The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-20

EW YORK HERALD, SAT
SEN Houston. Great Speech az a.oos dochssxx
A Trumpet Blast FOR the Presidency.
General Sam Houston, Of Texas, the gallant,
honest, blunt, plain-spoken, fdn-loving hero Of
San Jacinto is well known to the whole people
of the United States His name Il familiar as q
household word. Having served Texas long and
faithful ly in the field, In the chair of State and
in the Senate of the United States, he at length,
by bis course in voting against the Kausas.Ne-
braska bill, forfeited for time the good will of
the people Of his State, and they, through their
Legislature, superseded him In his Senatorial
position. AT the clese of last session he pro-
nounced his valedictory before the Senate, de-
claring that thenceforth he abandoned public
life, determined to spend the rest of his days in
peaceful pastoral occupations. But either his
own resolution was too weak, or the influence of
the people of Texas too strong, to permit him
long to enjoy his digni6ed leisure. An election
was at hand for the Governorship of the State.
The present incumbent, Governor Runnels. was
renominated by the regular Democratic Conven.
ton, which assembled at Houston, and which
Convention, it appears, was composed princi-
pally of extreme disunionists, pledged to the
revival of the slave trade. The conserva
tive men of the State, who were opposed
to such measure, prevailed on Gen. Houston
to place himself in the Lists as an independent
candidate. He consented, and his success in the
election is gratifying proof that even in Texas
conservatism is stronger than faction.
During the canvass General Houston, on the
9th instant, delivered himself of a great speech
at Nacogdoches, and as the sentiments expressed
by him on that occasion are important not only
as bearing on that election, but as possibly bear
ing on the next Presidential contest, we are in
duced to give to his speech the benefit of our cir
culation. We print it in the HERALD of to day,
dedicating it not alone to the politicians and
wirepullers of conventions, but to the people of
the United States at large, as being an able,
statesmanlike, honest and patriotic declaration
of political sentiments
General Houston declared himself at the out
set democrat of the old school, an old fogy in
politics, clinging devotedly to those primitive
principles on which our government was found.
ed aud as having no modern improvements to
make on the principles of our fathers. He ad-
mitted that he stood in the face of and opposed
to democratic organization, but he boosted that
he himself was older than platforms, and was
statesman before the birth of conventions. That
is the sort Of heightened manly independence
which we wish to see established and practised
in our politics, both local and national. The
people of Texas admired it and sustained it.
General Houston had one great difficulty to
contend against in State where foreigners con.
stitute large proportion of the population.
he had been q member Of the proscriptive
Know Nothing party. But his opposition to the
reopening Of the slave trade compensated for
that political heresy-for which, besides, he had
done penance-aud won for him the German
vote. He regarded the Know Nothing party as
dead, knew of no attempt to resuscitate 1t, and
would, if such attempt were made, oppose it, be-
cause no good result could be attained by it.,
and there was no necessity for it. This re-
cantation, this political auto da te, was
considered satisfactory, and the penitent
was received back into the fold of democracy In
rs--a-, and eloratoa to TO highest pinnacle of
honor. After that the democratic church
throughout the Union cannot refuse to open its
doors to him, on the good Christian principle that
there is more joy over one sinner that repenteth
than over ninety.nine just men who need no
repentance.
1t has been claimed that the success of General
Houston was q defeat Of Mr.. Buchanan's admi.
nistration. Quite the contrary. While the de.
mocratic convention that nominated Mr.. Runnels
declined to endorse the policy of the administra-
ton, General Houston gave the highest testimo-
ny in its favor. He declared that Mr.. Buchanan
had been honest and faithful, that he had acted
wisely and as patriot, and that it would be
found when the clouds were dispersed that the
difficulties which surrounded his administration
we're not of his own making, but were produced
by those who were the first to desert him.
AS to General Houston's own political princi-
Piles, he sums them up thus:-Opposition to
banks, opposition to internal improvements by
the general government opposition to the distri-
button of the public lands among the States,
opposition to special monopolies, opposition to a
protective tariff, opposition to latitudnous con-
struction of the constitution, and opposition to
slavery agitation and disunion. So much for the
negative side of bis policy. On the positive side
we find that be is in favor of acquiring Cuba, of
establishing protectorate over Mexico, of build
ing the Pacific Railroad, and of saying soft things
to the fair sex.
We think that on the whole General Houston's
Nacogdoches speech will find favor with large
proportion of the people of the United States,
and prove to be one of the highest bids yet made
for the Presidency in 1860.
Music IN THE CENTRAL PARK We are glad
to see that the music in the Central Park on