The Texas State Times (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 11, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 11, 1854 Page: 1 of 4
four pages : ill. ; page 26 x 19 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
-V-
: ±=±_
" as
.. ■
* -'.
•%. \ " or ,>r
y$i
Sft
SENATE.
..J
of Mr. Pedigo
a.*.#*
§#31
8S& K
!">/>' ;
i '
v.
V
<:
are meritorious, aril to
c
* *#>,
CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ftA TtJIM)AY, FEBRUARY 11, 1854.
NUMBER If.
\ \ £
discourage those
which are void of ierit.
Her legislature Before it grants a char-
ter is advised of etery thing material to
be known; the length of the road; the
character of the country over which it
will pass; the cost ;of construction,; the
amount of freight which it will be likely
to transport, "and the dividends which it
will probably pay. The evidences of
her progress in internal improvements
are not like ours, to be found upon her
statute books, and seldom elsewhere.
Texas might proffit by her example.
Let us, before plunging headlong into
measures, the result of jrhich none of
us can foresee, cast about and see what
our real condition in a financial as well as
in a moral point of view, may be, in re-
gard to our public debt, the means of dis
charging it, and our obligations to our
creditors. What balance will be left in
the treasury after paying dur public debt ?
What is the actual amount of the indebt-
edness of the State ? Who knows? Do
you, Mr. President ? Does his Excellen-
cy the Governor know ? Does the Audi-
tor, or Comptroller, or Treasurer, or any
!senator or citizen know the amount?—
* ... —•&] None: not one knows or fiftn ^tiinate its
anknt friends of* amount sath axy .cprt; _
nnproveJBCT, m tV- t5hK. 11 we justly owe to our creditor5T"9i^SId be^
heretofore gone n its support, as paid out of any funds in our treasury, or
he who liasgor.-. the farthest; but subject to our control. Our creditors
1 * who hold1 just claims against us, have a
and exact this
of ike final passage
be entitled An Act, to
the construction of rail-
of the School Fund.
t—During the protract-
e, subject of the "Loan
~~ -etofore been silent,
that l owe to my im-
d the'Seiiate, to
and to myself, to give a brief
of the reasons for my course
T shall in as few words
assign those reasons. And
tfhfill say, that I have not partici-
in the excitement which has unfor-
attended the progress of the
thresh the Senate to the pres-
and have found fault vith none,
*dieSTPgthat its friends as well asit en-
emies were inffuen^^ wmtirt* honest,
sad ~p f*& ie i;« ^5'1
asrain&t Cuamin;
and commerce forbid such a conclusion, small price. It tfes* ce true, t'aeu the
They are the undeniable evidences of a mortgage is without ♦. Jut-. But it has
country's progress to advancement! not been asserted that n* unprofitable road
always, not ever, the sole causes of* it.— will ever be built — -Aar^conipanies will
My friend, the senator from Bexar, (Judge j built ouly paying roiis. This is certain-
Paschal) has introduced tabular state- jly a violent pr T: implies sim-
inents, arithmetical demonstrations, by ply that railr<:W^_ -r d corpora-
which he has shown the immense wealth j tions arc supremely rfldov < >1—that they
to be poured out into the lap of Texas by j can determine in k'vtukv 'he fate and
this "loan policy," in the building of so fortunes of untried e^rimt nt-s, and that
many profitable railroads; and triumph-^;their sage eonelu-'UES'wiil hover be sub-
antly declared that his conclusions could ject to error. those gr other people are.
not be contradicted nor denied, because Such a doctrine will hi* little favor with
every body knows that -figures could not j the people. The tspcrience of other
lie. " States, as well as therdiciates of common
Now, sir, figures, if I remember right- i sense, will show its mtH' absurdity. All
ly, figures were first used by the Ara-I speculations are liable!.'fail, and railroad
bians, and came into existence in the speculations are not exception to the
same land which produced those beauti- rule. Car Texas thSt
ful but extravagant tales, "
Thus it is that Russia, out of its thirty-
five millions of male inhabitsnts, could
never raise an army larger than seven
hundred and fifty thousand men, (one out
of forty-six,) a large portion of it exist-
ing, too, only on paper; for it passes
imagination, say the best authorities, how
the commanders of distant military dis-
tricts rob the treasury by false returns.
Out of these nominal 750,000 men,
Russia cannot reasonably afford more than
200,000 men for a foreign war: and it is
only by bringing the war on the Cauca-
sus, (which, for nearly thirty years, has
kept in unavailing service, fifty thousand
Russian soldiers.) within the scope of a
m
culations. Sue ca
iThe Arabian
Nights EntertainmentThey will al-
ways produce a correct result in calcula-
tion, if the basis upon which that calcu-
lation is founded be itself correct. .But
the result of any calculation bv figures
will always correspond to the premises,
or foundation, or statanent of the case,
upon which it is' based; and otmsequent-
ly if the latter be the fo.oyeii.will
be equally so,." Cojusfiiving false prem-
i <j^^o^^regiuusIy fo?-^ 4flatterina,
arrived at through-] ebanuon ry
foreign campaign, that her aggressive
strength can be raised tip to 300,000 men;
consistently with j one-fourth of whom will always be hors
' the education- j de combat, sick, or at beat, convalescent
and disabled.
