Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-07-25
OLD SERIES, VOL. %, NO. 80.

Jacinto, when the foe, Santa Anna, was whip
ped and captured, aud rendered powercss
ever after against Texas, and you know it.
l organized and established the republic Of
Texas, and you know it. l took you in
infancy and dandled you on my knee, and
nursed you through all your baby ailments.
l watched and aided your growth with
fatherly care and solicitudc, from helpless
infancy till you reached the full stature of
independent political manhood.
" i am an old mar now, and these are my
last counses. | have no ambitions for the
future of personal nature my ambition is
now all concentrated in the glory of my state
and national flags. Soon shall be gathered
to the fathers. viii you reject these last
counsels and appeals of your political father,
and squander your political patronage in
unseemng and riotous adventure ?
Some of you opposed me on annexation,
and suppose have never forgiven me to
this day, and are now delighted to have an
| apparent opportunity of taunting me with
the results of annexation. But let me ask
you, so soon as annexation became history
{ did not Texas enter upon degree of pros
perity she had never before known? Be-
sides, the present troubles are not the results
of my action at all, but of other agencies
and influences.
Some of you jocularly propose to drink
all the blood that will ever be shed as the
result of secession.
Let me tell you the state of things that
think will follow close on the heels of Sc
cesson. Tho time will come when your
fathers and husbands, and sons and brothers,
VIII oe herded together like sheep and cat
tie, at the point of the bayonet-and your
, mothers and wives, and daughters and sis
tors, Will ask, where are they ?-and echo
will answer wherc2
"'The fact is, the North are determined
, , to preserve this Union. They are not fiery,
impulsive people, like you are-they live in
cooler climates. But when they begin to
move in given direction, where great is
sues are involved like those between the
North and South liz this crisis, they move
with the steadiness, perseverance and mo
mentum Of mighty avalanche; and what
fear is, they will overwhelm the South with
ignc5le defeat. But could say amen t
secession, with all the results Of blood anC
misery have pictured, if did no. believ,
that our troubles would be adjusted-re
. moved without invoking the Moloch o
, insatiate war-if there were no alternativ,
, to secession and the sequence of war, then
would say fight, for it is better to die free
men than live slaves.
"'In conclusion, let me ask you, are yor
of the same opinions and purposes of seces
!, sion now that you were when you came tc
hear me to-day2 And if you are, will moth
!. ing but the perdition of war satisfy and turr
you from them
81 sum up the whole to-day with pre-
3 monition that borders on the spirit of pro
phecy-hear it, o, God, We angels of His
! hear, o ye people of Texas-secession will
land you in consuming fire and rivers o.
blood =
II noticed several times during the speech
the very men who, in the morning, opposed
the speaker and the speaking, applauding
Justify with voice and hands-such was the
magical power of Sam Houston over Texa:
audience. The fact is, it was morally i'm
possible for him to be mobbed in Texas
The arm OF the mobocrat was parayzed il
his presence. Doubtless this fact was wei
understood by him, hence he feared no mobs
Houston was friend and lover of Union
though believer in state sovereignty"