstion of negroes into most fash
ionable churches, even here in the cap
ital of Texas. 1t is free country.
Preachers, white or black, have per-
feet rights, and we have none to in
terpose passionate condemnation, even
if so disposed, of their acts or
speeches or prayers. And we do thank
God that Texas must be, because of its
very geographical independence and
infinite diversities of its populations,
the freest of commonwealth. Here a
witch will never be burned; here no
man will be esteemed less for his opin-
ions affecting church or State, and
here all men, in the eyes and hearts of
all others, wherever born, if honest,
are the squalls of all others.
NO BELL PUNCH WANTED.
The best population, most prosper