Thus it was that Russia, having des-
patched three army divisions, (one hun-
__ t , dred and twenty thousand men,) to Mol-
ifiot, she will not do | do-Wallaehia, and o«e and a half divis-
the duty uluca sh« of*
al interest of the oiisg generation, and
of posterity, whose fk'thful guardian she
is or should bf. emb*rk the "school fund"
heedless r\jierinj?fet or iubious spe
constitute
jrith favor
S
ot prepared to the dearest
of the country, nor to overleap
wisely erected by constitutional
the hope of advancing uncertain
lubtful specnlations. Texas has
done much to advance works of
t—more than any oth-
of the union, has yet'done. The
snt doaatioB of land which she
iwei^tf tailroad companies are
it a parallel in liberality, and should
Tactory t* all.
bffl/nWW under consideration un-
seeks to advance railroad interests
expense of a "Violation of the. con-
^ and of jeopardizing a fund set
eSucatiocal pujrposes, designed
t the rising generations, and in
iteriiy has an interest. Every
constitution will ad-
toits provisions no
n of i^oney in the' treasury
>, o/iavested in the works
if .improvement for . a longer
tW«
does '
an attempt by
o muiions as an addi-
fund, to be afterwards
companies, in-order to
istrument, and evade
provisions, deserves
_ hands of tbe legisla-
_ people. The projcct of a
& free schools is yet untried in
and its success remains to be
ied by actual, experiment: It is,
the'framera of our
such a system
aentmg
jut ij e purposes
u now; ill
,
of" doubtful'|tec "e"
right to, expect and exact this at our
hands; and common honesty requires it;
And who will inist upon loaning to new
speculators, the only means which we
have of paying our just debts, due, for
the most part, I believe, to speculators—
to the old speculators, if I may so term
them. There is a marked difference be-
tween the merits of the new speculators,
who seek an opportunity to borrow the
money in our treasury, and the old specu-
lators, who seek to get that money in
payment of their debts. - The main dif-
ference between them seems to be this:
The old speculators have "done the
State some service," and we know it; but
the new speculators ask the State to do
them a service: the old Speculators have
contributed to advance Texas, and make
her wealthy; the new ones ask her to aid
them in their pnyecis, no doubt, in order
that they may become wealthy.
What course does it become us to pur-
sue, under these circumstances, in regard
to the two parties contending/for our pub-
lic funds? It would most certainly not
be wise, or proper, to place the public
money beyond our reach, in the hands of
speculators, with doubtful prospects of
ever receiving any interest upon it, or
any part of the principle back into tbe
treasury, leaving, at the same time, the
public debt, unpaid, its jamount not even
ascertained, aud no provision whatever
made for its disch^rjre. Texas can do
this, however,4f she likes. l5he can dis-
regard tier edncatwmalfinterests, the ex-
of her fpublic debt. «Ttd her obli-
>ns to her^aSSSfifei^^'dJnj'est': he:
money in thd
we
■^.nieC whoso
* -•* ulti-
itnresoivfen«
of /#hose^
able means of determining.
, the honorable senator from
Dj(Mr. Paschal) who has,
;in justice to him, delivered on
the hopes oi ib-
tfon in regard t
sing generation,
ble funds in pr'e
I'oni'Mliiwiib uTTglif l>e arrived at througtt-
tlie juedium of calculations by figures.—
Hence, when it is said that the pine woods
of Eastern Texas embracc a vast number
of acres, that each acre has on it one
hundred pine trees, each containing three
dollars worth of lumber when sawn and
ready for market, and the number of such
acres is estimated, and it is contended
that as the "loan policy" carried out,
would open a market for all this lumber,
by furnishing railroad transportation for
it, and that the pine region would there-
fore be enhanced m wealth to the extent
of the value of the lumber which the pine
trees would make, why, sir, the result of
tins argument is false, although arrived
at by calculation according to the rules
of arithmetic. The premises being false,
the concluison is necessarily so likewise.
The loan will not build the road in the
first place, and if it did, the market would
be inadequate to the supply, and the
imagined wealth would not result.
