The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-03-19
The "Black Eagle of Texas"


| The following eloquent speech was
delivered last Tuesday in the House of
Representatives during the considera-
i ton of the 50,O00, 900 war credit bill.
/ by Hon. X. {. De Grafienreid, famili-
arlv known as the BLACK Eagle of
| Texas"
1t seems that war is inevitable be-
| tween our country and Spain. NV col
| leagues upon this floor have spoken
/ eloquently Of What their respective
| States will do in that event. and what
I contributions they will make in the
canse OF our country. The great State
Of Texas need send no messenger or
Representative to this House. to sav
what it will do in this crisis. The State
whose gallant heroes blood still stains
the walls at her Alamo: the State whose
nobiest sons bones bleached upon the
massacred field Of her Goliad: the State
whose Valorous and intrepid minority,
lead by an Intrepid and vaorous leader
upon the red-fought fields of her San
Jaclnto. evoked light out of darkness,
order out of chaos, and wrenched vic
tors from the hands of apparent defeat;
the State which furnished the mothers
who moulded the bullets with which
she achieved her liberty, and sent lead
Ell death to the tyranny that once over
powered her-I say che needs no mes
SpDUer here a saw What hind of coI,Ji,r,
she viii send. (Applause) That State
can point to past which Las furnished
soldiers Drawer than ever followed the
glorious Napoleon, ave, grander even
than those led by the Duke of Wellil O.
ton, and to-day, Nh. Speaker, if need
be, the sons of those sires and those
Eovercigns will come with armor on and
VlZor down and lance at rest. They will
be men who can look the harnessed
and lowered chiyalry of Spain in the
face and say, Ave are not only thy
equals, but thy superors." They tell
Us that this is jingoism, aye, if this be
jngoism, behind this jingoism stands
the American people, and behind the
American people stands the American
guns. (Applause.)
am glad that for once the South has
an opportunity to dispel the lie that
she is Jisloyal to this Union. CAP
plause)
There is not red line in the flag Of
our country, that glorious banner. the
emblem OF American liberty that floats
above our heads, that would not be red
der still by the blood that the Southern
people stand ready to shed in its de-
Tense. (Applause.)
Mr.. Speaker. l am glad of this op-
portunitv to show to this House that
patriotism Is not measured bv parallels
OF latitude, nor meridians of longitude.
am glad of the opportunity to say that
/ the people OF my State will plant their
feet AS tar as those who 20 the tarthest
IN defense OF National honor. The bows
who wore the blue and the bows who
wore the gray, reconciied and reunited
IN the great and grand bonds Of true
| brotherhood and love, side bv side,
heart IN heart and hand in band, will
90 marching on with the one purpose,
the one intention and one exclamation
that is, woe, irretrievable woe shall be-
tide that country, that nation and that
people, against whom brother Ameri-
can 8 blood shall cry to us from the
ground. (Applause.) Aye, Mr.. Speaker,
even If it should cry to us from the
biood-stalncd waters of the sea tinged
and colcred by the blood of American
victims to Spanish treachery. Cap
plause.) | say that l am glad OF this
opportunity also because of the aid it
will give to the struggling patriotic sons
of Cuba. | am glad because it will be a
message of love and peace to them.
For fifteen years, day by day they have
sent their lnqulring dove to us with
their appeal, and for fifteen years,
night by night, no cheering response;
but never more, will it return to them
weary and leatless. 1t bespeaks one
thing more, 1t bespeaks that the can
dies OF the weary night of their oppres-
sion nave well nigh burned out, and
the opening day of the success OF their
struggles for freedom sits smiling upon
the mountain tops. 1t bespeaks also
that the Spanish prison walls of wrong
| will no longer hold the Cuban prin-
ciples of right. 1t means much to us,
! but more to them. 1t means that while
we in this land in the past have been
singing, as we shall sing during all the
future, MY country It's of Thee" it
will be only few days more when the
| tall mountains of Cuba will send the
swift answer back over the glad seas,
Sweet Land OF Liberty" (Applause.}