Year: 1874

their own sallcs, therefore, and for thu
great cause they represented, he asked
for them a most attentive hearing.


General w. l.. Cabell, mayor of the
city of Dallas, then, in his usual ielici
tous and appropriate style, welcomed
the distinguished persons present II
the name and on behalf of the city
and county of Dallas, and paid mer
tied tribute to them MS the standard
bearers of the great democratic party
in the contest now being waged fol
the preservation of American liberty.
Governor Throckmorton was then
introduced, and the cheers upon cheers
that welcomed him as he came to the
front showed how deeply seated he is
in the hearts and affections of the peo
pie of north Texas. He promised hy
saying that he hailed the vast audience
before him, not composed of the pe0'
pie of Dallas alone, but gathered from
all the surrounding country, as hap
by omen that the south was about
to shake of the apathy and
lcthargy that had paralysed
her since the mournful hour when the
stars and bars were lowered in the
dust. No such spectacle as he thel
saw before him had been witnessed IN
Texas since the dark days of 1868, and
he repeated that he augured good from
il for the future of the country. Tc
give way to apathy aud Indifference to
public affairs is inconsistent with the
duty of an intelligent citizen, and it is
therefore well that a day should occa-
sionally be given to our country, wher
we can take view Of our present and
discuss what our policy in the future
should be. To-day the foundations OF
our future government are being laid
the contest now agitating the Amer
lean people is to determine whether
the republic of their fathers shall con-
tinue to live, or whether an irrespon-
siblr central government shall be set
up on its ruins. The governor then
proceeded to give II luminous histOri-
cal statement of the contending
theories of government that had
been in conflict since the days
of Jefferson and Adams, and to show
that the present democratic party,
which contained in its ranks members
of all the preeXistent parties, in bat
Ting for the doctrine of local self-gov-
ernment, was standing upon the very
palladium of civil liberty itself. Upon
the verdict given by the people on this
issue within the next three years
hangs the future of this great country.
Proceeding to show how all the consti-
tutional principles for which the de-
mocracy are contending, have been set
at naught by the dominant party in the
federal government, Governor Throck-
morton gave brief resume of the
leading political events since the sur
render of the confederate armies, and
showed that at least ninety-nihe one
hundredths of the southern people ac-
cepted honestly the situation in 1860,
and were anxious to have an era of
peace and quiet, that they might build
up again their waste places; that the
dominant party determined that
this should not be and there
fore, in its reconstruction measures
inaugurated the era of hate, malignity
and vengeance. This policy that has
prevailed so long is now drawing to its
eud. The people of Ohio, of Indiana,
and of West Virginia have spoken,
and have declared in trumpet tones
that these outrages upon liberty shall
cease, and that the government shall
be administered in accordance with
the requirements of the constitution.
They are fighting the battle of Texas,
and it is the duty of Texans to rally to
the support of the same great cause, TO
shake of the lethargy that has had
possession of them, to emulate the sac
rifice for principles made by the max
ed and bleeding soldiers of the first
contest for liberty on this continent,
to remember the devotion to lib
erty of those noble martyrs, Crockett,
Travis, Bowie and FanniD, and show
the same zeal and devotion in the civil
contest for liberty that those brave
men had shown in the midst of wars
alarms.


The eloquent speaker then directed
the attention of the listening audience
to the question of internal improve
ments in the state, and portrayed, in
forcible language, by the example oI
Dallas, what railroads could and would
do for country. The inestimable adj
vantages that would flow both to the
general government and to the state o
Texas from the completion of the Tex
as and Pacific railroad, were set fortf
in a manner that could not be gainsaid
The national government would b'
paid for any outlay it might make IL
aiding the construction by the amoun
il would save i'm dispensing will
the necessity of keeping larg


force of soldiers on the frontier, ant
the state i'm bringing into market he
4O, ,OOO, 900 acres of wild, western land
would be able to procure fund thu
interest OH which would educate al
the children of Texas for generation
to come. In reply to question pro
pounded to him by a gentleman u
the audie nee, as to how he propose


that the Pacific road should be bull
I Governor ThrockmortOn replied tha
/ life was too short and the occasion to


interesting to allow him to go int


details of all the plan. He would onl


say that the national governmer


built the road from the waters of th


Missouri to San Francisco-l9,C 4


miles-that Texas had as much right I


have a railroad constructed thrOug


her limits as states further north ha'


that the government is partnersbi


and one part should have no MOI