Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, April 28, 1855 Page: 4 of 8
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TEXiS!; STATE'
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APRIL 28
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-4EB-KXAS STATE GAZBTm-..
Edited tfT TOIIN jffAIKSUAI.Ij Ami V. S. OIjiUArn.
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$ITY0F'ArJSTIN SATURDAY APJR1L 28 1855.
' i? For Governor
ELtSHA M- PEASE-
For Lieutenant Governor
' DAVID C. DICKSON.
i! it-l " -L.JJJ-U-U ' i. in. .I1 i aii jui 1 a mmsrtm
f3T TOcll attention to tho card of Col. ltonRD9 wlio adrcrtlics hi ferrlces to Itnngcni
atioihera TTho nro entitled to U. S. DounfyYarrnnU. Bolnfrn correct and excellent gentle
jnanwe make thlj notice with pleasure.
Wo call attention to our advertising columni this week for Important Information m ti.
twineu community and planters cattle raisers and others.
i ' '
VmsKis 0. JlEBRtrr. From tho facts stated by our Stato Ofllccrs wo think there Is no doubt
f thaenmof this man In offering for salo In Now Orleans forged evidences of our public debt.
CirrespeiidCHce of Gov. i'caso and the Galveston Committee.
Wo publish today from the Galveston Civilian a correspondence
between Gov. Pease and the Galveston Committee upon tho subject
of Internal Improvements. Tho subject cannot bo too thoroughly
investigated by tua people of thu State. They should be well satis-
fied in regard tofrlie scheme proposed bcloro embarking into it. Once
. entered upon a failure would result in disaster and ruin to the Stato.
We have bestowed upon it much time investigation and reflection
and have Jong since como to a different ooncluson from that which it
appears his Excellency has arrived at. Our views in regard to the
"State system" of improvement have been heretofore freely expressed
to our readers. We have seen nothing to induce us to change them.
Oncesatisfy us of our error and we are ready to recede. We aro
wedded to no plan but wo aro ready to advocate any calculated to
Srdmote the great interests of the State.
: Wojregret that Gov. Pease has chosen to occupy a position against
which we have heretofore so fully expressed our decided and emphat-
ic dissent Wo give him credit for honesty of purpose and are
sorry mai we are piaccu in a seeming position of opposition to him.
He has a duty to perform and so have we; and therefore being satis-
fied of the erroneousness of tho views suggested by him our duty as
independent journalists requires that we should fully express our op-
position to the sentiments published by him.
'Without further preliminary remarks we will proceed to review the
letter of Gov. Pease. '
After giving the past history and failure of railroad legislation i"
Texas the Governor proceeds to remark : These discouraging re-
suits have satisfied me that wo cannot rely Upon foreign capitalists to
btJlhl dtir railroads for us." With all due respect to his Excellency
we think' that such failures need uot surprise the merest tyro in fin-
aace and political economy. The absurd idea that the land bonus of-
feredby tho Stato would induce foreign capitalists to invest their
rnjniicy. in tlie stock of onr railroads and build them for us was too
jpalpable to need exposure. Capitalists rarely invest their money in
speciulatibn when the dividends or profits to be realized are uncertain.
They loan their money affixed and certain rates of interest and re-
quire the most undoubted security for the payment of both. Some
of our legislators and political economists are just beginning 'to learn
that important financial fact. Had the people of Texas been so
taught:- and the necessity of putting their own shoulders to the
wheeii'dernonstrated to them and that they !must'estob!ish a basts
for credit uYfferent results would have been produced This we are
Authorized to say from the success of other States. Capitalists will
not invest their money to any extent in the. stock of our rail roads;
if wc will provide beyond contingency for the prompt and punctual
?a?8.nJ;of tho 'Merv'st.-nnd for discharge' of the principal when
5t Cf1"' thev wi!1 loa it "pon reasonable rjnea Tm bM.g
forsqcha'credit;wehVo heretofore attempted to developo to our
readers jn our article? upon the subject' of a railroad from thejeity of
Galveston to this city; . ' .
h The Governor proceeds .to state that "we may be said to be entire-
ly free froth debt as the payment of our' revolutionary debt' is amply
provided for by the five niillions retained by the Uiiited States out of
uio muemuuy loif the establishment of our North-western boundary
ani$5lcly passed by Congress in regard to it."
