New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-01
General Sheridan in Texas.

The lecture Of General George A. Sher
dan on Sam Houston must have been "a,
cering success, judging from The tollowin
comments n the Houston Ttlegruph of las
Friday:
There was a local notice in yesterday
Telegraph Of the address delivered by Gen
eral George A. Sheridan, of New Orleans
at the Opera House, on Wednesday evening
last, upon the Life and Times of Genera
Houston and Ne design 20 add few
words TO what was then said about lecture
which certainly deserves more than pass
| ing commentator.
| General Sheridan is ctaste and fluent
| speaker, with fine descriptive powers, and a
| perfect master of language and compari
| sons. We do not remember to have listened
| 20 an address or lecture for many day
| more rich in illustration and fertile n beau
:itul expression than was his. and MS ar
| rangeHent of the different parts OF his dis
course was admirably conceived.
In his exordium General Sheridan said
j. was simply impossible 20 enter into full
detail or history of such man as General
Sam Houston, in brief hour, but he would
have to view his life as :he traveller on the
mountain top views the magnificent lands
cape spread out beneath him, the various
beauties OF forest, flower. the golden harvest
felds, and all upon which The ere rests,
going TO make up the scene Gwel. upon but
a moment in detail. and then grouped to-
gether in one magnificent whole.
The early history of Houston. his poverty
and hard labor in his native Virginia. ana
the dream OF future greatness in which his
youthful IN agInation ceyeie1. were alluded
20. Then his adven: into Tennessee, his
election 70 Congress and elevation TO the
guberEacorial chair, followed. The splendid
presence and carriage OF the man was de-
scribed, and the brilliant career on which
he seemed to have entered vas pictured
with glowing eloquence. His 1--we: his mar
riage; his voluntary exile among me red
men: his laying down name and fame, and
Withdrawing to the solitude of the wilder
ness; his silence, sacred as the silence OF
the grave, as 20 the cause Of separation
from his wife, and his retremen n. IRON pub
lie lite, were ali dwe.r upon in masreriy
and impressive manner. The advent of
Houston into Texas; the condition
of the country when ne came;
the idea Of It's independence. which
his bold mind conceived a. once;
his leadership, and the cool, deliberate wiz
dom he displayed at ali times and upon all
occasions; the men with whom ne was asso-
ciated; tie impossibilicy OF such a race of
men submitting to the tyranny and des-
potism Of Mexico; all these were rapidly
reviewed, but beautifully brought before
the mind. When General Sheridan described
the battle OF San jacinto, and the ter
riDle yengeanc e OF those who remembered
the Alamo and the massacre of Fannin and
his men, his elOquence was sublime; and
his glowing description brought cheers and
pIaudits from the audience. The career of
Houston in the Senate OF the United States,
and the history of his an-agoniem to the
people Of his State upon the question Of Sc.
cesson when he was Governor, we're ably
handled By the orator: and the reasons for
Houston's opposition 20 secession were for
chilly given.
General Sheridan in his review of the
contemporaries of Houston. among whom
were Calhoun. Benton, Webster, Jackson
and Clay, was exceedingly interesting, and
demonstrated the fact that among all these
the preservation of the Union was the first
and great consideration, Calhoun earnes tly
occupying the opposite ground to Web
ster, believing that unless his doctrines pre-
vailed the Union would ultimately 60 to
pieces.
The allusion to The love aad veneration
which the people of Texas had for the mem
Ory of Houston was feeliDgly made: and
the resume Of the chief incidents in the life
of the now dead hero and statesman. was a
fitting conclusion to one OF the finest lee
lures it has been our pleasure to hear for
years.
Our space will no. allow of further re.
view; but we can not close without COM
mendipg to the pc ople of Texas the distin-
guished gentleman who will deliver this
lecture in various portions of the State. He
is both accomplished and genial, and we
were most happy to see that his audience
in Houston was largely composed of Ocr
first citizens. who fully appreciated his
splendid effort.