The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-02-21
FUGErEVEI.

fugitives from justice absent from
that city.
sam. Swartwout, collector under President
Van Burel, more than thirty years ago, de-
faulter, came to Texas and made fortune
and left q name behind him characteristic OF
crime, "Swartwouting."
IL is wonderful with what ease wrong
can be done and how readily men
swallow the floating atoms of Islander,
while truth and justice have to strug-
gle for their own vindicatiOn. We
clip the above paragraph from Il list
headed Fugitive" copied from the
New York World into the San Anto-
Mo Herald, without comment
The check of every old TeXian, IA
miliar with the facts, will crimson on
reading the unjust statement. We
thank God for the privilege Of defend
ing the memory of the deceased pa
triot from the ad captandum thrusts of
the misinformed living. The name of
Samuel Swartwouts should be honorcdin
every Texan heart. Strange as it may
sound to some, he never was default
err, but an honest man, patriot and a
lifelong friend of Texas. So believ-
ing, we should feel recreant rs Texas
journalist to the honor of our State to
remain silent. Let the facts speak:
Colonel Swartwout, who, by the way,
was soldier Of 1872 and 1915, was col
lector of the United States custom
house under President Jackson. He
was u devoted personal friend of the
old hero and Il man of some wealth.
He early espoused the cause of Texas,
and, notwithstanding General jack
sons proclamation of neutrality, which
he was bound TO issue under the law of
1918, commanding all government Off
GERS to prevent expeditions leaving for
Texas, he risked his high Office Deserve
our case. A meeting of The friends of
Texas was called in New York, but
when assembled no prominent man
could be found to preside, SO precarious
was our standing at the time. Swart-
won't boldly took the stand saying:
"Gentlemen, l will preside" The eff.
feet was electric, and the cause of
Texas rose rapidly in public favor He
notified General Jackson at once, de-
clarng mis- readiness to resign, but Old
Hickory secretly rejoiced at his course
and said "Now
In the spring of 1886, when two YES
sells had been chartered, repaired and
freighted with supplies for the Texas
army, then on the verge of starvation,
they were seized for debts in New York
and detained. Swartwout took thous-
ands of dollars from his own pocket,
paid the debts and sent the vessels for
ward They arrived just in time to
prevent the disbandment of our gallant
little army, then menaced by second
invasion. Up to this time Colonel
Swartwout's name stood unsullied.
In 1887 some eXparte Congressional
investigation proclaimed that Swart-
won't was defaulter in the custom
house. A partisan storm burst over
his head so suddenly and furiously as
to bewilder and almost craze him. In
a hasty moment he sailed for Europe,
and thence wrote back, most solemnly
vowing his innocence, and saying if
wrong had been done, of which he had
no knowledge, it had been done by
Others without his knowledge. The
howl went on and "Swartwouting" be-
came term of reproach.
But, by and by, the old man returned
and finally, after some years had
elapsed, a thorough investigation took
place, when, to the establishment of
the public and the joy of his old
friends, it was found that he not only
had never been defaulter, but that
the government actually owed him
over seven hundred dollars.
But, in the meantime, his heart was
broken, his property gone and he and
MS venerable wife were almost pau
yers in the great city wherein he had
so long been a man of power. Texas
lad paid the principal amounts adj
yanced by him, but without interest.
The money, however, had gone to his
and this was his condition
when the Legislature of 1856 was in
session. The writer of this, then rep
from Galveston, in con-
JUNCTION with Colonel Ashbel Smith
md others, sought to get bill through
o pay the broken-heafted old man a
mall interest on the amount from its
Idvance in 1886 to the payment of the
in 1854. n-
1t was in favor of this bill, and in
of the long and unjustly
landered old patriot Swsrtwout, on a
lot August day in the house of repre-
entatives of 1856, that the finest dis
LAY of imprisoned eloquence ever
ell from human lips in Texas, so far
s we know or believe. 1t was the
outpouring of the heart of
he late Hon. William b. Ochiltree,
moved to its profoundest depths by the
uccession of facts to which we have
o FREELY adverted. That scene, SO
sketched in the Texas
Almanac, by Major Charles A. West
n his biographical memoir of Judge
)chiltree, will never be forgotten by
hose who were present. The clarion
oice of Ochiltree, sometimes melting
q its pathos, then rising in its denun-
iatory indignation, yet rings in our