The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-12-01

loyalty. In 1918, at the age OF
twenty, he enlisted under General
Jackson in the Creek war, and for
his repeated deeds of gallantry be
so gained the esteem Of Jackson
that he urged him to remain perma-
nently iu the army. ReaigniDg
however, and studying Law in Nash
vile, he rose from Office to Office,
and in 1923, at the age of thirty, he
was elected to Congress-. and thea
again IN 1927 was elected Governor
of Tennessee. Up to this time
Houston was unmarried. Univer
sally admired and urged by assoc.-
ates to form an alliance, which
seemed essential TO his station,
young lady Of beauty and accom-
plishments was commended TO him
by family Influence. His proposal
Of marriage was accepted, and late
in 1928 the marriage ceremony was
performed with unusual pomp. The
next day Houston resigned his Office,
crossed the Mississippi into Arkan.
sas, and December 11th, 1928,
wrote from the agency Of his old
Cherokee acquaintances the letter
TO President jackson. which called
forth bis letter of January 21st.
1929 No one of Houston's con-
psnions knew till his death the
cause Of his new course, which his
best friends, like Jackson, regarded
as partial insanity; 20 one but his
widow could reveal it, and she only
through q sense of conjugal Chris
tian duty. That cause was the
highest test of loyalty of which any
man oonld be capable.
On the eve of his marriage Gov.
Houston observed a tremor in the
voice and in the hand of his bride,
when the VOW Of undivided attach
ment was pronouhced, which cen.
yinced him some secret had not
been revealed to him. Before re-
firing he frankly told her of his sus
picion, and asked frank canFession |
and pledged her that it should no:
work to her injury. His frankdess
and fi7mness led to the confession
that her affections had been giveu
and pledged 10 another before their
meeting, and that fiIial duty had
prompted her acceptance of his
proffer. 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 on the
plea Of desertion, and hjs bride wa
married to the man of her former af
lection. Macy irregularities ru-
NOR, OF course, charged on the man
who had really sacrificed everything
to save one who bad erred only il
mistaken duty; but ne charge Of do
mestic inidelity could be true in "a
man who denied it to the estimable
lady who afterwards became his
wife.
The suggestion of ambitions de
signs, naturally assumed, a. true by
Jackson, was disproved by facts
known to history. One year after
the letter was written Houston was
the chosen representative of the
Cherokees at Washington. It was
on q visit to Texas a year or two
latter that Houston was drawn into
Texas affairs. The large Conpecti-
cut colony induced TO go to Texas
in 1920 had been, 10 violation of
Santa Anna's promise. in 1880 in
corpoTated into the ueighho.ipg
Mexican province Of Coahuila and
thus subjected to Mexican Law and
government. These Americans in
Texas. with loyal intent, thereupon
organized q distinct province, and
they elected Houston as their dele.
gate to the convention that had been |
called to revise the Mexican Con. |
stitution which in 1924 bad borrow |
ed largely from the United States.
The colonists had increased in aum- |
Der TO 10000 when Houston became
their delegate The crafty Santa |
Anna, after repeated efforts for |
peace, did not begin hostilities until
1895. Though superior in ability, |
Houston did not become command
er in chief till the post was resigned
By Col. S. F. Austin, son Of the first
colonist. in the autumn of 1885.
Houston's clemency to Santa Aana
after the massacres he had perpe.
trated was loyalty to the rules of
war.
During the eight years, from 1887
to 1845, of Texan Independence,
Houston was faithful to every oh'i
CATION of life. 1t was during this
period that he obtained q divorce
from the Legislature of the State of
which he was President. and married
one Of the most accomplished and
devout of Christian women, who,
with large family of children sur