It matter of some .surprise to us that Gov Pease should have
availed himself of tho above occasion to -give the implied sanction of
his uame and position to such an iniquity as the law lately passed
oy congress in regara to me Texas debt.1' Wo have heretofore ex-
pressed our views to our readers jii regard to that measure. We have
. diiseoed it ami exposed its disjointed fragments to them. If the peo-
ple;o(1Texas can. swallow and digest such a dose -as that law is we
aSSjrrii$flonres that thoir political stomachs can stand more than
weever. imagined.
27heGoverno'rproceeds'to figure up by items th.e modus operaiuli
of carrying out the Stato system." Wo will take a different course'
and show tho aggregates resulting from the system calculated upon
u pi. au uow by me governor and pihers of his friends. Gov. proceed wUh Geu Harey l0 lhe pniu3 where lhey expect to have a
'''.. " ' w""-" '"""to tuo .mi u rupronucvtou ot mo plan
AiieiSSjate; system" loug since developed by Lorenzo Shorwood
E$q.;and familiarly known as " the Galveston plan." In n commu.
"!a-l0ilSi8hed recenty 1n th Christian Advocate by the latter
ge'ntfpniautahd. which wo design shortly to re-publish Mr. Sherwopd
J!ges.n schedule of 1550 miles of rairpads to be provided for in
;::" SZr T "mflW m '" mn0UU so wo11 when in the saddle and foraging upon the frontier
"' " IZ: :L l n ' " . r00 Biai?U Uy UQ Uoveror. settlen. Duty calls him to another State however and while taking
t uuiu uLiai. .Dfi.nii iiiiiii 'i iu nniiin ininiin. i.:i. .....i.i .
& . r;'""w' .im titiuiuok wiiiuii wouju ucqruy
' "mt l "' ut u ra'P epeoiued by tha Governor G per cent
fcraouni t0 lhc Bm X 1488000. This interest for the pe-
jppiy yRars tUQ 6hPost tunc fixed for tho running of the
haseyoryet stood up under such a burthen? Pennsylvania with
her population wealth and proximity to the money market failed lin-
a little over one fourth of such a debt and for several years could not
provide for the payment of the interest. Indiana broke down under n
similar system. Illinois after creating a debt of about $U0000U0
upon her Central Itailrond and other public works broke down: suf-
fered her works to go to rack and decay and eventually surrendered
up her oentrnl rond to a company of capitalists.
The routes constituting these fifteen hundred and fifty miles of rail-
road seems to be necessary by the log-rolling process to carry the
proposed constitutional amendment by the union of sectional influen-
ces. It would seem that an expenditure of $54560000 is necessary
to buy up and combine those sectional interests regardless of those
portions of the Stato Jiot worthy to' be purchased. The argument of
Gov. Pease would seem to be and we do uot conceive the inference
to be violent that the" people of Texas should submit to the law of
the last Congress" passed in violation or the character honor nnd
rights of the State and pay $3000000 more than they justly owe
in order to purchase a character upon which theState might involve
herself in.a'debt of 24800000 bearing an annual interest of S1.48S-
000 for the period of twenty yeurs. Verily the magnificent ideas of
the rulers of Texnp about fifteen years ago seem to prevail again !
Texas could not for years nor a cycle of years have paid off her rev-
olutionary debt but for the wind-fall in the shapo of a sale of her
North-western territory to the United States. Having just been ex-
tricated is she ready again to rush into a vortex ten times as deep ?
It is said that the increase of the wealth of the State occasioned by
railroads would en.ible us to discharge the interest upon such a debt'
thus losing sight of the important political fact that the expenses of
a government increase with its increase of wealth and population.
Wc do not wish the above to be construed into opposition to Gov..
Pease but is intended simply as an expression of adherance to a prin-
ciple heretofore enunciated by us. W. S. O.
The Iluntsvillc Convention.
g Wo publish in another column a letter from onr colleague who
was present at the Democratic Slate Convention held at Huntsville. '
We have not yet received the official accounts of the proceedings.
The Convention as we expected from the general uncertainty express-
ed of its being well attended was composed of but few counties but
the delegates present were all men whom the democracy in jhdr pri-
mary meeting might well delight to entrust with their confidence.
Tho Convention in order to produce harmony in the ranks of the
democracy recommended the re-election of the present Governor E.
M. Pease and of the Lt. Governor D. C. Dickson. The official con-
duct of these gentlemen met with the warm approval of every one
The President of the Conventionstated however in the meeting that
he dissented from the views taken by Gov. Pease in his lato rail road
letter. Col. Jesse Grymesnlso in voting for the nomination of Gov.
