467
PAPERS OF l\IIRABEAU BUONAPARTE LAMAR
No. 465
1836 Oct. 22, -
[EDWARDS], l\IOBILE, [ALABAMA] TO l\I[IR- ABEAU] B[UONAPARTE] LAMAR, VELASCO, TEXAS
Congratulations upon the succcs of '.l'exas and of Lamar; a question as to the disposal of Primus; his value; White; Van Buren. A.1 L. No. 466 1836 Oct. 22, I'. B. LAMAR. INAUGURAL:ADDRESS 8 General Lamar's Inaugural Address as Vice-President delivered on the 22nd. October 1836. Mr. President-and fr. Speaker, And you Gentlemen of the Senate and Hiouse of Representatives: Permit me to embrace this opportunity of expressing my sincere acknowledgements, for the honor conferred upon me by the free, unbiassed suffrages of my fellow citizens. I say free and nn- biassed, because their voice has not been purchased by the arts of the demagogue, or by any conduct incompatible with the strictest prin- . ciples of honc>'r. The station to which I am called, has been generously bestowed without solici~tion; and therefore do I feel a niore lively gratitude, and if possible a deeper sense of its obligations. How far I may be deserving such flattering manifestation of public partiality, remains to be proved by my future conduct,-my deeds and not my words must fix my character. I have no•promises of great fidelity to offer-they are easily made-more easily broken. All that I can say is, that I come into office free and untrammelled; without avarice to gratify and without revenge to satiate. The best pledge that I can tender, is to be found in the fact, that my temporal intere ts, as well as my reputation, which is dearer than all, is identified with the prosperity and character of Texas. If I perform my duty properly, I shall be abundantly rewarded by internal peace and public approba- tion-if otherwise it will rest with those whose confidence I abuse, to punish the defalcation. 'I'he duties of my station are plain and simple ' --of easy execution-requiring but a. moderate share of talents, and involving no high responsibilitY., As Vice-President merely, I shall not be invested with official means, to accomplish much either of good or evil. The positive powel"-the active authority-which might' fall to my lot by unhappy contingency, I sincerely pray that I may never "No. 466 is a rough draft. In its place has been substituted what appears to be a final draft contained in No. 361 and printed in No. 478a. Printed in the House Journal, first congress, first session, 1836, 68; but reprinted here because of its importance· and the . comparative lnaccessihility ot the Journal.
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