The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-04-26

hearts are locked in warm embrace an
each,
Breathing ont the tender tale,
| Beneath the mllk.whito thorn that scents th
evening gale.
And some hopeless, sad, but bright.eye,
maiden is saying:
My lips refuse to say farewell,
For l.. that word, That fatal word,
IIowe,er we promise, hope, believe. ther
bTeathes despair.
A thousand prayerful lips and sweliint
hesrts are invoking Gods choicest bless
ings. For .hs, aye years, tender hearts
yeaIled for the departed loved ones; sor
rowful yet hopeful eyes, each day, eagerly
watch at the gleomiDg along the old-accus
toned paths, anticipating a return OF the
departed and thus, many a sad tomorrow
came and went. And did the husband re
turn to his fond wife, the son to prayer
full mother, who had contided his keeping
TO the god of ar llies and battles, the sweet,
heart to the bosom he had so often rested
upon in the iull fruition Of requited
love? Sound the muster roll, and let the
silent response answer-the dry bones
Mt Goliad, the Alamo and at San Jacinto
to tell their own brave but pitiflu
story. But you and those imperishable
dead bones planted here the tree of liberty;
thus it became watered with the blood OF
human hearts.
Though for time swayed by adverse
winds, that tree sent its roots down below
the drought and frost OF anarchy, its trunk
went up erect-not riven by the storm.
Soon the evergreen unfolded its branches
and now affords welcome shade for the
oppressed ard liberty-loving Of all the peo
pie of the earth.
And where lies the true greatness or
grandeur in the civilization itself or the
primal human agency that produced it? 1t
10 to them that strike the first blow and blaze
the road TO progress and civilization.
The character of Martin Luther will live
in history when Henry Warde Beeches
is quiet in oblivion the. name of Gutten-
berg will be cherished when the printers
and type-setters of the present civilization
are clothed in the dark garb Of utter forget
fulness the name of Columbus will be a
towering monument when thai of the COM
mander of the steamship Great Eastern is
crumbled into impalpaole powder the
name of Morse will electrify the coming
of the Western Union, and other
omnipotent telegraph corporations are
blotted from the minds OF men. The names
of Austin and of Fapnin, Of Bowie and
Frank Johnson, OF Stephen w Blount and
Sam Houston, OF VIM, l.. Hunter and Deaf
Smith, OF Davy Crockett and Ed. Burleson,
and of the men now before me, who blazed
the road to our advancement and civili-
zaton, will be spoken of with veneration
and blessings hundred generations
after the great men Of this day il Texas are
discarded from the pages of history.
Then, whence came these choice bless
ings to Texas; what human agency poured
this priceless treasure into the very laps OF
the two millions of people that now dwell
within these borders? You and your COM
RAIDS in the early days of Texas were the in
struments under the direction of q wise
Providence, to create this civilization aud
unfold our destiny. You and the truly
courageous wife that followed your fortunes,
made these prairies, these rivers, these Mills
and valleys almest sacred by your woes,
your privatioEs, your hertisms.
Men then, footsore and hungry, marched
daily with feet unshod and nightly slept
upon untented fields; women of high
birth and gentle manners gathered
no thornless flowers of comfort and ease,
but they challenged the bowling blasts of
the prairies, the tomahawk of the savage
and the very welcome of the soitudes.
1t, sirs, is to you and those Of your Spar
tan band, who have crossed over the river
that owe the proud privilege of breathing
to day this balmy Texas air, of resting III
the soft rays OF her bright sun, OF looking
down upon these valleys which might seem
to have be-. followed out for the very
home and dwelling place of liberty.
Forty-seven years ago, this very day, \
yanouished foe lies bleeding on the banks
of the San Jacinto! few hundreds OF
ragged and hungry men were the victors,
over almost as many thousands of trained
foreign soldiers, already surteited
with treasure and hpinan blood
their proud general is on bender knee, ask
ing that quarter and mercy so foreign to
his own heart and 50 little in Keeping with
his own mode of warfare. On that even
ing the very heavens smiled, and tor the
first time, the sun went down on this free
and liberated sovereignty. From that good
hour Texas has been free. These people
are now governed by magistrates OF their
own selection, under laws framed by their
own agents; the so called Napoleon of the
west no longer dictates your policies or
commands your battalions; here now
smiles an independent, peaceful, law-abid-
ing and well-governed commonwealth.
Thousands shall spring from your loins
AM pace back with pride and lineal
love their blood to yours. Cen
firms hereafter, in great cities,
from tribes of common Israel shall come
together the good, the eminent, the beauti-
full, TO remember you and learn the lessons
of your unexampled herolsm. Your intiu
ence will endure here for ages, and until
the morning stars sing together your names
will be spoken with gratitude and vehera.
tion.
And shall the state hesitate to outstretch
her arm, once weak but nov stTOug
made so by your valor. to tender that
bounty your noble achievements so richly
earned. Shall the millions remain locked
and bolted in the state treasury while the
widows of dead TexiBn Spartans are almost
without food and raiment2 Just here /
will state that II was my pleasure TO pre-
a i. uFaA q la
LABOR, before the legislature Just adjourned,
to procure the passage Of the law granting
you the meager pension OF $3.50 ayear, and,
strange TO you as IL may seem, many OBJ
stacles were placed In the way. The men
of gray hairs aud tottering footsteps, with
exceptions, opposed your demands against
the state, while a large majority of the
young men-and be it said TO their credit
were your friends and stood between You
and the older members like a pillar Of
cloud by day and pillar Of fire Oy night"
The oldest member OF the 81 nate refused
TO recognize your rights, while Mr.. Mat
lock, the youngest, was your earnest adyO-
cate. The lower house furnished like eK-
amples Of gratitude and patriotism on the
one hand and niggardly economy and base
ingratitude on the Other-tbe Oldest MEMBER
voting against your Just demands, and the
youngest stan1ing by you with unsheathed
words. battling for your rights.
You, sirs, merit Of Texas her highest
honors and richest rewards. She may offer
her bOunties and pensions In simple NOR
sells, but she cannot circumscribe the mem
ory Of your gallant deeds and achieve
ments. There Is now no marble shalt up
risen in the past Of ThermOpyl@, but
I,eonidas and his brave band will live when
the law makers Of Athens and Rome are 10
double oblivion. Nothing save the
Wreck Of matter and the crush OF worlds"
can destroy the monuments reared TO
your valor. for they are and Will ever be in
the hearts Of men
i cannot forget that this is your
festival which you have jOurneyed
20 far 70 keep. / have, therefore, spoken
briefly. Until this hour ] never looted in
to many Of your faces, and perhaps but
lev Of you. until nov, ever looked into
mine. IL is likely We msT never meet each