Pease protested against his rail road letter. Others in the .Conven-
tion approved of the letter and there was therefore some diversity
of opinion on this subject. Those opposed to the views of the letten
however thought that as it was not a mattet over which the Governor
had any present official control that they could look over the act for
the sake of electing an excellent chief magistrate and democrat.
The Convention reaffirmed the Baltimore Platform of 1852 and
passed resolutions warmly approving of the course of President Pierce.
His late order for the fleet to be sent. to the. coast of 'Cuba was tho
subject of n special resolution. The democracy are evidently a unit
in Texas and when necessary to be called out will come forth in over-
whelmingpnumbers. (
It was agreed we believe to hold another Convention ot Austin
on the 9th January next to keep up the party organization. The democ
racy are not without hope of effecting such arrangments as will place
the party in familiar intercourse with all its members throughout the
State. We shall do all we can to effect it.
In compliance with the recommendation of the Convention we to
day place at our head the name of Gov. E. M. Pease and Lt. Gov. D.
C. Dickson for re-election. The latter gentleman dissents from thev
views of Gov. Pease in his late letter on rail roads and entertains
We think on that subject opinions similar to those expressed in the
State Gazette.
While differing with Gov. Pease in his project of a State System
of rail roads we yet consider liim a very worthy and faithful officer
and for whom we cherish a high esteem. His demolition of the Pacific
Rail Road bogus bonus entitles him to re-election of itself. Wc have to
deal with the various plans of Slate aid with a watchful and impar-
tial hnjul and while opposing the views taken in the Governor's letter
and the views of some others we shall be fully satisfied after a thor-
ough discussion with the decision of the representatives of the peo-
pie! This is tho position too of the Governor so that we shall ad-
vocate hi6 re-election and shall do so firmly and decisively as the best
choice we can now make for the interests of the party and State.
'si ;
'Cor.. A. S. ' JohAsjToj. We learn thtvthh worthy officer is to
jhe.Staie would amount to tho sum' of $20700000. Prin.
MSF t0 be discharged annually and at the exDirnttan of
vl'fe!t!'wuld amount to the enormous sum of $54550000
' fejfc teaggrsgato sura to bejsqlmrged by the people of Texas
.W.Hhin the.aWr rlod. It is needles to ask the question will such
a tax be fcuumiHsd to? Can thef jfcy 8Uch a debt ! What State
State System Convention.
The Suite System Convention at Huntsville met on the 21st April
Inst. Gen. James Davis of Polk county was called upon to preside.
The attendance of delegates was very smnlL The only speakers on
that day were Mr. Lorenzo Sherwood the author of the system in
'this State and Gen. Davis. The former occupied n portion of iho
morning nnd evening in detailing the system which looks to building-
some 1500 miles of road by the State itself and is directly opposed to
all corporations or mixture of State and corporation. Mr. Sherwood
contends that economy will ensue from it in every point of view. Ho
proposes that a tax be imposed to aid in pny'ufg the interest on loans
made by the State and a sinking fund established by means of the
public lands to pay off the principal. He thinks that where consti-
tutional provisions may be made for these two objects that asecuriiy
will be given to buyers of the State bonds sullicient to raise their mar-
ket value to par and probably a premium as in New York nnd Ohio
where the plan is now pursued and where the State bonds have been
worth from fifteen to thirty per cent premium under it. He make
his'cnlculut ious so ns to pluco the raising of the money for the building
of the 1500 miles of rail road within an estimated increase of the re-
sources of the State ond proposes to borrow money only at such times
and in such amounts as may be needed by the progress of the work. He
thinks that 1500 miles are necessary to be constructed in order to "va
proper facilities to all parts of the State and that each of the route
shall be commenced and worked upon at the same time.
Gen. JamIjs Davis replied to Mr. Sherwood in which he sconte'
the idea of so young a State as Texas entering upon this extensive
work. He thought that it was visionary and that nothing but disas-
ter would ensue from it. lie was in favor of the State nidimr works
of internal improvement and was willing to malic some arrangement
with the creditors of the Republic by which the present. 7750000
in tho U. S. Treasury could be made available. If Texas held out
to her scaling policy which he thought to be a very just one to al
parties it would be impossible for the creditors to get the money from
Congress and he arguod that there was every reason to believe that
some arrangement might be made by which the State of Texas could
make this large amount available to the building of railroads.