But let us enquire if the proposed lftan,
which is not to exceed four thousand dol-
lars to the mile, will be of any real ad-
vantage to the railroad contractors and
companies themselves. I admit that I
am not intimately conversant with the
modus operandi of railroad building, and
am dependent on others for information
respecting it; and if information derived
from others, unquestionably conversant
with the subject, whose opinions are en-
titled to respect, can be relied upon, then
this loan will be of no advantage to com-
panies, but, on the contrary, will tend to
embarrass them by injuring their credit
abroad. Railroads, I am told, are a Imost
invariably built on credit, to a greater or
less extent. The iron, costing at present
it. Such faith, sueu justice, such policy j ions, (sixty thousand men,) to Asia, was
will, I trust, never characterize her leg- j obliged, on account of the extensive line
islation. If, howe&e. she should, in de- j of operations, to reserve forty thousand
spite of every war-gg^ to tn-} contrary, j to be kept in the neighborhood of Odessa,
choose to vep<"-' - t-.n^u«Jice in the j so as to serve <m jreqnisitio;;. either the
speculation ! army in Asia or.jilat on the Danube.—
.i perforgH, ! T^ie forces of Ruimtu in the principalities
she must expect to share the fate of oth^fcould not, thSieibJ^ltaVfc-feeen raised
er victims of speculation. i above eighty thousand~men7 iiominaiiy;
r — * IV' ~ | from which deduct the sick, (always very
Letter of Nr. Zanders. ., '•1 \
™ XT -t- i tt ,i f t t-.i i numerous anions tho Kussian soldiery,)
The New lork Herald of Jan. Ttk, janJ ,w wispc58abte frtAo. M £
contained a long and very interesting let- j tacliments. and General Gortschakoff is
ter from Mr. Sanders, on the subject of J by no skill able to concentrate on any
point, more than forty thousand men.—
This explains the exceedingly tame be-
havior of Gortschakoff, in contrast with
the haughty bragging of Russia; which
proves to be but an empty boast, so soon
as its prestige fails to prevent its being
brought to the test.
In fact, the Czar was compelled to
strain every nerve in sending reinforce-
ments. The reserve of forty thousand
men (Odessa and Bessarabia) is moving
to the Danube. Its place must be supplied
another army divis-
the forces, resources, etc., of Russia and
Turkey. His remarks are clear, pointed,
and we think truthful. Despite the length,
our readers will doubtless read it with plea-
sure, and be glad to gain information on
an all-absorbing topic, from a source en-
titled to credibility.
London, Dec. 15, 1853.
James Gordon Bennett, Esq.
Dear Sir :—The commerce of Ameri-
ca involves the interests of our people in
the war now actively progressing in the
East.
ously
greatly extend our trade in the Black
sea. We have ships, guns and munitions
of w%r, out of date, which will never be
used by us, especially the steamers, which
could be exchanged with great gain to us
for commercial privileges. Let Russia
occupy Constantinople, and not only will
American trade be excluded from the
Black sea, but Russian restrictive policy
will triumph all over the Old World.
This is probably the last battle which
will be fought for many years between the
autocratic and democratic forms of go-
vernment. For to that, however begun,
the present war directly tends. Should
the foriuvr now succeed, the liberals of
every tongue will be driven in myriads to
our eouriJh'Y. Their 1" v- in Europe will
become intolerable to them, that nofre
o eight thousand dollars will staS' who have the means of escape,
tained from abroad, throng! sf The "Voluntary emigration of three or four
hundred thousand per annuo;, we can re-
ceive van A'dvauugc iur some time to
dricen mil1'or.
from Poland. And
Our government may advantage- j ion of forty thousand men is also ordered
seize the opportunity it offers to i to march from Poland to Moldavia. In-
-*CreSft; 3rd to the road and
c 5reditors who DS'
elude the Caucasian army, and Russia's
nominal force, even the utmost she can
afford to bring into the campaign, is three
hundred thousand men.
However, to effect even this, Poland,
which, to be kept down, has always re-
quired one hundred thousand men, has to
be evacuated. And what means have
been left the Czar to provide for this exi-
gency ? Nothing but to send his last re-
sources of power, his own imperial guards
and invalids, to garrison Poland. Prince
Paskiewieh, however, has thought it his
duty, it is said, to remonstrate against
this measure, declaring that with only
the guards and invalids, he could not an-
swer for Poland. So it remains to be
seen if that measure can be carried into
execution.
Finally, sis you will perceive, this is
but a first investment. An imy, in war,
has to be constantly supp with new
1 men to make up the continual inevitable
key Proper,v.^ believed would con-
stitute a cs-e for the active interference
of the allie i nwv a. Constantinople.
But it seen' - that ?Jiey confined their ac-
tion to the «.- idinp f a tew steamers to
the spot, to report Mr>on the facts—as if
the destruction of jBajtirkieh fleet in their
own harbor was no^efact big enough.
The truth is. tho*bsr!ish government
is more thorou; ;h!y cSjf ••n ative than any
other government i^fcuropc, and it will
yield almost c orv pt3| to patch a peace.
Russia understands tins, tnd causes her
diplomatists to be on r;ntly presenting
new projects of adju-nu?r.t, in order to
gain time. The English government has
been especially opposed to the Turks em-
ploying any of the democratic elements;
whilst it is understood that Louis Napo-
leon has advised the Porte to send for
Kossuth—England being nervously anx-
ious for the preservation of the Austrian
Empire, and Louis Napoleon just as ea-
ger for its dismemberment. Finally, the
indecision of tbe allied powers has caused
the Porte to call the republican exiles of
every country to Constantinople.
Lord Palmerston's sudden resignation
has taken most people by surprise. The
Times hits a labored article to prove that
it was; not ttuwed • by ctij- -liocgtpr
upon the foreign policy of the country.
The time cause will not probably leak out
for a few days; Lrut if is generally be-
lieved that a re-construction of the cabi-
net will become necessary.
Very respectfully,
GEO. N. SANDERS.
