Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-06-25
TEXAS.
IL "reminiscences Of sam IEOuS-
h ton During tue War-lsis
Speech 0n Secession.

| GALVESTON. June, 1866.
The history of Gene. i Sam Houston Is
the history of Texas; covering the events
of aearly or. qni.e forty years-commen-
cling with the struggles against Mexico for
independence. and extending through the
days ofthc Texas Republic, the exciting
times of annexation. including the war b.
tween Mexico and The, United States, the
fifteen years of peaceful connection with
the Union under The "S,ars and Stripes, =
down to the unfortunate days of secession
The "old war-horsc" had a most varied
experience during this whole evenlfnl
pcriod-someiimes fighting as tic military
chierla;n Of Tcxas-tl,en as spsli:ical leader
and anon as ;l,c official head Of lhe re-
public, or of ihe S,atc-6ut his last BATTLES
were fought with the evil demon OF seces-
sion, And permit me here TO say. and
record, thit these last conflicts have never
been we'll unders' ODD in our country, cspc-
cial'y in the northern Section tiiereof-and
his words, actions and movements, cannot
b. correctly Interpreted. without knowing
and analyzing the anti isccession animus by
(which he MAS actgitsd,
! do not essay to become his Jiogrd-
phcr, except, so Gar as. of my own personal
knowlflse, /, am faniliag with that por-
iion Of his history whereof write.
On the general question of scccssion
| 81 a. Al.
and parties.
IDEAS AND PAETIEs.
/ There was the old original Dycd-ia the
Wool, Jchn c. Calhoun, South Carolina
Nnliiylns Secession party. They believ-
cd in secession per sc, for its own sake,
and argned the right. not constitutional
hut revolutionary right of secession, on
&c basis Of State sovereignty and origin
aliiy. ana on the ground orNoriht,rn inter
f;rcnce with Southern rights and ins.iiu-
TONS advocated The duty of immediate
and unconditional sccc 'sion. That the
States were before The Union was, and al
State attributes and powers which wert
mot erpress'y concsdled aTd1 ,slfssied tc
The General Government were reserved
within the enclosure of Stale sovereignty
that the constitution. frame d and adopted
as the joint act Of free and sovereign
States, was not intended TO reflect lis power
back for the gorcramoRt OF the States q,
such. but for the better protection of the
States against foreign aggressions, ant
against mutual ipfringcmcnts in the socie
riy of States; that the constitution of ,h,
CaiJn Government, while il could not ex
r.essly provide for IFS dissolution, y,t iii,
not forbid secession. therefore the right o
secession was negatively implied by it
silence on the subject
The men Of this parry wesc not th,
strongest numerically. but they rcprcscnte,
the leading intelligence and wealth Of tn
South.
CONDITIONAL sECEssroyIsTs.
4.sers was another party, made up q
conditional men. They believed in scccs
sion as a dcrRicr resort, in case tn
rights Of the South could not be otherwis
maintained. This party wa. the slronges
fof auy ip numbers, but were met viii
taunts of rusillanimous submission TO th
meddlesomc tyrant of the North, an,
when they said '.Lct us stay in The Uniol
and fight for our rights under The oll. .fQg,
fict1 swer was INSULT cicnt for the crisis o
the times. They were borne down by th
explosive power Of slavery by which tn
public heart was fired North and South.
II The UNION rAETy.
A third party SAID though they dare
not say it very loud: 'Let slavery slide
need be, but let us have the Union, vii
the old flag, at all hazards; The Union i
! better for us-than any other possible cond
'ioE.". An effort was made 10 effect
Ijdn3,icn between this party and the cSndi
lional men, but the lines would not NEE
This was the minority party. 8F
TnE INxxrEDIEScY PARTY.
A fourth party oppose secession of III
ground of incxpcdicrcy and bad policy
They said they would not argue the origir
al question of either the constitutional, th
moral, or the natural right of secession
but confine themselves 10 the idea that 81
ccssion was inerPcdieRt and inapolifi'
! They said tl,ar secession Would pTeclpita,
war, and war would prove disastrods |
Southern rights. instead ofremedial. Tn
twas old Sam Houston party, of which b
!. was the acknowledged leader. : s
l remember, few dsYs before the yo'
on secession, the old General came dow
: 10 Galveston, from up country, TO make
} speech on the subject. He had been m,
king canyassihg tour. and was full orth
inspiration of his subject-undcr which, .
you may judge, he was blessed with
|. s'tolerablesiegrcc of uiterancc,.' as usu'
to be said of candidates for the Methods
: | nain;sfrv when tboupbt qualified thercfo