Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-01-16
SAM HOUSTON.
George Robertson. ofMsxiCO. Responds
to the Toast at the Tennessee sOcis-
ty Banquet

| At tue Uhnqleb Vi bu6 leuuehSet
Society, Of St, Louis, held at the
Southern Hotel in that city on Jack
son. day, Wednesday, Jan. s, George
Robertson, of this city, was one Of
the speakers. He responded to the
toast Of "Sam Houston OF Tennessee
and Texas and spoke as follows:
A romantic interest attaches to the
life of Sam Houston, the Tennessee
Texas hero and patriot.
He arose from the masses, coming
into political power under the leader.
ship of bis friend and model, Andrew
Jackson, that great pioneer of the
masses Of the American people.
Houston's life and achievements
constitute an important and INSOFAR
able portion Of the history Of this
c0sntry. isse5 eltitle him to high
place among the great statesmen Of
bis generation, and we of the west
Mississippi Valley, at this first CEN
tennial Of our territorial acquisition,
are fully prepared TO appreciate his
services in bringing about the an
nexation of Texas and putting into
action a train Of events which led to
the supremacy Of the American flag
across the plains and forests OF the
Southwest to the Pacific Ocean.
He was born March 2, 1898, In Rock
bridge county, Virginia. Died at
Huntsville, Texas, July 26, 1868. He
was Of Scotch-Irish stock,a race which
has given so many notable names to
American history and which exercised
SO powerful an influence in the forma-
tive period Of the nation. They
were the pioneers of the people in
their march Westward, the vanguard
Of the armyof settles, who, with the
axe and the rifle, won their way from
the Alleghanies to the Mississippi,
from the Mississippi across the conti-
nent to the Rio Grande and Pacific.
His father, who had been a revolu-
tinnary soldier, died in 1906, leaving
the widowed mother with family Of
six sons and three daughters. The
mother, a woman Of great force Of
character, with that vigor and energy
characteristic Of that pioneer age, de-
termined to remove to the new settle
ment in East Tennessee.
When Sam was thirteen years of
age she crossed the Allegheny noun
talns and settled In Blount county, a.
short distance east Of the Tennessee
river, which at that time formed the
boundary between the white settlers
and the Cherokee Indians. Here the
family lived in the rude, toilSome,
frontier fashion.
His education was limited to the
simplest rudlments, but it is said he
came into possession Of copy OF
Pope's translation Of the Iliad which
he devoured with all the fervid appe-
tite of vigorous, youthful Imagination,
until be knew it by heart. He read
and appreciated Shakespeare and by
self application acquired some famili-
arity with the standards Of the En-
glish classics.
Atan early age his brother placed him
in traders store as clerk, he revolt
ed at the tame life behind the coun-
ter, and one day absconded across the
Tennessee and took up his abode with
the Cherokees. He was adopted into
the family of one Of the chiefs Of the
tribe. With them he lived as they
lived for a priod of three years, ac-
luiring their language, wearing their
dress, and was to all intents and pur-
poses an Indian. This association
had its effect upon him which charac-
terized his whole career throughout
after life.
Returning to civilized life he opened
! country school. The standard of
qualification could not have been
above the most elementary. He sue
,eeded so well that he was able to
raise the price OF tuition from six to
sight dollars per annum; one-third
payable in corn at thirty-three and
cents per bushel, one-third
10 varigated cotton goods, and one
third In cash, and numbered among
ais pupils were most of the children
,f the neighbOrhood.
Those unaequainted with the early
history of Tennessee must not judge
,f the EDUCATIONAL conditions from
Houston's country school.
The pioneers OF Tennessee we're
argely Scotch Irish and generally
In religion. Their
settlements were on the Holtson,
Wautaga and Nolichucky rivers, and
mainly within what are now Wash
ngton, Green and Sullivan counties.
II was they who organized the Wau-
taga Association before the war for
American independence, the first in
dependent Republic in America. Un-
ler the leadership OF Sewer, they bore
great and honorable part in acheiv-
ng the results Of that war. The
Of Guilford Court House, Cow
,ens and Kings Mountain in which
hey participated, destroyed the power
4 the British In the South and had
heir elimination In the surrender Of
CORVALLIS at Yorktown.
Their ministers were also their
eachers, men who bad received their
ducation and training In the great
of Scotland. They brought
0 the new world the learn.
lg Of the old; they openened classic
schools In the wilderdess for the
aucation OF the young men. There
as no free universal education. But
efore the year 1900 in this region Of
asst Tennessee, three institutions Of
I