The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-03-05
SPEECH
OF HON. GEORGE QUINNAN, OF
WHARTON, ON THE 2ND OF
MARAOH 1885,
At the Laying of the Corner
Stone of the New Capitol
of Texas.

The following were the closing re-
marks of Hon. George Quinan at the
laying of the cornerstone of the new
capitol of the state of Texas, March 2,
1885:
Houston was a man of different
mould. Of tall and imposing pres
ence, a countenance which displayed
Intelligence, tirmness, and self-reli-
ance; he was born ruler of men,
When he came here he had already
made himself a name. He had dis
tinguished himself at the battle of the
Horse Shoe, had been member of
congress, governor of Tennessee, and
an Indian chief. San Jacinto has filled
the continent with his renown. He
had rare judgment Of men, and
was a skilful politician. There
were few men with whom he came OF
was likely to come in contact, OF
whose character and antecedents he
had not an intimate knowledge
Though not great orator he was an
effective speaker. In all his public
speeches, there were passages which
fastened themselves upon the memory
and are to this day often quoted
Napoleon said "Epithets were things
no one had a finer art in bestoWing than
Houston, and his gifts were as the
shirt of Nessus." His administration
of the government was marked by
prudence and wisdom. He restored
our finances to a healthy condition
and was the first to apply the maxim
since made famous here, pay
as you go. He maintained peace
with the Indians. He favored
and encouraged the colonies of Ger
mans, which have added so much to
the wealth and prosperity of the state.
His polite management of our foreign
affairs contributed largely to anneXa-
ton by exciting the Jealousy OF other
governments. In the United States
senate he was the marked of all
amazing sagacity and abit!ous, but it
WAS to serve his country we'll. lie
loved Texas as he loved his own.
Nothing in his political career was
nobler than its close, opposed as he
was known to be too secession when
governor, he refused the offer of mill
tary aid from the federal government
to ma1naain his authority, choosing
rather to be deposed. from his
high position, than be
the means of inaugurating
a bloody strife within the state.
In this necessarily brief and frag-
mentary notice of the settlement of
Texas and some OF the leading Incl
dents and characters of our struggle for
independence, it has been my purpose
to show how meet and right it is that
we should keep this day holiday, how
worthy the great events of our revolu-
ton, the character and the conduct of
the great men who figured in it, how
proud we should be of the name of
Texan and of the history of Texas,
every page of which is brilliant with
heroic deeds and illustrious names
We boast to day Of the greatness of
our state, its extent, the eXuberant
fertility of its soil, the wealth of her
resources, her increasing population,
but the richest heritage we possess is
the priceless record of noble actions
and noble names left us by the found
ers and fathers of the state. It should
be known of all the jewellers within
our borders. 1t should be taught in
all our schools and institutions of
4Ool mug 1ho young ouOuIu 1Cd1 II
as they read the story of Bunker Hill
and Saratoga, of Valley Forge and
Yorktown. For surely a people
taught the lesson our history teaches
of perseverance and fortitude, OF
dauntless courage, of self-denying de.
votion to country and the love OF
freedom-taught to revere the
memory of the fathers
and emulate their virtues,
though reyerses may come, and war
pestilence and famine may devastate
the land, and wealth take to itself
wings and fly, for them there is al
ways hope! Though cast down they
can never be utterly cast away! They
will rise again! Another Alamo or
Goliad, should such befall, will surely
be followed by the great deliverance
of not less glorious San Jacinto! =
But must hasten on. It was as l
have said, one of the first cares of the
first congress of the republic to fix the
permanent location of the seat OF
government. A commission was Gre
ated that, like Joshua's messengers,
was to pass through the land and de-
scribe it. After passing to and fro,
this commission reached the spot
upon which this city hath her
pleasant seat. And here they
beheld land of such rare beauty, such
adaptation to the object of their
search, that they determined to rest
here and fix upon this hill as the site
of the future capitol. 1t was in truth
a scene or rare loneliness upon which
they looked. Splendid as your city is
to-day, with its elegant residences and
beautiful gardens, its stately ware
houses and public buildings, its nu-
merouS churches whose graceful
spires point to heaven, doubt wheth-
er it will bear comparison with the
enchanting scene as it broke upon the
delighted eyes of the explorers.
Nestled here amid the hills, IN all the
wild luxuriance and beauty of nature,
to them every hill seemed a flower
crowned Ida, and everySvalley as the
vale of Tempe. The selection made
by the commission was immediately
adopted by congress, and twice since
then. the people of Texas at popular
have ratified the happy
choice. The convention of 1875 made
a provision for the building of the
capitol. setting apart three millions of
acres of the public domain for that
purpose. The Legislature of 1882 au-
thoriZed the immediate erection of
building, and board was created, at
the head OF which was the governor
of the state, to determine upon the
plan of the work, and contract for its
execution.
A leading idea with the commission
IF hn FOL
upon a scale commensurate with the
vast extent OF the state and its in
population, its resources and
their future development. Their de-
sign was that it should be worthy the
state, that its dimensions should en-
brace ample room and verge enough
for the accommodation of all the
officers of the state doing business at
the capital, its legislature and its SUI
preme judiciary, and for the transac-
ton of the public business; that it
should preclude the idea of the re-
noval of the seat of govern
ment or division of the
state, as acts of stupendous
folly. They invited plans and designs
for the building from the most accom-
plished architects of the uuion, and
from many submitted to them of rare
excellence, they selected one which for
to the uses of the state,
admirable proportions and magnifi-
;ence Is unrivalled in any capitol of
my state in the Union.
Here its broad foundations have
been laid deep and sure. To-day we
witness the laying of its cornerstone.
Let Its proud walls ascend on the