Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-17

100 years after the destruction Of the
La Sale colony, till the stars and stripes
rose above the Crescent City on the
purchase of louisiana these missions
were the seats of Spanish power and the
centers Ground which settlement clus.
tered. Standing desolute, yet beautiful
and grsnd even in luins, these old mis-
siors appeal to us;witb eloqnence beyond
all words. They are the land marks Of
banishlng, the boundary stones OF re-
ceding empire. They are monu-
ments of the mistaken zeal
of powerful and pious order.
The extension OF the limits of the
United States to the Sabine river caused
the concentration OF the Spanish military
forces on that stream. The interval be-
tween the purchase of Louisiana and the
settlement of Texas BY Stephen Austin is
| filed with turbulent events, but not cut
fciently important OF results to ADMIT of
extended mention here. The came year
which witnessed the fnal liberation Of
Mexico from her 800 years OF Spanish
rule beheld the inception OF the plsn
| which resulted in
THE FREEDOM OF TEXAS,
the coleniz Stion by-Stepheu Austin. The
interval OF fifteen years between
the arrival Ct Austin and the
independence of Texas is filled
with events to which such brilliant and
| exhaustive reference has been made by
the scholarly jurist, orator and states
man who has preceded me that any al
fusion to that would mar the delight
memory that must linger of the words
that fell like pearls from lips go sage.
But will advert to- one feature Of thst
period. In March, 1886, the convention
of the then province OF Texas assembled
at Washington, on the Brszos. On the
second day of its existence that conven-
ton formulated "declsratioa of T,1is
independer which in literary merit
| CHALLENGES COMPARISON
with the finest productions OF our
language. That same body Of men in
fourteen days prepared the constitution
OF the republic of Texas which remained
for nine years without suggested
amendment thet organic law OF Texas.
II should not be forgotten that this con-
stltution was framed amid an overWhelm-
ing invasion, that participation in the
proceedings of that convention was
threatened death and that those who
drafted that constitution laid down their
pens to grasp the sword; that it WAS in
| QGeu pOEu hLulu Iuc Cteeu ~ otus duu
rocked in the cradle of war. The
benefcence and perfection OF
its provisions, the rspidity
and the reverence with which 1t was
obeyed make the constitution Of 1886 one
ct the evidences that the Anglo Saxon
race Is
CAPABLE OF SELF GOVERNMENT.
| hn hat
were the disciples of Jefferson. They
were the evangelists of liberty, for wher.
ever that race breathed on land or ses
oppression ceased instantly. The princi
pies which they proclaimed at Washington
on the End of March, 1886, they, fifty days
later at San Jscinto, sealed with theil
blood. 1t WAS the old conflict
between the Latin and the leu
ton. II had been battled wher
the armada WAS dispersed, and at Trafal.
gar and Waterloo, and fate had de-
creed that the Anglo-Saxon should
triumph, for wheresoever on the face o.
the earth this knight Grant OF liberty
planted his foot victory has
greeted him, ana Christianity
has been his companion. Grea
applause When the last hour pesied, it!
sounds rang from q spo. where the re-
public of Texas died when the state o.
Texas WAS born. On wonder hill where
the clock chimes each flsetiDg hour once
stood sn historic building which now onl!
lives in the memory OF
vENgRATED FEW.
In log building on that hill the pioneer
i. Legislature framed the constitution G.
1916 under which Texas was admitted
in the Union. When the sea
of government was located here il
1889 this point was beyond the ex.
treme outposts of the frontier, but tn
sublimity of, the scenery, the majesti,
beauty of tho spot, marked 1t as the plac'
ordained by fate as the capital Of Texas
and such shall 1t ever remain. Ap
plause T6spsople of Texas are indebt
ed to United States Senatox Charles B
Farwel and his brother, John v. Farwel
OF Chicago and Colonel Abnef Taylor no
only for the best state house in tn
Urited States, but more especially Il