The convention was to meet again last Monday and we haye not
ye: heard the result of its deliberations '
The Drought. During our absence we met with citizens from
many parts of our State and found that the drought experienced here
is universal and in some places much worse than with us. We ob:
served in Walker county and in a part of Burleson that there was"
land too diy to plant and "many planters iiave .not yet put 'in their
whole corn crop. The cotton crop is worse than we have ever seen it
and unless we have some rain shortly it will fall far short .f a usual
crop. Cold weather nnd the cut worm destroyed many fields of corn
east of the Brazos. Col. Jesse Grvmps of Grvmes county who ha
resided some twenty-eight years in Texas told us that he never saw
such a drought as the present.
In other States we have news still worse than in ours. We met.
with persons from Tennessee who say that many planters are holding-
on to their com and will not sell befoie June so tha: they may see
i
what is the prospect of raising any corn this season. In Rutherford.
county it was worth eight dollars perbarrel. From Missouri we learn
that rnanv families in the country are living on one meal a day the
crop having been a railure last season. In Alabama and Georgia
things look the same and gloomy apprehensions are entertained of
the prospect for making crops
With us in Texas we think that should we have a little rain a
week or two hence we will still make a fair crop and we yet con-
tinue to hope for the best. The. moon has been very far to the north
lately and tlie weatherwise attribute the drought to this cause.
Froit Trees. Welinve endeavered to ceate a feeling of emula
tipn among our country and town citizens in planting orchards of
fruit and we have attempted to bring into onr new country many'
choice Southern trees. The long drought unexperienced in the his-
tory of Texas aud the lateness of the season both conspired against
us and have contributed rnuch to defent onr object. Yet we are not
in the least dicouraged. Onr friend Col. .lolin Hebron of the La-
grange Nursery Miss. writes us under date Gth April. He ays :
" My confidence is not in the least shaken ns to the practicability
of transporting in good condition any number of trees to apy part of
Texas. To do so however o-ders must be received early and the"
trees be on their way in November."
If those who desire trees will inform us early we shall procure a
lot deliverable in December from this celebrated Sputhern Nursery
and we shall fix the rates utoost and charges offering our own labor
for the general benefit of the'eountry. There are one hundred thonl
sand budded and grafted trees in the Lagrange Nursery and its worthy
proprietor has many varieties-of apples and pears which will ripen
late in the fall aud will with proper care and attention keep ns long
and as well as any of the celebrated kinds at the North. Is not tha
luxury of eating home raised apple? and pears at all seasons of the
year worth making an experiment in growing the trees? What do
you say '.' .
Piuge ok PitormcE. We notice the price of corn in various parts
of the State. It ia selling in some counties for a dollar and in others
cusion demand. He with us has verv little hopes of civilizing the ur uoIir 1U f "i't aim two dollars per uusiiol. We expect that
Southern Camanches. They arc an unmanageable tribe and never J nowhere is the price of corn cheaper than with us in Travis and in
some unjoining counties. It has been bought here for fifty cents per
bushel. This is an excellent country for grain crops of all kinds
but for the present drought which is sad in its effects everywhere we'
should have hud a very large corn crop this season. As it is. the crop
will be greater than lust season.
m I W ' I I !
Resignation of An my Offiokks. Pirst Lieutenants Daniel T.
Van Buren and John C. Moore of the Second Artillery U. S. A. haver
resigned; the resignation of the former to take effect en the 311
March and that of tho latter on the 28th.
Tjp-The Tennessee penitentiary was 'consumed by fire on tbi?
80th March. One convict was smothered to death. Loss $100000
battle w.ith tho Indians. Tho regular station of Col. Johnston for
thu timo being will be at Louisville ICy. Wo regret to lose him from
our midst possessing as he dops the confidence of pur. people and
well capable bf noting defensively against our Indians should the oc
our farewell we" arc pleased to say that the country has not a better
man in her service
Tun Weather. For some days wo have had a good many clouds
in the sky and some indications of gentle droppings" but the clouds
melt oway and our hopes with them. All vegetation is struggling to
survive tho long attack of the drought and from the color of tho corn
wo may nntioipat.o that a time may como when " ull things must per-
ish." A little water to quench the thirBty earth has been so long on
onr Hpa that we shall be pleased to change the subject as soon as possible
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Oldham, W. S. & Marshall, John. Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, April 28, 1855, newspaper, April 28, 1855; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81183/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.