Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-08-24
GENERAL SAN. HoUsroN-HIs PUBLIC CAREER
Occasional" writes from Washington to the Phil

GENERAL SAN. HousroN-H1s PUBLIC CAREER.-
Occasional" writes from Washington to the Phil
adelphia Press:
"Just at the time when it was elieved that the
star Of Ssm Houston, of Texas, was passing rapidly
from the political armament and losing its lustre
before the blaze of other lumina-ies while yet the
accents of his ornamented farewell speech to the
American Senate linger in our ears, the news from
his own State comes in upon US that he has been
elected Governor of Texas, after an animated con-
test beating the regular Democratic ticket by sig
nal majority. Here, now, is another man whose ex-
perience may be said strikingly to illustrate Ameri
can character, and upon whose eventful life it is
profitable and pleasing to dwell. century hence
our ch:ldren's children will read of Sam Houston as
to-day we read of John Smith. who was rescued
from the Indian faggot by the Christanized maiden
Pocahontas.
It is to read the life of any one man crowd
ed with political honors, and so identified with po
litical reverses and triumphs If your readers will
recollect that Sam Houston began his early life
among the Cherokee Indians; that directly after
that he clerk and county auditor in Tennessee ;
that he kept school that in 1913 he enlisted in the
army and served under Gen. Jackson in the Creek
war that he was wounded, and rose to the rank of
a lieutenant in that war; that he studied law al
Nashville; that he served from 1923 to 1927 as a
member of the National House of Representatives.
from Tennessee that he was two years the Cover
of that State; that he resi- gned that Office went
back and renewed his residence among the Chero-
KEGS in Arkansas; that he went to Washington to
protect the aborigines from fraud and returned to
to them disguised with his little success that he
went to Texas on a visit, was elected member of
the Convention to form State Constitution prior
to the admission of that State into the Mexican Un-
ion; that he headed the disafecion growing out of
the rejection of the Constitution by Sana anna that
he assisted in arousng the Texans to arms; that
he was elected the commanderinchi of the troops
that he conducted the war vigorously, and brought
it to a successful termination at the battle of San
SacintO; that he effected treaty acknowledging
the independence of Texas that he elected first
President OF the Republic; that he then became a
member of the Texan Congress, and was again cleo
ted President of Texas that he contributed greatly
to the annexation of Texas to the United States ;
and that, in 1874, when Texas came into the Ameri-
can Union, he was elected Senator in Congress
of which body he served until March last-retirng
from it to begin new round of offices Governor
of his State u say if your readers will cast their
eyes back this marvellous record it will be
difficult to induce them to believe that Sam Houston
was but sixty-sx years of age on the Cd of March
last-being younger man than the President OF
the United States. If you could see him as | saw
him, shortly before he made his farewell speech in
the Senate, which, like the farewell speeches OF
some other great actors in politics and the drama
was as the result has shown intended to be but the
advertisement of engagement you would
have been impressed by his fine bearing, his snow.
white ruffled shirt, his diamond decorated digits "
and his vigorous, statesmanlike appearance. You
would not ask why it is that Sam Houston is cna-
bled to point to an almost rresistibly successful
career, He is not a man of learning or extended
information he is vain to fault fond of dress and
show; superficial logician, land no man is so
ready to admit these elements of his character as
himselD and yet he has because of his instinc-
tine lore Of the truth his contempt for law learning
and lawyers, his horror of distractions and not
the least of ALL his undoubted courage and patriot
ISM"