Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-11-21
4 TENNESSEE TALE.
Romance of a Governor Of the Vol
unteer State.
Interesting and Historical.

To the Editor of the New York Tribune.
SIR: The st. Louis Globe Democrat
published some weeks since private let
ter of President jackson TO General Sam,
Houston, dated Washington, ID. c., June
q, 1873, preserved by and old Texan, q
former friend of Houston, which has more
than personal history attached to it.
President jackson recalls his delightful
meeting with his friend one year before,
when as governor of Tennessee he was
"about to be united to q beautiful young
lady of accomplished manners and Of res
pectable connections" As to his sudden
determination to settle among the Indians
and become a savage" he exclaims:
Surely it is q dream" and he hints. that
though now addressed at the Cherokee
agency, Territory of Arkansas, his inten-
ton is to found in Texas q southwestern
empire, revlving thus scheme of other
men in earlier times. EF SO rs'E Il
The Gil democrat alludes to Houston's
act, which called out this letter from his
old friend, as zone of the most singular
and utterly unexplained acts ever connect
ed with General Houston or any other
great historical character" As the true
explanation has since his death been made
known by his widow to those specially in
trusted with the preparation of his mem
oirs, the duplication of which is perhaps
now lnQeuulb0ly pOsIpOuou, justice 10 tTubu
and to HoustOn's memory as model of
true loyalty seems to demand the follow
ing statement of the proofs of that loyalty:
As pastor of Senator Houston from 1916
to 1861, intimate with all his private
thoughts as well as his public life, the
writer, when requested to contribute to the
proposed memoir. was made acquainted
with the fact of his marriage wound; KEEN
er and more lasting than that of the poison-
ed Indian arrow whose fostering he used
sometimes to show his friends. The at
testation of his loyalty in all other relations
heard often from his. own lips, and read in
unmistakable acts, is in perfect accord
with the authentic facts of history which
any resder can verify even in brief En-
cyclopadia notices. There is not particle
of evidence in any preserved record which
indicates faint of disloyalty in any rela-
ton.
Born in Virginia in 1913, left an orphan
in boyhood, sam. Houston went with his
mother to Tenne see, where he supported
her by his own industry, thus early learn
ing family loyalty. In 1878, at the age of
twenty, he enlisted under General Jackson
in the Creek war, and for his repeated
deeds of gallantry he so gained the esteem
of jackson that he urged him to remain
permanently in the army. Resigning.
however, and studying law in Nashville,
the age of thirty he was elected to con-
gress, and then again in 1927 was elected
Governor of Tennessee. Up to this time
Houston was unmarried. Universally ad-
nired and urged by associates to form an
alliance which seemed essential to his
station, young lady of beauty and accom>
piishments was commented to him by
family influence. His proposal of marriage
was a. copied, and late in 1928 the marriage
ah al
pomp. The next day Houston resigned
his office, crossed the Mississippi into
Arkansas, and December II, 1873, wrote
from the agency Of his old Cherokee &C.
Quaintances the letter to president jackson
which called forth his letter of January 81,
1879 No one of Houston's companions
knew till his death the cause of hls new
course, which his best friends, like jack
son, regarded as partial insanity, no one
but his widow could reveal it, and sne olly
through sense of conjugal aud Christian
duty, That cause was the highest test of
| 10y atty of which, any man could be capa-
| BILE.
On the eve of marriage, Governor Hous-
| ton observed tremor In the voice aud in
| the hand of his bride, when the VOW of IN.
diviIed attachment was pronounced which
| convinced him some secret had not bee n
| revealed to him. Before retiring he frank
| ly told her of his suspicion, asked Rfrank
confession and pledged it should not work
| her injury. His frankness and frmness led
| TO the confession that her affections had
| been given and p edged to another before
| their meeting, and that flial duty had
prompted her acceptance of his Offer.
Houston retired to his own cot, next day
resigned his position, allowed the entire
fault to appear to be his, permitted and
encouraged her application for divorce
bo nix nf RI nd hri W.
married to the man of her former election.
Many Irregularities rumor, of course
charged on the man who had really sacri-
| feed everything to save one who had erred
only in mistaken duty, but no charge of
| domestic infdelity could be true in a man
who denied il to the estimable lady who
afterward became his wife.
The suggest lion of ambitious designs,
naturally assumed as true by jackson. was
| disproved by facts known to history. One
year after that letter was wit item Houston
1 was the chosen representative of the Cheros
KEGS at Washington. It was on visit to
Texas year or two later that Houston was
drawn into Texas affairs. The large
Connecticut colony induced to go into
| Texas in 1870 had been in violation of
| Santa Annals promises, in 1880 incorpora-
ted into the nelghboring Mexican province
of Coahuila and thus subject 10 Mexican
law and government. These American.
in Texas with loyal intent, thereupon or.
gained distinct province, and they
elected Houston as their delegate to tn,
convention that had been called to revis,
the Mexican constitution. which in 1872
had borrowed largely from that of tn
United States. The colonists had increased
in number to $4,000 when Houston became
their delegate. The crafty Santa Ann
after repeated efforts for peace, did NO
begin hotilties until 1885. Though superb
or in ability. Houston did not becom
commander in chief till the post was re
signed by Colonel S. #. Austin, the sol
OF the first colonist, in the autumn of 1886
Houston's clemency to Santa Anna afte
the massacres he had perpetrated wa
loyalty to the rules of war.
!, during the eight years, from 1887
! Io4o, OF Texan independence. Housto
: Was faithful to every. obligation of life. ]
was curing this period that he obtained
divorce from the legislature Of the state {
which he was president, and married on
of the most accomplished and deyout @
Christian women. who, with large famiI
of children, survives him. When, at In,
annexation could be effected, instead {
aiming at independent empire, Housto
promoted to the utmost the annexation {
the state of which he had been father.
, In Washington, as senator from 1886
1861, no truer statesman than Sam. Hous
ton sat in the capitol. In social relation
no sign of vice appeared, for be was OF th
Roman stamp, SO honored recently by ii
J Tribune as type of the republican leader