New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-12-01
NEW ULM REVIEW WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER /, 1880
An Interesting Letter from Andrew
Jackson to Sam. Houston.

Al 20yoE00tQk A0t93X -AG014A AAtNKVW
Jackson to Sam. Houston.
THE Houston (Tex.) correspondent
of the st. Louis Globe Democrat has been
permitted to copy. the following hitherto
unpublished letter from Cen. Andrew
jackson to his friend Sam Houston,
then Ex-Governor kof Tennessee. The
letter seems to be dated Immediately
after Houston's separation from tho
beautiful and high-born wife he had just
married in Tennessee, and although; the
distinguished writer of this epistfe
alludes in the most delicate manner to
one of the most singular and still utterly
unexplained acts ever connected with
Gen. Houston, or any other great his
torical character, it throws no light on
that transaction or its real causes. If it
be true, as Gen. Jackson alleges in his
observations to his friend, that Houston
was fired with the ambition that lured
Aaron Burr to deeds of high enterprise
the setting up Of an Empire in the
Southwest people of Texas will be
surprised to discover what may have
been the real designs of a great mind
like Houston first in ingratiating him.
self with the Indians and then throwing
himself upon the tide of revolution and
espousing the cause of the Texans in
their war against the Mexican power in
1886. The letter is written on elongated
foolscap, after the fashion of half GEN.
fury ago; it is stained and yellow with
age, and has hitherto been in the pos
session of an old Texan, once bosom
friend of Gen. Houston. tits addressed
on the back envelopes were hardly ever
used in those days) in an old-fashioned
hand and with quill pen, as follows:
"To Sam Houston, Esq, Cherokee
Agency, Territory of Arkansas" II is
Endorsed in a corner of the back, "Fron
General Andrew Jackson" The letter
is as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. G. June Fl, 1829.-
MY DEAR SIR: Your letter of the 10Th
ultimo has been received, and T. seize
the first leisure moment to reply.
My afflictiOn was great, and as much
as l could well bear. When parted
with you, on the 18th of January last,
viewed you on the brink of happiness,
and rejoiced. About to be united to q
beautiful young lady of accomplished
manners, of respectable connections
and of your own selection, y0u-tho
Governor of the State*- holding the af-
fections of the people. These wero
your prospects when shook you by the
hand, and bid you farewell. You can
well Judge of my establishment and
grief at receiving a letter, dated at Little
Rock, A. T., 18th May, conveying the
sad intelligence that you were then q
private citizen, in exile from your coun-
try. What a reverse of fortune! How
unstable are all human affairs!
e.. 1t is useless to attempt to philosophize
on this sudden change of fortune. The
act is done and can not be recalled. I
would it were otherwise. But now we
must look to the future and forget the
past, unless we review it to prevent .
recurrence of evil from the same source
for the future.
Surely it is dream. It can not DO
possible you have taken the determine
ton to settle with the Indians and be-
come a savage. hope you have not
formed such an improper determination
unless, indeed, you have determined to
study theology and become mission
airy amongst them. Thus you might
apply your talents benefcially by teach
ing them the road to happiness beyond
the grave. This might produce a benz
eft to the heather and might be graft
flying to your aged and pious mother,
when it must almost break her heart to
hear that you have united yourself with
the Indians and become one of their
tribe. >~~ - y a.>
But think a moments reflection will
tell you a better plan will be to settle in
Arkansas. pursue your profession, by
which you can procure q competency,
and in that new country try and regain
your fallen fortunes; but never let it be
said that you have joined the Indians
and become identified with savages.
It is true, have heard, and it has
been communicated to me, that you had
the illegal enterprise in view of con-
quering the Texas; that you had de-
clared you would in less than two years
be Emperor of that country by conquest.
At the same time it was communicated
that you were mad; and I really must
have thought you deranged to have be-
ieved you had such wild scheme in
contemplation, and particularly when it
was CO1u1Aul1lCdLCu UkldU VuO pAySACd4
force to be employed was the Cherokee
Indians. Indeed, my dear sir, I can not
believe you have any such visionary
scheme in view. Your pledge of honor
to the country is sufficient guarantee
that you will never engage in any enter
prise injurious to your country, or that
will tarnish your fame. I sincerely
thank you for your kind expressions and
wishes toward me. will always BIO
happy to hear from and of your pros
perity. May Providence have you in His
holy keeping and support your spirit
under your misfortunes, and make you
eminently useful to your country and
yourself, is the prayer of your friend.
ANDREW JACKSON.
Samuel Houston, Esq.