The Portland daily press., 1893-10-14
GEN. SAM HOUSTON.
Hon. j. j. Perry's Recollection of the Old
Champion of Texas and Upholder of
the Uhioh.A Great, Good and Unique
Man,

|
which Tina he was member of the
United States Senate from Texas. He
Was then over so years of age, and one
| Of the first men in the Senate that a
| stranger from the gallery would inquire
after He stood several inches above six
feet in height, and in all other respects
| had the physical frame of giant He
had what phrenologist would call a
magnificent well-poised head, both the
animal and intellectual being equally
well developed; with face indicating
both courage and ,kindness-the chivalry
Of knight and the kindly heart of a
philanthropist. In social life he was
always dignified, yet easily approached !;
in private conversation always entertain
ing and companionable. In the COM
mon acceptation of the term Gen.
Houston was mot an orator, yet he was
an effective public speaker. In his
speeches he never INDUCED in flights of
oratory or dramatic display for the
occasion, but in solid facts and legiti-
| mate argument.
In dress newas inclined to be peculiar.
For vest he wore VOLTS skin, tanned
| fiery red with brass ubttons to fit His
| hat of white fur had tall crown, with
wide rim, with black band around 1T
about six inches wide. He always carried
| about with him an enormous sized cane,
made of native wood, presented to him
by some of his Texas friends.
Another popularity was the well known
fact that he was always whiting"
He had a standing contract with the
boys (pages) in. the Senate to provide
| him with suitable material to be worked
| up with his Jack knife and they were pri-
vately instructed by some of theG Generals
friends to keep liberal supply on hand
to prevent his whiting up his seat
Gen Houston was very sensitive as to
his personal honor, andthe man Aho
| undertook to question it in pubic places
account :.
Vim. Stanberry, a member of Congress
from Ohio from 1927 to 1888, in the
House at one time, severely criticised
some of the official acts of the General
while Governor of Tennessee. The
General upon hearing of the same, visited
Washington to obtain personal satisfac-
tiop, and meeting Stanbery in the street,
gave him severe Gaming. While he was
receiving his summary punishment Stan
berry las the story goes1, instead of
defending himself like man, held up his
hands exclaiming, "Oh Lordy Oh DON'T!
These expressions for long time after
Wtrc tuStu aSi d. Dy-WOfu poJH III WASH
ington and in tanberry's own Congress
ional district. The street scene" passed
into verse by some doggerel poet for the
:" fun of the thing" can only remember
two lines, which run as follows:
Sam Houston he.
Licked Stanberry.n
Some of Stanberry's political friends
brought tie matter before the House of
representatives, and arraigned Houston
before that body for a violation of the
rights and privileges of a member of the
House. The General mades gallant
defense, admitting the charge, but con-
greater than the provocatlon. After a
long debate / think the House passed
some Kind of aFTesolution of censure,
the exact nature Of which / have for
gotten. Stanberry's .."Oh Lordy! Oh
don't!" defense was the subject of
good heal Of ridicule and fun at the time.
Of course in the public estimation Hous-
ton came off first bestn
Gen. Sam Houston had a romantic
history He was born in Rockbridge
county, Virginia, March 2, 1898. His
father died when he was quite young,
and his mother removed with her family
to Tennessee, then the extreme border
of civilization, where young Houston
received very limited education. He
early developed what seemed to be a
natural love for life in the wilderness,
and when a boy passed several years
among the Cherokee Indians. For time
he was clerk to "a country trader. He
then kept school a short time, and when
twenty years old enlisted in the army
and served under Gen. jackson in the
war with the Creek Indians. He en-
tered the war private an came out a
lieutenant 1t was here that his fight
ing qualities, which were SO prominent
in after life, were first developed.
Returning from the war he resigned
his commission and commenced the
study of law at Nashville, and here his
political life commenced.
In 1928 he was elected to Congress- and
continued a member of that body until
1927. when he became Governor of Ten
nessee. In 1929, for reasons I never heard
satisfactorily explained, he resigned the
office of Governor and took up his abode
among the Cherokee Indians. While
here he became acquainted with the
outrageous frauds practiced upon the
Indians by the government agents, and
visited Washington for the purpose of
exposing them. His mission, however,
proved a failure, and he returned to
his Indian home disguised with the
United States government, its officers
and representatives.
B In this frame of mind he visited Texas
JneQ ABOUT framing constitution IOfs
admission into the Mexican Union. While
there he was unanimously! elected "a.
member of that convention The consti-
tuition formed in that convention was
rejected by Santa Anna, at that time in
power in Mexico This brought on the
war of Independence" III Texas, and
soon after General Houston was made
commander in chief ellie pushed the
war with great vigor, developing the high
est qualities as militsry commander and
brought it to close by the great battle
OF San Jacinto in April, 1886, in which
q great victory was won by Gen. Houston
and his Texan troops over Santa Anna.
who i'll May following signed treaty of
peace acknowledging the independence of
Texas
In October. following Gen. Houston
was elected President of the new republic
At the end of his term hepretiled, as he
could not be .eonstitutionally reelected;
but in 1841 he was again elevated to the
presidential chair,
: During his entire term ne was the adj
vocate of the annexation of Texas TO the
United States. This was brought about
in 1916. Texas became one of the United
States and General Houston was elected
it's first United States Senator, ssand held
that, position until 1853, when he was
elected Governor of that State His term