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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1843
445
administration of good government. Now, is this patriotism? Can you sever me from the station I fill in my political relations, while I constitutionally discharge the duties devolving upon me? You cannot.-The attack is made upon your nation. Com- munications received from all parts of the States and Europe, say your papers are damning your country. These things are immediately copied into other papers, and circulated everywhere. Our Minister in the U. States writes the same thing, and invokes it as a favor, that the evil should be suspended. Those in England and France, re-echo the same. Tho' other governments may appre- ciate the head of this, there are individuals among us who would be willing to sink their country, that they may destroy the man. There are those who expect nothing good to come out of Nazareth. It was the way of the Jews in ancient times;-a good people, but they had a prejudice they could not resist, that no good thing could come out of Nazareth. It is so in this instance. Every act of the government is denounced; the individual at the head of it is denounced, and by whom? Is it by men who have suffered more, or been less beneficiaries of the nation than the Executive? No. But by men who have received not less than a million of liabilities from the people of Texas-by men who would have drawn from the treasury not less than seventy thousand dollars on a contract for the publication of laws, in value not exceeding $3,500: but the fraud was set aside. These are the men who have denounced the present Executive, not as a vagabond and scoundrel, but in epithets and terms with which I will not insult the ears of the fair and intelligent portion of this audience. And why? be- cause the Executive would not yield to their candidate. "With- draw your name, and do not run:" "My name has not been out, sir." "If you run, sir, your former history-every thing shall be brought to bear against your election." "I will not place the damning seal upon my nation by permitting those that have aided to her destruction to hold further connection with her." Because I would not give the substance of the nation into the hands of favorites; moths that eat the garments of the people, and strip them naked.-! state nothing but facts. Individuals who have been in this attitude, have come to the Executive, and with piteous tears, imploring forgiveness. When tears of contrition are shed, the angels of heaven look on with interest ;-when the tear of the crocodile is shed, its young become fugitive: at the tear of the hypocrite, Satan rejoices, but angels weep. Truth is mighty and will prevail. What was our situation when I commenced the discharge of my official duties? It was at the crisis when you believed that the country was lost; that no genius,
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