The Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1, Monday, December 21, 1857 Page: 1 of 4
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1i
THE nn STATE GAZETTE.
JwflK MARSHALL k CO.
NEW SERIES.
AUSTIN MONDAY DECEMBER 81 1857.
STATE PRINTERS.
VOL. 1. NO. 18.
'
THE INAUGURATION.
VALEDICTORY ADDRESS OF E. K PEASK.
Fkli.ow-Citizk.V8 :
My duties as Chief Magistrate of Texas have ceased. and I
surrender the office to one whose conservative course during a
serv-ice in the Legislature and as Lieutenant Governor has
recommended hirr. to the confidence of his fellow-citizens. His
administration commences und'r auspicious circumstances and
1 trust that its progress and termination will be honorable to
himself and acceptable to the people of the State.
During the term that I have had the honor to fill the office
ol Governor many difficult and -exod .juestions of public-
policy have been disposed of among them the settlement of
our Revolutionary debt was the most important. It had for
years engaged the attention and occupied a large portion of
the time of the Legislature and yet seemed to be no nearer
a final settlement than at the period of annexation. Delay
only complicated the question still further and left it to the
action of those who mt having participated in tfce scenes out
of which it grew could not feel the same obligation to see it
justly arrang-d as the generation by which it was contracted
I was familiar with the nature and origin of that debt and
with all the difficulties in the way of its settlement. While
there were many and strong objections to the act of Congress
V which the United States proposed to pay it I felt that it
M be a less evil to accept it than to leave the question
'ind thereby embarrass our Legislature and retard the
of all plans for Internal Improvements; these eon-
induced me to recommend its acceptance though ap-
j hi violation of the public sentiment of State as ex-
by the partial vote of the people in regard to it. Now
n thw reputation and credit of the State abroad and
at home has beeu seen and appreciated by our
iappy to believe that few could be found who
KCt.
in.- frequently to differ with your predeces-
u merits of laws which they had passed.
L not hesitate to exercise the veto
on. Bay action was sustained by
l'u ' sider the question. My course
up ensure from many who seemed to
'only be used to arrest the progress
gnant to the Constitution. That in-
vtLposes no such limitation upon its oxer-
utive who would avoid the responsibility of
making u 3 it t ' arrest what he deemed improper and un-
wise acts If Legislation would be as faithless to hki trust as
the reprJUtAtive would be who might shrink from recording
bit vote against them.
T do not Drooosc to review all the measures of the govern
ment in whkh I have borne a part but there are some whose
influence will be as lasting as the government itself I refer to
the creation of the school fund the establishment and endow-
mtttt of a Lunatic Asylum and institutions for the education
-.
w
am-
r ciae -
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF H. R. RUNNELS. j justice to the occasion avoid anallusion to the questions grow-
About to enter upon the discharge of the high and respon- j ing out of the institution of Slavery which is now made to
sible duti-'S which will now devolve on me as Chief Executive act so conspicuous a part in the politics of the nation. Silence.
Officer of the State custom requires that I should make use however might be misconstrued
of this occasion to return the most sincere acknowledgements 'The first great issue on this subject arose on the introduc-
of a grateful heart for the confidence reposed in me by my fel- i tion of Missouri into the Union in 1820 when the restriction
low-citizens Conscious of the responsibility and aware of
the onerous task it will impose it is not without emotions of
true embarrassment and apprehensions of difficulty that I shall
enter on th'-irdischare. Indeed when these considerations pre-
sent themselves enhanced by a knowledge of the diversity of
opinion incident to flic population of most newly settled coun-
tries of the conflict of interest which may be expected to arie
between different localities and divisions of the State. I may
scarce hope to meet that ordinary share of public approbation
which has liecn awarded to my predecessors and could well
wish that a charge of so great impo tance to the future interest
and well lieing of the country had leen confided to abler and
more experienced hands.
