The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-18
STATE NEWS REPERTORY.

The Houston Post speaks in the fol-
lowing high terms of Prof. Dabney, of
the Texas University: "The New
South is the theme of a discourse de-
hYered at the annual commencement
of Hampton Sidney College, June 10,
1882, by Rev. II. l.. Dabney, ID. D.,
LII. d., then professor of the Union
Theological Seminary, Virginia, and
now professor of mental and moral
philosophy in the University of
Texas. The pamphlet containing
this discourse lies before us,
and though neither new nor
sensational, demands noticeon ac-
count of the pertinence of the
principles inculcated, and because of
the close bond that the author now
bears to the people of Texas. DR..
Dabney is characteristic'illy theolo-
gian and polemic. hut he was the
chief-of-,taff to S,oneMa all Jackson,
and is Il patriot, every inch. His
views OF what the :, ulh il and ought
to be should br respectfully POWDERED,
not only on account of his acknowl-
edged ability and experience, but bC-
cause o; the rure morality and high
characterization tone that ~ rvadps his
address. Ii j. impossible tu anulNZe
this remarkable h "chure i'll u bii
editorial. We can only a lllfe Ia its
scope and tone. ut first we were in
clined to quarrel wrh the Obstinate
clinging to the past forms of p'incil 10
to which men of ID D.btG,A's l'sl-
tive stamp are iIU;ssulutlk M.G'i'd.
We douIted tle justice cr the logic
that would induce us Ia receive what
may be termed coslnical laws OF dc
velopment merely on the ground OF
oh Nv ic oil
that our fathers were any wiser or
better than their sons, but it is natu-
raj for the remnant and representa-
tiveS Of our fathers to think so. But
as we proceeded and forgot the
preliminary ethics in the full
swing and tide of the noble
counsel given to the younger genera
ton, based on the eternal principles
of rectitude and mans accountability
to God, and Gods image 10 himself,
we felt the influence of the prophets
voice and the authoritative ring of q
supreme authority. The manly and
masterful principles which DR.. Dab
ney encourages as the foundation OF
the New South, to be opposed to the
selfish and mercenary spirit OF the
times, is beyond praise; it is simply
the voice of reason and the instinct or
the honorable soul. 1t may be asked,
of what avail is such a plea against
the gusty wind? We reply, such a
stand is invaluable, even If it should
incline one stout and generous soul to
| take up the brave work of discharg-
ing his clear duty as citizen and as
man: This address should be looked
up and read widely and carefully. 1t
is pregnant with truth, and forms an
immortal protest against the sordid
spirit that now ramps through the
land.
The Sabine Pass Times, new
paper, has the following interesting
description of that section: At high
water, the meanderings of the Neches
and Sabine rivers, and their many
tributaries, make from 1900 to 1000
miles of waterway for the farms,
Quarries and shell-banks valuable
timber varieties of southeast Texas.
The debouchere of these rivers Is
into Sabine Lake, beautiful sheet of
water, covering an area of about
ninety square miles, with an average
depth of seven feet. The west, or
Texas shore, is of sand and shell, the
land high, used principally for pas
turage, and is susceptible of culti7a-
ton, with the exception of few
miles, which are interspersed with
bayous, that are skirted with rich
marsh, and considered the most
nutritious. grazing for stock
to be found in the South.
This lake, in turn, empties into pass
about eight miles in length, an aver
age width of about 1000 feet and a
land-locked harbor anchorage of from
twenty-five to forty feet in depth. Its
| II 80 oh a
mean tide, with much higher ridges
of excellent farming land, running
from three to seven miles inland-or
parallel to the gulf-which, in quality,
is second to no coast soil in this lati-
tude, for the production of cotton,
corn and vegetables, also oranges and
all fruit adapted to semi-tropical
climates. The writer has just seen a
stand of stubble and plant cane, on
the farm of Mr.. H. G. Ketchum, that
will compare favorably with the av-
erage stand on the Mississippi river.
The cane juice here seems to weigh
higher. under equal circumstances,
than there, and seems to have differ
ent and more agreeable flavor, and
undoubtedly-with proper appliances
yield an article, in every particu-
lar, equal to the famed Louisiana
sugars.
It is not at all improbable that Ell
Paso may within few years become
, quite an important cotton manufac-
turing point. About three hundred
miles to the south, along the line of
the Mexican Central Railroad, begins
the cotton district of Mexico; and of
almost unequalled fertility. 1t is
called the laguna, or lake country,
from the fact that formerly the entire
valley of forty by seventy-five miles,
was covered by an immense blake.
The waters have receded and now
only occupy the lower end of the val
ley, and the river NaZas, stream
which during the rainy season carries
as much water as the Rio Gran
J de, empties into the lake, furnishing
an abundant supply of water at all
seasons for irrigation. The stories
told of this cotton district are almost
incredible, it being claimed among
other things that the cotton is planted
but once in five or six years and pro-
duceS an average of two bales to the
} acre. Certainly finer cornfields than
the writer ever saw in either Ken
lucky or Missouri are seen all along
the line of the road from the car win
dows and, if the growth of the cot
ton can be taken as criterion by
which to judge of the cotton, the
claims advanced regarding the enorm-
Gus yield of cotton are not mere ex-
aggerations. The greater part of this
cotton has heretofore been shipped to
the City of Mexico, but with the COM
pletion of the railroad we see no rea-
son why it should not be brought TO
Eel Paso and here be worked in Amer
lean factories, thus contributing to-
wards making this an important man
nufacturlng town.-El Paso STAR
Ex-Gov. Savers is visiting Kings
Ranch, and it is understood he is ne
gotiating the same to an English syn