The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-02

the royal governors. Their interests,
hopes and affections were in their several
commemorative, and each blow by the
British ministry at their freedom, each at
tack upon their rights as Euglishmen
weakened their love for the mother land
and intensified their hostility to the
crown. But the same causes which broke
down their allegiance to the c-ntral gov
eminent increased their coDtid -nce in
their respective colonies, and their faith
in liberty was largely dependent upon the
maintenance of the sovereignty of their
several states.
i X X
More clearly than any statesman of the
period did Thomas Jefferson grasp and
divine the possibilities of popular gov
ernmeut. He caught and crystalized the
spirit of free institutions. His philoso-
phical mind WAS singularly free from the
power of presidents or the chains of
prejudice. He had an unquestioning and
abiding faith in the people, which was ac-
cepted by but few of his compatriots.
Upon his famous axiom of the equality
OF ali men before the law he constructed
his system. II was trip-hammer essen
tial for the emergency to break the links
aud to pulverze the privileges of caste.
L. inspired him to write the D. clarstiun of
Independence, and persuaded him to
doubt tire wisdom of the powers ooncen-
trated in the Con Stitution. Iu his passIop-
ate love If liberty he became intensely
jealous of authority. He DIES royed the
substance of royal prerogative, bu' never
emerged from its sh ,dpw He would h we
the states a. the guardians of pc u ar
ri ( ta, and the barriers against ceDtrali
zitlon, and he saw in ths growing power
of the nation ever-increasing encrOhch
ntIiupon the rights OF the people. For
he success of the pure democracy whic1
must precede pre~iGsnts and cabinets and
congresses, it was perh ,ps prOvidentlal
hat It's apostle never believed great peo
pie cou d grant aud still retain, could give
and at will reclaim, could delegate and yet
icmly hold the authority which ultim atel,
created the power of their republic aud
enlarged the 500 pc of tn. air own liberty.
Where this masterm ind hailed, all stood
still. The necessity for a permanent
union was apparent, but each stat. NUT
have hold upon the bows5ring which en-
crcled its throat 1t WAS adnitte that
union gave the machinery required to
successfully fight the common enemy, but
yet there was fear that it might become u
Frankenstein aud destroy its creators.
X X X X
Wa ,hington was never dram ATTIC, but on
great occasions he not only rose to the
full ideal of the event, he became himself
the event. Que hundr years ago to day
the proc-ssio of foreign am Dassadors,
of ststesm n and generals, of civic socie-
ties and military com panies which escort
ed him, marched from Franklin
square to Pearl street, through Pearl to
Broad ID up Broad to this spot, but the
people only saw Washington. AS he stood
upon the steps of the old government
building here, the thought must have oc-
Cured to him that it WAS cradle of lib
erty, and as sDoh, giving a bright omen
for the future. In these halls IN 1875 in
the trial Of John Zsnger, had been estsb-
lished for the first time in its history, the
liberty of the press. Here TIE New York
assembly, in 1854, made the protest
Il Sainst the stamp act and proposed the
general conf renee which was the Begin
ming OF the united colonial action. In this
old state house in 1865 the STAN D
act Congress, the first and the father of
American congresses, assembled and pre-
seuted TO tbs English government that
protest which caused the repeal
OF he act and checked the first step to
w4rds the usurpation which lost the
Am 7rican colonies to the British empire.
Within these walls the congress of the
c moderation had commissioned its am
ba-sadors abroad, and ia Intellectual
efforts at government had created the
necessity for the concentration of federal
now to be contaminated.
The first congress of the United States
gathered in thus ancient tenn plA of liberty,
greeted Washington and accompanied
him to the balcony.
x
We stand to-day upon the dividing line
the first and second century of
government. There are no
LIQUIDS overhead and no convulsions under
Iur feet. We reverently return thanks to
God for the past, and with IN
ident and hopeful promise march upon
'ure ground toward the future. The
imp facts of these hundred years para
we the I'm tgInatton, and we contem plate
he vast &C 'umuatluns of the century
Niph uWO uuu pIluo' Jul III IL ~
crown from four to sIxty-fvep mtl ions. |
s centre moving westward 500 miles
'ince 1888, is FL ,quent with the founding
IF cities and the birth of states. New set |
dement's, clearing the forests aud subdu-
ng the prairie5, and adding fOur m lions
ID the few thousands of farms which were
he support of Washinston's republic,
,rease one of the great grsnaries of the
World and open exhaustless reservoirs of |
rational wealth.
X 4 X X
The questions which affect the powers
" government and the OK pansion or limi-
alton of the authority of the Federal con-
titution are 30 completely settled and so
approved that our political
divisions produce only ths healthy antsg-
'nism of parties which Is necessary for
he preservation of liberty. Our institu-
ions furnish the full equipment of shield
nd spear for the battles of freedom, and
bsolute protection against every danger
Vhich threatens the welfare of the people,
vill always be found in the intelligence
which appreciates their value, and the
courage and morality with which their
powers are exercised. The spirit of Wash
ngton fills the executive off ~. Presi-
lents may not rise to the full MEASURE Vt
lis greatness, but they must not { III be-
wv his standard of public duty and obi
,ation. His life and character. ounsci ~