COMMITTEE ROOM, 1
January 19, 1851. j
To the Hon. H. R. Runnels,
Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
The special committee to which was re-
ferred a bill to be entitled "an act to
promote internal improvements, by car-
rying out the contract* with Frederick
Dawson." have considered the same, to-
gether with the various matters connect-
ed therewith, and a majority of said
committee have ins tract ed me to report
favorably thereon. -
Your committee are informed that in
the month of November, A. D. 1838,
Samuel M. Williams, who had been com-
missioned by President Houston to con-
tract for a navy for the Republic of Tex-
as, and which navy should be provi-
ded with provisions and clothing for
four hundred men for six months, en-
tered into an agreement for thit pur-
pose with Frederick Dawson, of the city
of Baltimore. The committee are ap-
prized that this contract was make with
Mr. Dawson after every effort on the part
of the Loan Commissioners to raise mo-
ney on the bonds of the Republic, had
failed. Mr. Dawson was not ignorant of
our destitution of money at home and
our want of credit abroad, and yet, in
despite of this knowledge, although a
and
committee consider the offer of Mr. Dew-
son (better anymore intimately acquain-
ted with the legislation of the State from
personal observation than any other cred-
itor,) as a high compliment paid to the
integrity and wisdom of the legislators.
And it is impossible that other creditors,
awakening to a conception of the policy
embodied in this bill, cs.n romain blind
to their interest, and shall not, coming
forward, say to Texas, "Wf& your per-
mission tec will do likewise." - By this
course the "gordian knot" of the public
debt will be cut, and that long and much-
vexed question adjusted on a basis profi-
table, satisfactory and honorable to all
parties. An ample and increasing fund
(and which we so much need) will be cre-
ated,'and which fund, as our State pro-
gresses, and our sj^tem of public and
private corporate eillerprises expand, will
bring to our aid from other te-editors mon-
eys now locked up. We Believe that if
the enlightened policy suggested by Mr.
Dawson is now adopted, that Texas will
in a short time possess a larger fund on
better terms with which to advance her
commercial, agricultural and political in-
fluence, thau was ever before at the con-
trol of any State of the American
iaMUiraiiy. _ t ^
I am instructed" to report the
the House, and recommend its .passage,
with the following amendments: •* ,
JAMES kEIJ££, CJkair'n, &c.
AXElTDJtBXn: '
Substitute the following for the caption
of the bill: "An act to provide for pay-
ing Fredrick Dawson a portion of tne
public debt created for the purchase of
the navy."
2d. At the end of the first section add
the following: "Provided, also, that none
of the investment contemplated by this
act shall be made by. the aforesaid Fred-
rick Dawson in the bonds or funds ofany
company organized under the provisions
of the act entitled 'An act to provide for
the construction of the Mississippi and
Pacific Railroad,' approved December
21st, 1853."
3d. In section 2,~ 1st line, after the
word "the," and before the word "bonds"
insert the following words: "proceeds of
the"
.> %
/
T
con-
— 3.
m
i
A BILL „
To be entitled an act to promote Inter-
nal Improvements, by carrying out
the contract icitK Frederick Dawson.
Whereas, on the 13th day of Novem- ♦
ber; 1838, A. T. Burnly and Samuel M.
Williams, Commissioners of the Republic
of Texas, executed to Frederick Dawson
a bond for two hundred and eighty thou-
sand dollars, bearing interest at the rate
of ten per cent, per annum, from date,
and marked B. No. 2. And j&greas,
satd Frederick Blawson is willing to rein-
vest the two hundred and eighty thousand
dollars, bonds and interest^thereon, with
another like amount in ^dditiCn, to be
provided by himself, TiV-aid of internal
improvements in thin &+«<-- , •
s7a-
. i
•31
m
■f
l i =
a:
| r
u
:4.
best argument in favor
oveinents that I have yet
he in aU respects sustain-
y of the position which he
io? successfully vindicated
ciptes T&ich he has contended
lis argument is symetrical and
in jjSi&nd; but resting on a false
emonstrates nothing clearly than
unreasonableness on some impor-
jhes of the subject. He has
,vo*ed to demonstrate, for instance,
jst wealth possessed by my county
w) in her pine-trees, not ever deigning
iy the poor tribute of a passing re-
" " i to the noble oaks and majestic
trees that adorn our grand old
>f the Neches.
