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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
Let not her example in your hands prove faithless to the prolific era of her creation; but with holy motives and an arm of vigor execute her lofty designs. .Providence has placed her before you a perfect blank, ready- to receiYe the finest, or the worst impressions. You may shape her to the noblest purposes, or .work her to the most debasing and pernicious ends. You may cherish the high principles of purity and virtue, and by so doing render yourselves the just creditors to your country, and the rich testators of future generations; or you· may imbue her with sinister habits, immerse her in corruption, and arrest from her laurels she has axquired by her chivalry and heroism. How bright the horizon before you ! How strong the incentives to virtue, honor, and patriotism! As yet her praries are unploughed; her forests are unfelled; her mines unexplored; and indeed all her various springs of wealth and industry untouched and undeveloped. Is she not also unstained by corruption; unbenighted by ignorance and superstition; unpolluted by party passions and proscriptive fan- aticism; ,vith no prejudices to mislead her; no long established cus- toms to combat; no false steps to retrace, nor pernicious institutions to eradicate? Has she not the confidence of all civilized countries, with a pure and friendly government on the one side, and a feeble· enemy on the other? "\Vhat country then could exhibit so naked and so fine a field for the exertion of genius, art and enterprise- for the aspirations of the good and the policy of the wise? And should we not be proud of the enviable power which .Providenc·e has given to us, of forming the character of such a nation; of awaking her slumbering energies, and laying the foundation of those noble institu- tions which are to give vigor to the mind of her people, and freedom to their action? Let us then, gentlemen, duly appreciate the privi- leges of our peculiar position-let us not lose the opportunity which God has given us of d~ing good- but let us lov~ our country, ancl looking with a single eye to her glory and greatness--- do whatever wisdom and experience may suggest for the spread of knowledge, virtue, and the useful arts; and for the development of those vast resources which are slumbering in her mountains, and lying dormant in the germinating power of her soil. In a word, let us sacrifice all narrow-minded selfishness upon the hallowed altar of patriotism, and' by an energetic and enlightened discharge of the trusts confided to us. elevate our young Republic into that proud rank which her unriv- alled beauty and unbounded wealth entitle her to take among the nations ·of the earth. As yet Texas has been comparatively spared from the crudeness of department, and that clash of strife and passion, which too often characterize incipient and frontier countries.- Indeed, under the most trying circumstances, from the dawn of the revolution up to the present period she has maintained a dignity, sobriety, and har- mony which might stand as an example to older and longer estab- lished governments. It is to be hoped that she will still continue in the same ennobling course; and that her citizens will persevere in the practice of that a.,mity and forbearance, which distinguish the brave of all countries, and is so closely associated with the most ele- vated virtues. But to you, gentlemen, it is unnecessary to appeal
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