The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-03-05

not alone as a memento of the hero.
ism of the fathers, but the signal of a
united, undivided Texas.
l cannot speak without an emotion
of intense aversion of the division of
the state. It Is not Texan thought.
1t is not native here, nor to the maner
horn. 1t has no place in any patriots
breast. The iron bands which tie to-
gether the remotest counties of the
state, the rushing cars which, for the
larger traveller, annihilates time aud
space, the electric wires which carry
the messages and echo the voice of the
most distant inhabitant of the land
render such deed an act of unneces-
sary folly. The very walls of the
capitol cry out against it. It
is vain to urge the distance from the
borders to the capital as reason for it.
Vain too is the idea that in the diver
slty OF our interests a reason can be
found for division of the state. 1t
has been as it were nursing mother
to the interests of all her people. 1t
offers an open field for the exercise of
all honest Industries and encourages
all. 1t has oppressed no man. 1t
denies no man justice. It infringeS
no mans privileges. 1t provides free
common schools and free university
for all its children. 1t protects mar
rled women in their rights of property,
and first of all the states it has thrown
the protection of the laws over the
homestead of the families securing
them against improvidence OF or mis-
fortune. 1t has founded asylums for
the bIind, the deaf and dumb
aud the insane. Its munificence has
been unboLnded. Oh, from all the
Children the wives and families, from
all the poor and afflicted on the land
daily should the prayer ascend: God,
save the state" and let all the people
say Amen
Vainer yet the imagination, that in
the increased representation and in
tluence of more senator in congress,
compensation will be found for in
creased taxation, and waste of wealth.
in the support of more state govern
ments. building more state capitols.
1t is not so. To divide the influence
of Texas among many is to
diminish the influence of all.
A division would be full of dan
ger to the. Union, the rights of
the states, the liberties of the people.
For if danger should ever threaten
these, it will sure come from the per-
haps natural tendency of the federal
government to centralize, to draw to
itself and absorb all the powers of
government, and make the several
states mere counties of the nation.
To effect such result there is no surer
way than to divide the states.
To divide is to conquer. The strength
of the Union is not in the number of
states which compose it, but in the
strength of the great states, the strong
pillars which upholdit.
But it is not alone ex-
tent of territory, fellow citizens,
nor teeming population, not hills or
vallies. nor lakes or rivers which con-
stitute this state, Its glorious history,
the memory of its patriots and heroes,
its hallowed spots, the scenes Of its
martyrdoms and its triumphs-these
are part of the state. They are the
common property of all its people,
and how shall we divide them? Shall
we tear the pages which record the
glorious past and deal out to each new
state a particular leaf? And of its
great names, how shall we apportion
to each its interest in the illustrious
catalogue?
And the fields of her fame-Gonzales
and Goliad and Bexar, the Alamo and
San Jacinto-all consecrated groundl
Can we partition these and allot to
each separate shrine?
Divide the sGate!i
Oh, dumb forever be the tongue
would utter the sacrilegeous word !!
Withered the hand would sever her
broad domain!
Veterans! pioneer fathers Of Texas!
Beyond the common period of life,
your years have been prolonged to see
this day, to .exult with us IN the amaZ.
ing progress OF the state you won
from the wilderness. And now that
you have beheld its glory, you are
ready, like old Zacheus, to depart in
peace. For you the journey of life is
well nigh ended, and its sun is setting.
You approach the bank of the final
river and walk thoughtfully on its
silent shore. But for you, after life
well spent, there rests no gloom upon
it's waves, no shadows on its tide.
Looking beyond, yon catch perchance
some glimpses Of the dawn in the bet
ter land where soon more efful-
gent lustre shall light the COM
ing day. Listening you hear
faint murmurs of it's harmo.
ny and see the warning tops
of the eternal trees, and lol upon the
other shore your comrades stand to
welcome you.
Pass on! venerable men. Full soon
you will cross over and rest under the
shade of the trees.
And believe this, that while patriot
mist and virtue are esteemed among
men your names will be honored and
your worth kept in remembrance by
the people of the land you redeemed,
the state you founded!