impression intended to be produc-
e-that the loan policy carried out,
r might result in the building of
td from the Sabine to the Rio
along which all the lumber which
trees oi^yler could yield might
•orted^pwestern Texas, where
find a ready market, and at
prices. But if we take into
iteration the great number of roads
1j chartered, and the great length
road running through the entire
ii of Texas, from east to west, and
the consequently small amount which
could be loaned to this particular road;
we shall find that any aid which it could
;-<$Msonably expect to receive from t^e
^fo&n policy, would contribute liftie if
*" o-dvaneement^^^
The loan policy will neither build nor
'a
m
e:^Qjtors,
.ns(frs"cJ the.constia.u-
he education-of thff ri-
d to invent her availa-
of speculation. But
strong as her statutes may be, there is a
power on earth, almond power, stronger
by far than they' are; and that is the
opinion of the civiEzed world, deliberately
made up. And to that power she will be
held responible for acts of gross and cry-
ing injustice to others; and at it?bar she
must appear, and plead, and answer for
such acts, and receive and abide its judg-
ment, however withering and blasting
that judgment may be to her hopes and
her interests. Sir, the object and end of
the "loaning policy" is not disguised,
nor attempted to be disguised, by its
friends and advocates. It is simply to
invest in the shape of loans, the school
fund, or the principal part of it, in rail-
road speculations. The people will not,
cannot sanction such a policy. Specula-
tion has been the bpie of new States, es-
pecially in the South-West. The history
of Alabama and Mississippi will tell afear-
ful tale of its ravages, and the ruin it
wrought in those States. There it shed
its baleful influence through the medium
of banks and banking privileges, based
upon imaginary capital, and without an/
foundation for credit It is impossible to
estimate the harm which it did, in its mad
career; fraught, as it was, with conse-
quences ruinous and desolating to thou-
sands. The same spirit, the same prin-
ciple, prevails in Texas now. But here,
it has taken a different, but, I fear, a no
less fatal direction; I mean that of rail-
road speculation, if it may be so termed,
^tid here it is, in all human probability,
destined to exert the same influence, and
bring in its train the same direful conse-
quences which attended its career in Ala-
bama and Mississippi. This unbridled
spirit of speculation is abroad in our land.
With an insatiable appetite, gaunt and
Now, if this
- —Tk *
vTpr rat suBis dutf. ' \ entf.
true, no company, having! j serum
appetite, gaunt
rtMbd- . And even if a road were built i hungry, and gluttonous, it stalks amongst
tjrwu the Sabine to the Rio Grande, jus. Having stuffed its enormous maw
whilst it would yield inectimable advan- i with a whole empire of land, ddnated to
ttges to the people of the East and the i railroads by the State, it throws itself
availed itself of the proposed State loan,i
could give the usual and necessary secu-l
rity to creditors, other than the S tate
because the prior mortgage of the State
would tender each subsequent mortgage
comparatively worthless. With a prior
mortgage in favor of the State, to secure
four thousand dollars for each mile of the
road, it would evidently be exceedingly
difficult for companies to contract con-
siderable loans, with no other security
than that afforded by a subsequent lien
on the road, or a lien on its expected or
hoped for profits. A company^* under-
standing its interests, and building its
road on credit, would most probably not
find it wise or prudent to avail itself of
a loan from the State, which, without
furnishing the means of building a road
or aiding its credit abroad, would blast
that credit. Whilst the loan would thus
be an injury to such companies as might
avail themselves of it, it would also be an
injury to the State; and so both borrower
and lender will be injured by it.
It has been declared on this floor again
and again, that the loan to railroad com-
panies, with the prior lien of the State
nptrn -each mile of the road to secure each
four thousand dollars loaned, would be
ample and completely secure, and the in-
vestment a most excellent one. If I can
demonstrate the fact that the security af-
forded by the prior lien is not sufficient
to secure the repayment of the money
loaned, and would therefore be useless,
there will not then remain a doubt that
the investment will be a bad one, and the
loan policy eminently unwise and impoli-
tic. This I will proceed to do.
Now if toy road which hereafter may
be built should prove to be a profitable
and paying road, it will, as a matter of
course, pay the interest on its loans,
(policy would induce it to do so,) and for
such a road therefore the mortgage, would
be unnecessary and of no use. With or
without it the result would be just the
same. But suppose the road should prove
to be a failure, should turn out to be a
-West, it would not open a market for a back, and before the different process of! non-paying and worthless road, then and
..tithe of the lumber which the pine forests
of the East are capable of producing;
and the contemplated wealth would not,
even in that event, flow into our pockets.
digestion Has even commenced, demands,
peremptorily, two millions of dollars, the
in that case the security would be worth-
less. The State would sue the company,
wourmg
a) £ tiny
cir-?uu ^<nce in our -social con- !
cerns. Vnerifj should encourage a vo- I
iuntary .- it "^>]y provide against a
forced t il j ?ratio*.
- The itusso-^strian telegraphic des-
patch from Vienna claims a victory, wirh
four thousand Turks killed, on the field
of Akalsik; if ttue, showing great valor
and obstinacy in the Turks. You will
also have telegraphic accounts by this
steamer, of several important engage-
ments in Asi i allof which go to establish
the fact, that ad#ng and sanguinary war
has in earnest begun.
Scliamyl, the oaring Circassian chief,
acting in concertVith Selim Pacha, have
taken all the fortresses in their line of
march, and when last heard from had ac-
tually surrounded Prince Woronzoff at
Tiflis. The eveiing telegraph may bring
news of the Prince's capture.
The Persians, 'sixty thousand strong,
hold a doubtful, iinot a threatening atti-
tude, on the froktier of Turkey, which
embarrasses mucli, the movements of the
Turkish army. The Affghans, eighty
thousand strong, are moving rapidly to
co-operate with thi Turks.' It is believed
that tho Persians vill quietly retire before
this warlike nation, or may possibly be
led to join theTu*ks themselves.
