The sun., 1893-10-01


SLAVE owners by jcfnins Benton IN sdvos.sins
bill prohibiting the establishment Of slavery
In Oregon. In 1s4e. Houston declared him
sell In favor OF the admission OF California ne
free State. thereby still further exasperat-
Ing the Southern faction which had counted
on controlling tho territory acquired By the
Mexican war There is no evidence, how
ever. that the people Of Texas disapproved OF
his action at the time. There was. as yet. no
large slave-holding element In the Texan
population. and the feeling OF loyalty to the
Union was still fresh and strong. We should
add that Houston voted for the abolition OF
the slave trade In the District Of Columbia.
and was IN earnest supporter OF the Clay
Compromise measures. In January. 1883. he
was reelected Senator by tho Legislature OF
Iexas without any formidable opposition.
lhis made him. owing to the defeat OF Benton
In Missouri. the solo conspicuous representa-
tive In the Senate OF the old jackson
or Union Democracy from the South. He
remained. however. steadfast In his principles.
aud opposed the Nebraska hill vehemently and
unninchngly. lie and John Bell Of Tennessee
were the only Senators from Southern States
who voted against the measure. The silence
which he subsequently, maintained during the
troubles In Kansas may he due. as the biog-
rapher suggests. to tho fact that he regarded
them as simply tho fulHllment OF his own
prophecies OF evil. It is not equally easy to
defend his silence in regard to the attack upon
Sumner In the Senate chamber 1t Is true that
Houston had seen such methods OF carrying
on political controversies before. and given an
example OF them In his own person. so that he
was hardly in position to reprimand them
severely. But he had assailed Stanberry face
to face In tho street. and he must have revolted
Sh- ,..tr N-l.A. .Nf
Brooks's attack upon an unarmed and un-
warned man. seated. and practically pinioned.
at his desk.
In 1856 there was movem ent for the nom
ination OF Houston to the Presidency. The
General Com mittee OF the Democracy Of New
Hampshire urged his nomination as the peo-
ple's candidate on the ground mainly OF his
opposition to the repeal OF the Missouri COM
promise. Houston made a sort OF electioneer-
ing tour IN some OF the principal cities Of the
North. but he could not get the nomination Of
the Know Nothing party because he refused
to vote for any bill to prohibit Roman Cath
olics from holding office. In the South his on
position to the extreme slave. holding element
was equally fatal to his political ambition.
There was no room In the Democratic Conven-
tion OF 1856 for a Southern man with Northern
principles: what was wanted was q Northern
man with Southern principles. and accordingly
Pierce was selected. Houston lost even his
seat In the Senate at this time. being defeated
for reelection in the Legislature OF 1857. The
biographer is doubtless justified In attributing
this defeat to lack OF any special effort on his
part. for two years later. when he took the
stump he swept his State against a far more
opposition.
VII.
We have said that the State election OF 1859
Houston's tremendous hold up
on the common people. He had been put for
ward for Governor by the Unionists. but the |
nominee of the secession Democracy had be-
hind him all the party machinery. most Of the |
public men. and tho influential
newspapers. These united forces were defeat
ed by Houston almost single handed. His tri-
umph. however, was rather that OF his per- |
sonal influence than Of the union sentiment |
The secessionists elected O majority OF the |
Legislature and almost all the executive off,
,ers. In the Presidential election Of 1880 |
Houston took no active part. He was opposed |
10 Lincoln as the representative OF Northern
aggression against slavery. He was equally
opposed to Breckenridge and Douglas. having
vowed never to vote for any man who had sup
ported the Nebraska bill. He saw no chance for
he election OF Bell. and. besides did not con-
'ider him q competent man for the Presidency.
In private letter he eolared he stood with fold
I'd arms as to the candidates and could see no
way out Of the difficulty except by the election
II members Of the electoral colleges who would
'e pledged to vote for Union man regardless
" the official nominees. On Sept 90. 1860.
here was Union mass Getting at Austin,
md Houston rose from his sick bed TO
address 1t. He declared that the possible
riumph OF the Repub blican party would not be
sufficient cause for the dissolution Of the
Jnion. and went on to utter words OF wisdom
which the South must now read with a sad
leart. III" he said. Through division In the
anks Of those opposed to Mr.. Lincoln. he
hould be elected. we have no excuse for dis
diving the Union. The Union is worth more
han Mr.. Lincoln. and. IL a battle is to be
ought for the Constitution. let us fight 1t In
he Union and for the sake OF the Union With
majority Of tho people in favor Of the Con-
titution. shall we desert the Government and
save it in the hands Of q minority? new
litigation will be imposed upon Us to guard
he Constitution and to see that no ihfraction
it is attempted or permitted II Mr.. Lin
oln administers the Government In accord
nee with the Constitution. our rights must
eeds be respected. II he does not, the Con-
titution provides remedy" Outside OF
exas. Houston's efforts to uphold the Union
xcited wrath and Indignation among. the |
aveholders. He was denounced everywhere
8 traitor to the South. Senator Wigfall
lid in Virginia what he would scarcely
ave ventured to say in Texas. that
custom ought to be tarred and feath-
red and driven from the State. Senator Iver-
IN OF Georgia went so far as to hint at his as ]
,ssination. He said: Some Texan Brutus I
ay arise to rid his country OF this old hoary- &
eaded traitor" When the Texan State Con.
,ntion met ON Jan. %. 1851. the secessionist
Rislature promptly adopted resolution c
'cognzing Its authority. and Houston as
'omptly vetoed the resolution. on the ground S
at the election OF the Convention had been |
egal. The resolution. however. was passed i
'er his veto. and the Convention Immediately q
lopted an ordinance Of secession by q vote of G
" to T. Houston's subsequent course showed C
at he preferred to submit to secession rather t
an involve tho State in civil war, although q
Q blographer suggests that. II he had been b
rtaI hxth thn ia