454
TEXAS
TATE LTBR.\RY
peradventure IIe may continue his blessings and vouch afe to u a happy i , ue to all our labors, On you, fellow-citizen , mC'm ber of the ,first Congress of the re- public of Texns, labor of the most arduous, the mo t intcre ting, and the most important character devoh'c. To you is committed the be- ginning of legislation; and as you shall lay the foundation, o will be reared the superstructure. On you, therefore, rests the hi~h re ponsi- bility• of giving political character, and moral reputation, to one just born into the family of nation . The present generation will feel and exhibit the impress of your doing , and our posterity will tran mit it to generations unborn. I pray, therefore, that in all your delibera- tions, you may be so guided by a spirit of wi <lorn, of justice, and of that when the star of Texas shall culminate in all it brightnes , it may truth that when the star of Texas shall culminate in all its brightn~s, it may shed forth a glorious and beneficent light. And whether she take her station amon"' the illustrious constellation of the Xorth, or revolve on her own axis and within her own phere, that she may display, not only the "'Oodness of God, but the wi dom and prescience of her -early legislators. On me r~ts the duty of presenting to your consideration a brief exhibit of our present political. condition; and to n"'gc t such mea ure as :may be adapted to supply the .wants, ecure the well-bein"', and develope the re ources of om beautiful country. In the execution of this task, there is much to excite embarrassment and apprehension; but more to animate our hope.s and fo ter a spirit of perseverance. :;,\!any difficulties have beC'n overcome and many remain to be ubdued; But a general spirit of hai·mony, unity of purpo e and of action, and a sincere devotion to the public \\·eal, will easily surmount them all; and Texas will soon be enabled to a . crt a legitimate claim to be received among the nations of the earth. The goYcrnmcnt ad. interim, over which I have the honor to pre- side, ha hitherto conducted its labors under every imaginable diffi- culty. At the institution of that goYermuent, the force of the enemy were rapidly advancing into the country, with an impo ing array. The means of repelling the formidable invasion, were not oi sufficient power to in. pirc g-encral confidence, and many families had abandoned their heme aud were fleeing from the approaching deva tation. 'rhc entire cttlements from the 1 'nece. to the olorado had heeu ·broken up, and the fall of the Alamo, where the gallant Travi and hi braYc a. sociatcs con cerated their live. to the liberty of Texas, had pread dismay even 10 the line of the Brazos. Our military force in the field wn. i:rreatly inferior in number to that of th ho t that wn marching against us: nnd were it not, that there was a Yn t di crepancc between the military capacities of the oppo. ing a1·mie., the snbju~ation of Texas would have appeared inevitnhle. nut that di crepnncc had con. titutcd an important ground of conficlcuce in the cc ion, and it was worthy of nil estimation; for it wa n di crcpancc, not only or military prowe.-s, hut of moral nttribut and of political knowledge. 'fhc administration which had been organized at the town of Wn. h- ington, deemed it expedient to clmnge it location to Harri burg, from which point it could po cs an ca icr nccc s to foreign conntric ~
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