In the ordinary course of events it mijrht not have been
expected that one with aspirations so humble as my own
would ever have been called to a station of such high honor
and trust. 1 1 is a circumstance which should inspire with hope
and encou.-agement the humblest who bows in sincerity and
truth at the shrine of patriotism and duty in the illustration
it furnishes of the character and genius of that Government
with which the American people are blessed the truth of which
has been so often exemplifb-d in the workings of its system
that honors and promotions are not the prerogative of rank
station or high degree. As a representative of the people
my first and greatest aim has ever bean a just reflection of the
sentiments of those with whom my fortune? have been east :
their interests have been my interests linked together by one
i subject has been disposed oi and the eftect of its pay-! .. t ..
uup:Aiii t x fdestmv and both alike mseperablv connected with the pros-
perity happiness and welfare of the entire State. As I am
not conscious of having indulged any motive inconsistent with
their maintenance in times that have parsed I surely can have
no other now. If it has been from such an apprehension of
my fellow-citizens that I am indebted for my present position.
I have only to assure them that no effort shall be spared
to promote the best interests of the country and however much
I may distrust mv own. ability that I shall shrink fnn no
responrbili'y which attaches to my positing.
The recent poii'ical conte-1 through which this State !:is
passed forbids my pa-in it 6y without a notice ivirly in May
of 36 '()' was applied to her Territory and the slave holder
prohibitcd from the right of joint occupation north of that
line with his property. Although this line was not originally
intended to extend beyond the limits of the territory of Lou-
isiana on tlie annexation of Texas the principle was applied
to it north of that line and acquiesced in by the South. But
when after the acquisition of additional territory by virtue of
the treaty with Mexico it was again proposed in the formation
of a Territorial JGovemment for Oregon the binding efficacy
of the principle wasdeuied. and hence the series of enactments
known as the Compromise Measures of 1850. By that Legis-
lation. California vas admitted into the Union as a State
regardless of all the forms of lawundora Constitution which for-
ever excluded .'he Southern Slave holder. Next in the series
came the Act creating the Territorial Governments of Utah
and New Mexico. In these territories which comprised the
remainder of the territory acquired from Mexico and also that
of Texas by virtue ef annexation and cession of boundary
the principle of non-intervention as a measure of compromise
was ex pressly. recognised and enunciated as the future policy
of the Government touching legislation in the territories.
Under the soothing influence of that legislation it might have
h -en expected that agitation on the dangerous subjects involved
would cease and the controversy be forever put at rest. But not
so for notwithstanding that a large portionof the territory com-
prised in these bil Is wassubject to the restriction under the articles
tfeiuit-xa lion when it wasproposed to recognize the validity of
the non-intervention principle in the Kansas bill and leave the
people free to make their own selection of their institutions the
riijhi was most hiiterly contested and the attempt denounced
as a violation of plighted faith by those who had hitherto refused
in even" single instance to respect it. Could insolence and hypoc-
ify go further an example might be found in the declar-
ations of the opp-. si ti;r. in our own section who have denounced
I; aboh'on of tin restrictive line as a surrender of slave
territory to feee soil in the face of combinations of Aati-
Slavery rcu and of Emigrant-Aid-Societies who in the name of
religion and bee Kansas were preaching a crusade against th
slave power and sending forward the vilest ilres ?nd sLugh
last the Dem-jro.tic party met in Convention at Waco and iDf their population vn rescue her from slavery or drench her
according to long .stablished 'isage adopted it ktfomi. and pj&in(i with yg with the r.id of Southern JMI nihil n
presented nomine-- for fhe iHftiuil offices to be ii)W at the 4 manfmamtMtim it is greatly to be feared thai the efforts
ensuing election in August. The principles set forth were fa aboliti..- : . . been but too successful
those of the National '-invention at Cincinnati m I8S6. aid ; D. . .
. u . . tamt'ii ami humiliating a it must ! i..verv true-hearted
in substance the mm a aia under which tfc- Dem-i- uc Jiunea
.. 1 - . 1 m. j fsontbsrner i i not t le denied that if aliolition nroncnH
cratic party made it.s nrst advent to puwer with Tli.-ir im-st j ' " propagana-
. -- " u i -A.X. a - 1 r sni ias -:" eceded in Kansas it is not alone aMn'K-iaVvlo
author. Mr. Jeflerso at nsheau with tne single exception of """- attnoutable
. . . - . . .. . - - to the Iawles armed lands who have marauded the tirZ
the doctrine of non-intervention as incorporated uie Kansas ! "iu.iuuei rne tern-
bill The news o( the actkm at Waco hail np transpire.!. T ry' nr yet to Ulilitary Oiuzatio- headeo. by n-negades
.hen the me of a citizen iiroiuinent in the r-lls t his norm- dFrate venturers acting in open hostility to all Fed-
f . - ..1 t1.: -.. ..i."i.. . 1 a. za. .