Kossuth has at fast been invited to Con-
stantinople by the Porte. He goes, I be-
lieve, in the steamer of next week. Se-
veral thousand Hungarian deserters from
the Austrian army of observation are al-
ready at Widdin. A few weeks more
will find all the republican leaders in Eu-
rope in Omer Pacha's camp. They will
prove to be powerful allies to the Turks,
causing, by their presence, increased de-
sertion from the Russian and Austrian
armies, composed largely, as they arc, of
Poles, Hungarians* and Italians.
In taking a bird's eye view of the sub-
ject, it should be borne in mind, that the
comparative strength which Russia and
Tufkey can bring into the field in a war,
is not to be measured by the comparative
proportion of the population of the two
empires. Out of the seventy millions of
inhabitants over which Russia ostensibly
rules, spread over an immense territory
of more than 1,500,000 square miles—
? ! loss.
been lef
l!he histoiy ofifttteraal improvements in : will not, I trust, pander to its appetite— j
general, and (^railroads in particular, in j its morbid and inordinate appetite—any j
condiment.
general,
-other States, has been referred to by the ! longer, until at least some satisfactory evi
Senator from San Antonio, and its aid in- ; dence is given, that some of its promises
voiced. jHe refers particularly to the : of good to the country may be performed.
State of Virginia; and says that on this Let us have some substantial and un-
ehildrens money, for sooth, by way of and foreclose her mortgage, and sell the j a third of which is too cold to nourish a
who are but nominally subject to the do-
minion of the Czar, and who constitute no
active element of his army. In the more
regulated portions of his dominions, serf-
dom is the normal condition of the mass-
es ; and the brutish condition of the peo-
Well, what- means •
i is.o t.zi~ A jyvy.
again* in its turn, is on' • -sable b
pressing into the ranks boys ot* fourteen,
who will fall like leaves in the autumn un-
der the fatigues of war.
And while no army in the world is so
exposed to such a proportion of mortality
as the Russian, no other is so prone to
desertion. It is known that Russian pri-
soners, whom Omer Pacha desired to ex-
change, entreated to be either kept pri-
soners, or enlisted in the Turkish army.
The Mahomedan population of the Asiatic
provinces of Russia receive the Turks, of
course, with open arms. The same will
undoubtedly be the case with the formerly
independent Tartars. And the Poles ha-
ving already got authorization from the
Sultan, to organize a Polish legion, let
but the Polish banner appear in the field,
and thousands of Poles from the Russian
ranks will be seen going over to the na-
tional colors.
Such is the real state of that Russia
which the senile diplomacy of Europe
has described as invincible.
Howeve, let us take, for comparison's
sake, the 300,000 men as the effective
force of Russia, (the outside of the most
favorable estimate having the shadow of
truth,) and compare it with what we know
of Turkey, whose condition, the very re-
verse of Russia, lies open to the world.
The Turks have in Asia, actually employ-
ed, an army of . . . 80,000 men.
These are about to effect a
junction with the brave
Circassians,(victorious a-
gainst Russia for thirty
years.) which gives an
additional force of .
The European Turkish ar-
my already in the field
is, in Bosnia, . . .
Under Omer Pacha's com
mand, . . . ...
A new levy is going on,
not of recruits, but of
"Rediffs," (drilled sol-
diers, who have served
five years,) 25,000 men
from every military dis-
trict, consequently from
the six districte, . . 150,000 "
This is carried on with such energy,
that day by day 2,000 men are equipped
and armed in Constantinople alone, be-
sides the other places of concentration.—
These items give an aggregate of 510,000
men, regulars.
But the Turks are a warlike race,
which is simply explained by the fact,
that while in Russia, no man who is not
: WSOU,h><hU
nv-ofhi-
ast against the arm- ;
a «h«rt
fork for t
ntkss r a ■ ainst our na- I N'°; f for al,-v 'r'rtion} - pme^
, r;v<? ra'tJ'-tt raterestl e©Hr,fo the satisfaction
f *" "— ——i-of the Comptroller of Vhe ^.aie, the said
80,000
50,000
150,000
((
stranger to~eu£.soil, and unacquainted
even with the amount of the population „ enacted b He heats
of Texas, stim^ted with the noble hope ^ iU ^at7T¥ex^>. Thaf from
that the serc-yy this mW nahon to time. *-oon as. whenever
would be gu: % eu.it m possession of i_:j; x? ^ ;„(>■
• navy to del a viu<
Wfore in isc-
waging a re1
U'jtiality, risked u
navy. * J
The contract made with Mr. Dawson
at a period when everything was en-
shrouded in gloom, and even the exis-
tence of the Republic considered proble-
matical by some of her truest patriots,
was fulfilled, and the vessels moored in
the harbor of Galveston, under the ad-
ministration of President Lamar, who,
putting them in commission, the "Lone
Star" floated at the mast head of as gal-
lant a little navy as ever sought battle
with a foe. . > -
Prior to this, no Government had re-
cognised us as a nation but the United
States. It is believed that the fact of
Texas having a flag afloat on the ocean,
and with the ability not only to protect
her own harbors from blockade, but to
blockade the principal port of her ene-
my, operated as an inducement for the
recognition of our independence by the
ancient and powerful kingdoms of En
or to aid digestion. 'Texas road it is true, sell it to the highest bid- j warlike race—there are millions of men
der at a Sheriff's, pale. And who at that
sale would be the purchaser? Who would
bid liberally for it? Who would buy it?
