San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-10-29
Sam Houston.


oyentful life, and there can DO nc
question that on the page Of impair
tial history his name will lead all 9th
ers, no far as Texas is concerned.
The romance OF his early life and the
mixture OF savagery in his compost
ton, only set of more forcibly the
contrasts in his career, while they can
not obscure tue sturdy integrity and
other sterling points in his character.
Had his lot been cast in the dawn OF
civilization, he would have figured as
demi god on the pages OF another
Plutarch. As it is, il will be matter
Of some difficulty for his biographer
TO Justly discriminate as to the lights
and shades of his remarkable charac
ter, while rs We have said, he cannot fail
to recognize those traits which made
him pre.eminent in the land OF his
adoption. And no will not fail also to
pay Just tribute to that true woman
the wife OF his maturity, who did 30
much to redeem him from the empire
of evil habits and passionsand restore
to him noble manhood.
The evidence that Sam Houston is
destined to remain the foremost figure
in Texas history comes in the fact that
80 much interest continues to be ta-
ken in discussions of his life and char
actor. Newspaper and magazine ar,
ticles are still coming forth on special
phases of his life and times. A new
life of Houston. by DR.. Crane, is be.
ing circulated, which though not in
various respects what was demanded,
is an improvement on its predecessors
DR.. Thrall we hear has another life
ready for the press, from which the
interesting article on our first page is
probably an extract, while Judge
Norton, personal and political friend
of Houston, has still another, mainly
devoted to a vindication of his char.
acter as q staunch undertaking friend
of the Union. We trust both the
latter may soon reach the public eye,
so that amid diverse views from diff
ferent stand-points, the real man, in
all his best attributes, may be more
clearly revealed than ever before.
We have no desire to raise again
the vexed questions of the past, but
simple justice impels us to say, that
the main point in which the biograph-
ers of Sum Honston have been
derelict or unjust to his memory, re-
lates to the identical matter in regard
to which he seems to us most entitled
to honor, and which is destined to be
his browning glory in time to come,
we mean his lifelong devotion to
the American Union. AS democrat
of the school of jackson, and the
compeer of men of similar views in
Congress, he could not consistently
have been otherwise or pursued diff
ferent course. Only such man could
have stood firm in the face of the
secession fury of 1861. Had the U.
S. commander at San Antonio been n
man of the same stamp, there Is
reason to believe that Gen. Houston
would not have pursued the passive
course which he found himself COM
PEELED to adopt. But to his honor be
it said, he never wavered in his prince
pies, nor yielded save under manly
protest to his illegal and every way
unwarranted displacement from the
Office of governor to which the people
had called him the year previous.
The old saying that Republics are
ungrateful,' was never more striking
ly illustrated than i'll the case before
us. Here was man to whom more
than any other Texas owed her indie
pendent existence, won on the field OF
San Jacinto; a man who was repeat
edly called to preside over her civil
destinies. and always found faithful,
sagacious friend, but now in his old
illegally and unceremon;ously d
carded for no cause but his faithfulness
to the principles to which he had devo
ted his life. How profoundly he felt
this unworthy treatment is shown by
one of the articles copied ON our first
page. But
Ever the Right comes uppsrmost,
And ever is Justice done"
The triumph of his enemies was com
plete, bat it was not to last 1t was
but a passing eclipse Of the sun of his
fame, which is steadily Frightening as
the years go by. The contrast Is bad
Tor those who sought his degradation,
fer it is clearly decided that "he must
increase while they must decrease
l. l. .I-..lr- - Lis seal OF Vim