PAPERS OF l\f rnjni-:Au BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
313
No. lGOU. SPEECH OF JA:\lES AfDlSTROXG 3 ~ [House of Representatives, Austin
183!Jl
i\IR SPEAKER. I must claim the induldence [sic] of the house that I may ha,·e au opportuuity of ani:;wering my friend, of San August:!Je. '.l'hc Iii II to incorporate the ~ ed1es and Angelina Xa,·igation Company !i- the clarli11g project of my friend I shall not detain you long touch- 111g th is bi 11. It is enough to say that the face of the hill ought tc; prnn? its con<lenrnntion affording exclusive privileges for an indefinite 1:umber of years, in contradiction to the Spirit of our institutions- J\Iy frieud during the forenoon, took occasion to visit me with his kind attentions tho' hy so doing he strayed far from the subject- Indeed he did not attempt to keep in ,·iew the subject of debate- He was so <·xr.eedingly friendly as to notice Jasper County and its inhabitants. He obi-erwd that the inhabitants of that County were a fighting peo- ple, but 011 a certain occasion had mistaken their route nncl avoided danger, but were ready to fig-ht after the battle was over. I suppose the Gentleman meant San ,Jacinto- My friend obser\"ecl that the citizens of Jasper followed more peaceful occupations, to wit: angling fishiug, and making certificates-and that they certainly did not all partake of the Same feelings of Chivalry ns their young Hotspur, other- wise they would not have mistaken their route in the spring of 1836- My friend of 8an Augustine observed that provided the bill shnll pass, the people of Texas may expect to hear of nn i1wasio11 from that County, notwithstanding the peaceful habits on a former occasion- Now Mr Speaker [ solicit the indulgence of the house whilst I follow my friend throughout his digressions, In the out set I remind the house of the distinction hetwcen us,- There is rnngic in a nnme- You must recollect that I nm an obscure and humble individual a dull stupid and prosein_g kind of a geuius, unknowing and unknown. The history of my Ii fe has not been enquired into by the world, only known to a few of the peaceful people of Jasper- I ha,·e no hair breadth escnpcs no romantic mh-entnres of love nnd murder, of blood and carnage, to relate, no wonderful narrations with which to regale my friends, and instruct mankind when I talk, my words are soon forgoitcn, when I tell of exploits and glory no one heeds me- When I talk of the many castles I hn,·e stormeel nnd the many hearts I hnve won, none regard me- when I nm happy, no one is happy on my account- when I look loYely and amiable, no1_1e imitate me, when I imagine my self great and powerful, none others imagine me so- ~ot so with my fortunate and favored friend who has ever enjoyed the supreme felicity of being great,- even from the crn~lle was he great, and lieing notori- ously grent in childhood- Ht> certainly was, if not at prrsent, n ;?rrat child- I should like to hear the particulars of his Childhood, A mirncle alone could h1we preserved him this long, so numerous are the dang'1rs to .which greatness is ever exposed- When he laughs ..The first drnft of this speech is in Armstrong's hnnd; the serond i11 in Lnmnr'11. The Act to int•orporute the Nerhes nnd Angelinn N11\'ijlntion Com• pnny wns rend the first time December 0. IS:J!l; the second reading wns on Jan• liar~· I :J, 18-l0; the third, Jnnunry 22, 1840, after whit-h it wns tabled. See No. 1350, •lth Congress, file No. 15, Archives, Stnte Depnrtment.
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