Who would have.it. The State of Tex-
as would not; she could not, if she con-
sulted the interest of her citizens, buy
aTj-importantsubject, she 'slept for years,' ; mistakeable evidenc of the good faith, and j and invest her capital in a non-paying ; pie, undermined in strength by the intern- ! a soldier is permitted to have arms, in
but is at length "awake, and up and do- j of the ability, of railroad companies and j and worthless road, which would yield no j perate use of liquor, creates a mortality j Turkey, there is not one single man un-
mg." Now, if the steady progress which ! corporators, before we yield every thing I profit, but year after year would bring 2 2-5 times as great as in all the rest of i armed. Arms are as indipensable to the
i&at noble old State has made for years, j to them, over and above what we have j her in debt. What capitalist, what man Europe, which is, of course, accompanied m
in works of internal improvements, pro- ! done. It is to be much feared, that our j who has money to invest even in works j by a comparatively larger amount of sick-
ceeding always upon a certain and sure i policy has heretofore been founded in er-; of internal improvements, would find it j ness and bodily defects. Besides, all the
j encouraging no wild and extrava- j ror. Railroads, justly and rationally j his interest to purchase an unprofitable J rule of Russia, resting on military despo
I conceive, are a consequence | and worthless road. No capitalist would
They do not precede the settlement and j pitalist will, under the circumstances, buy
gant project ot speculation; chartering ! speaking, I conceive, are a consequence ;
" no roads but those to be speedily built, | rather than a cause. Like banks, they ! bid for it; for eipital always seeks a pro-
tod such as will prove to be useful and ! are called into existence by the necessi-; fitable, not an unprofitable investment.
- . jfiraftable to the State and the people, | ties of commerce, and of agriculture.— j If, then, neither the State nor any ca-
-ietffcer being buite, .gradually and steadily rri— "1" —* —"
developing all her vast resources,, and
'Iding up her commercial points. If
i be sleep, why t^ien she has slept.—
slept well^-she had no bad
he fitful fever"-of spec
E uot disturb her slumbers.
"fewer which, like M'Beth, 'murders sleep,'
-•—and IfltA him. cannot sleep itself. ••Thro'
the medium of her board public wo' ks. i.j
ever vigiant in performing their
determining with
{]\e result .*<f each projected ci
I? tics.
cultivation of a country or a district; but
on the other band, they follow it. They
arc not the precursors of agricultural and
commercial et^rgies; but followers in their
train. The Country makes the railroad,
not the railroad the country. Wheneves
an agricultural region, without facilitier
for transportation, yields a large surplus
pr.ju^stiqn, railroads will spring into
dstence, n order to transport to market
Lt snrnlii-: but they will not come into
to advance, merely, the
such a road, what advantage can result
from a lien upon it? But it is contended
that the iron itself will still be valuable,
and be sufficient to secure the payment
of the original debt for the money loaned?
Now, sir, rust will consume iron, and the
wear and tear of railroad iron, during
the space of s few years, will depri- ■ it
of its chief value—a few year's iw
enough to test the fate and fortune- of
rrv< d. will-render the iron Vnnnvu-i
rivelv v<>rthAri thi:-
j tism, has to be earned on by military
power. Where tjiere is no garrison in a
| province, there is no authority and no
| reverence; therefore, government must be
| carried on everywhere by military power.
Every line of its frontier has to be guard-
ed by soldiers; and several conquered
provinces, such as Poland, Finland, and
Tartary, can only be secured from rebell-
ion and kept in submission by strong gar-
risons. 'Neither a. common national spi-
rit. nor a common religion, nor affinity of
bit linage or .a^e/rtor the common inte-
vt st nf politi'-:il fy -edoni. unit.* this vast
i population, i is a liete-
O •
v.itli inherent tenden-
t'ur the while
Turk's dress as coffee to his dinner.
It is not difficult to comprehend, there
fore, that the unjustifiable aggressions of
Russia should have raised the excitement
of the Ottoman people to the highest
pitch. So great, indeed, is the enthusi-
asm in favor of the war, that thousands
and thousands of volunteers are daily
pouring in. Omer Pacha has already
one hundred thousand of these volunteers,
irregular cavalry, in his army, besides the
150,000 regulars. And Kurdistan, Ara-
bia, Syria, Tunis, Tripoli, with their
thousands of warlike nomads, are already
on the move. Advices from Constanti-
nople, from the highest sources, compute
the Turkish army in the field and in
movement, at half a million, vith hii ac-
celerating increase,which nuv-t. by spring,
give it an additional five hundred thou-
gland and France.
mentioned here, in connexion with the
subject, that so little was known in Eu-
rope about our numerical force, that we
were supposed to have a population of
about one-half million of souls.