try's fame. w;is announced in opposition anda ranvass actually j . x ---- ut 11 1 owing nrst to tne course
ft Wind andthe Deaf and Dumb It will ever be a source j tvgap the most remarkable perhaps in the 111 rf politically "" 7" m F' notes oewaiied the repeal of
f tifi ati n 'hat 1 aided in the adoption of these measures. - wartan? Tfee wlerit of the movement the electric rapidity j we iJllssonr- "i " thus given atd and com-
Ldtf cothin- else had boen done during my official term j th which He intelligence was communicated and the alacrity ;' fort the ""W ' and raor ' th "o"se of Kobert
W wTukl be fficient to mark it as an era in the his- wilil wbictt it was endirsed ! v the entire opposiuon. furnisii J Walk-r- Cerr.or f tha: Territory) that so deplorable a
teTrfAe BUfe. ;hl most -ik-W- evdenxe of the preconcertl -iei to rcsdt is IEain-f & -- of exercising the authority
AltkomA mv oflki-U connvvtion with the State has ceased aistraet and if possible to fata? i.ientirv of the ftumiMi w:th which Wd5 " to "nare the faitW administra-
mv iwTin L prvwperitv and progress will remain urU-; HappilT offort ied - mast to So. of the bis he has been engaged in the miserable attempt
niished. BnTinp been idenened with the country s-uct the ; svaipathixiwr th mnv from a devotion to principk rf "" Pubho - ecmsio and compro-
dnvt of its rokUl dependence and having P8ed.WmtithtvirUirx sho ha- pM -m its banner mm I mL' utterlv the principle of non-interven-bxcs.
all ite rkintttdea and trial md JTtr Jl 3h ; ' "lj -i ronhdence. " iV - portion of which h in
fbmation of ite osuwuuo - - - . - . . . u rf - s as ron- ws oeing tne true intent and tiiea-un
K U mi m -w -.. . . . . . . . -
01 in-? . bo: u legiMate siavery into any temtorv. nor to
OttM
' . .1 v .iw sWil BM Ot
ordtiary aw ajf.fjon of the grtt beiy of 'Xir fellow-cii ucu ? to the principles
iwt iMir r - . I rf cixil rdioos and . rntioaal lilvm. Since the tim ' dude U ierefrm. but to leave the people thereof pertecUy
To you gaauemro u. - th. State at a: .Wlt f anriait Fdra;t- it has Kea the nracrice of oar ' " to -ona regulate theL- institutions in their own wv
nniTtii ksmim. - - -y 1 - - .
Ives with aoj; eniy to tne provisions tne Uonstitatjon of tha
tires k uitri e
. . . nmod of its tustorv. i Irrc lvl" "" opponents at mmmm :r.iorvjB. vu ut-u.-: 1
flu-jnr TrensaiT a rapidly increasing population t Qew name. nd -promulgate new pJatforms of tirincipies. The United States. The principles of the act can afford no
aa-nlt mm-" itTjlip t W& WmW0K lto a l j it assumed has surely excited a greater share of deserved rity to the people of the slave-holding States unles its prori-
tmnmm m uaMwi of thn Lapa"" y a ndicmie while the principles have been more dangerous than ooas are to be respected by the agents of the Rxerutivts as well
lbaral policji Texaa o"gk to P"1 aPy . pweeded :T Th fact is eTJdent in the proof of a the Legidativedepartmect of theGovernment Gov. Walker
prond positaO in tie Union. PEASSL ' their voluntary abandonment I would gladly if I could in not to hare so regarded it. or if so ke has violated the
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Marshall, John. The Texas State Gazette. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 18, Ed. 1, Monday, December 21, 1857, newspaper, December 21, 1857; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth81323/m1/1/?q=%22~1~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.