Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-10-24
TERMS OF ADyERTIsINc.
The Position of General Houston as
Defined by HIMSELF Il

The Richmond Enquirer, Of the 1lth.
contains letter from Sam. Houston, dated
September 18th, which was written for the
purpose Of defining his position, and in an-
swer to an article which he saw in the New
York Herald, about the 18th or 10th Of
August, which states that General Houston
has no sympathy with the rebellion. In re.
ply to this he says:
Previous to the act Of Secession by Texas.
and whilst the measure was one of argument
and opinion, my opposition to it was open
and unavowed, and my opposition to the
acts Of the Convention was not concealed,
but on all becoming occasions fully express
ed, nor did i cease that expression of op-
fs-s.sS.' - tl-~ -sf -...lil
the people acquiesced in it, when |, as one
OF them, unhesitatingly assented to this con-
cluslon; since which time / have attempted
to throw no impediment in the way of this
action, but on the contrary, have perforried
all the acts of dutiful and loyal citizen of
the Southern Confederacy. This was doing
no more than what became me, for / have
lived and acted upon the principle that all
public officers should obey the will Of their
constituents, and all private citizens support
the Government which secures to them their
liberties.
While the Convention was in session, /
presented communication to the Legisa-
ture, accompanying resolutions forwarded to
me by the Executive of Tennessee, on the
subject of coercion, in which | denounced,
ungualifedly, such measure of Federal
policy. Since then my opinion has under:
Had | been disposed to involve Texas IN
civil war, | had it in my power, for I was
rendered the aid of seventy thousand men,
and means to sustain myself in Texas by ad-
herring to the Union; but this / rejected,
and, in return for the offer, | gave my advice
to the Federal Government that / wanted
no money, | desired no Office, and wished for
no troops; but, if Mr.. Lincoln was wise, and
wished to confer ben eft upon the country,
he would evacuate For is Pickens and Sum
ter, recall all the Federal troops from Texas,
and not take the council of such man as
General Scott, or his Administration would
be disgraced. Notwithstanding this, when
my message was reported tc Mr. Lincoln by
his own messenger, it appeared that he did
not believe that his agent had been faithful
in the discharge Of his trust in reporting my
opinion. So strong was this belief, that he
Immediately resolved to send another mes
|
My only son-above the years Of ch i'd
hood. and he is only stripping of eighteen
attached himself to the first company that
was raised in the neighborhood; he has been
mustered into service for during the war, and
is discharging the duties Of soldier, equip
ped to meet the enemies of the Southern
Confederacy; and, in addition to this, no
less. than four nephews have enlisted for
during the war, and are now on their march
to Virginia. might cite these as evidences
in vindication Of myself, if chose so to do,
but such is not the object it is merely done
for the qualification of boasting a little, and
to let those who were most forward in Se-
cession see whether they have done more
than l have, and am not willing to do, for
the Southern Confederacy. And more than
this, | have three other nephews who have
been in Virginia from the commencement of
the war, with the other Southern troops.
The time has been when there was pow
erful Union sentiment in Texas, and will
ingness on the part of many true patriots to
give Mr.. Lincoln fair trial in the Arminis-
tration ofthe Federal Government. =
These times have passed by. IF there ia
any Union sentiment in Texas now, am
not appfised of it. eHf'tf
When the millions of Persia invaded
ireece the Spartans were not more united in
defense of their country and liberties than
is Texas united in support of the Southern
II Confederacy ...l 7