Some of the events of the revolution
of Texas have been embodied in history,
and will be preserved for the admiration
of posterity, whilst many others, equally
striking, have been forgotten; yet the
event of the creation of our navy and its
arrival on our coast, together with the
fact that it was built, armed and provis-
ioned by Mr.- Dawson, ought not now to
be looked upon as a thing that was—
which served our purpose, and to be cast
aside. The recognition and payment of
Mr, Daw/on's claim is, in our opinion,
not only demanded by justice, but enti-
tled to especial favor.
The Government of the Republic of
Texas recognised this debt up the last
I moment of her existence, and why, then,
should this State reject it? We do be-
lieve that if Texas, under the circum-
stances, should repudiate this claim, she
will be guilty of treason to the cause of
freedom throughout the world, for the
battle of liberty cannot be fought with-
out means and munitions obtained gene-
rally from men who, although aliens to
the theatre of the revolution, yet sympa-
thise deeply with the actors.
In addition to the liberality evinced by
Mr. Dawson when he came forward to
the rescue of this land, revolutionized;
her credit exhausted; her friends worn
out and almost in despair; still, however,
presenting the sublime spectacle of a
few thousand patriots battling against a
nation of several millions. There are
other inducements held out by the bill
which, although they do not affcct our de-
cision in favor of Mr. aDxvson's claim,
commend themselves to the serious con-
sideration of the Legislature, from the
great and beneficial results which the
mode of payment as proposed must pro-
duce to the State.
The proposition exhibits the confidence
of Mr. Dawson in the coming greatness
and prosperity of this land; for, unlike
all other creditors, he does not desire to
withdraw from beyond the jurisdiction
of our laws and the influence of our ff*"
, what may be conceded to him, for he
' stands ready not only to invest what Tex-
as promised to pay him. but an i ■aial
: amourit in addition of his own funds, in
to accelerate Texas in achieving
Comptroller and the Treasurer shall in-
vest for said Frederick Dawson the
amounts so credited from time to time,
until the whole of said bond, B No. 2,
and the interest thereon be exhausted,)
in the bonds or funds of any corporation
or body politic .created by this State, and
issued for works of internal improvements
within this State, and which may be de-
signated by said Frederick Dawson; and
shall deliver the said bonds or evidences
of investment to Frederick Dawson, his
heirs or assigns. Provided, always,
That the said Frederick Dawson shall
also first exhibit, from time to time, be-
fore each such delivery, satisfactory evi-
dence to the Comptroller that he has in-
vested in each case a like amount of his
own funds in like manner.
Sec. 2. That an amount of the bonds
of indemnity received from the United
States sufficient for the attfve purpose,
ui iuiikuuiuo vl jju- * -1 * i
It may be properly be> a"d,arc herebJ uprated to car-
«• 1 -.i .,J rv out the same.
oroduce sa-
ta>
1
ry out the same.
Austin, Jan. 8, 1852.
Hon. Isaac Parker,
Chairman of Committee
on Claims and Accounts:
Sir—Agreeably to your request lust
evening, while I was upon the committee
on Claims and Accounts of h the Hon.
Senate, "to state in writing t e subsjance
ot my replies to certain inquires/made
by yourself and other meters of the
committee relative to the vessels of tho
late Texas Navy," that were built under
the contract made with Mr. Frederick
Dawson, in the city of Baltimore, on the
13th November, 1838,1 beg leave to state
that the contract, which is in the pub-
lished journals, "Appendix to the Fifth
~ 202 to
'£ '
1
mmu-
fee, the dimensions and quaMty of the
timber to be used in the construction of
every part of those vessels—the quant'tv
of provisions, clothing, small arms, ord-
nance and ordnance stores, canvass, rig-
gin?'
etc.
Feeling, as I naturally did, a deep in-
terest in the construction, outfit and mo-
dels of those vessels which were to be
placed under my command as soon as
they reached Texas, I visited them ber
tween the months of May and August-,
1839, frequently, and can say that I saw
almost every timber and plank of which
they were constructed. The Texas Go-
vernment had an agent on the spot all
the while, to see that the contract was
fully complied with, and if so, to receipt J
for each vessel before she left Baltimore.
I beg leave respectfully to refer you to
his report to the Secretary of the Navy, *
and letter to Mr. Dawson, which will be
found in the journals of the Texas Con-
gress, previously referred to, pages 198
and 199. I fully concur in every state-
ment in those documents relative to .the
vessels; and will add that on the arrival
of the vessels at Galveston, I found
great many articles on board them that
were not included in the contract, although
they were all useful, and many of them
important—thus showing great liberality
on the part of Mr. Dawson in purchasing
n-auv articles that.he was not bound by
his contra-t to furniSh.
The ship was to.-have been 500 tons
and mount 18jgjms—■she was 589 toqp
and mounted i 10 guns.
The b -'.g- were to have boen 80A tons
OctiJinti&i.on fourth page.
,
4. 4
M|
'A
if
i
.view
lie i ^
unsettled
f tcrmine m auviUioe-
►led tokifier
if V?
or non-pro- >
The law? of agricuJti
i tiest positi
moil
i £
mm
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Matching Search Results
View two places within this issue that match your search.Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Ford, John S. The Texas State Times (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 11, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 11, 1854, newspaper, February 11, 1854; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth235723/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.