The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-02
TODAY IN HISTORY
a PIeturesauc AmerIean,s eIrthday.
WEON ESDAY, MARCH 2.

Few. names deserve to be placed be-
fore that OF Sam Houston In the roster
al great Americans. Today is his birth
day. and while little recognition will he
taken OF the event. there is no doubt but
that ench year Is bringing more promi-
nCntlN 10 the notice OF the public this
man and his brilliant career Barbarian
he was 10 "A decided degree. vet n mill
tary genius he proved himself In ono OF
the shortest and most brilliant cam
paiGns which won for Texas her inde-
pcndence. AS a statesman the future
historian is likely 10 give higher rank
TO him than does the present. and as a
man his career stands out without par
allcl in American history.
men he won an empirc-an empire great =
"r in extent that the thirteen original
states. But greater than any victory
he won i'm war or as a statesman was bis
victory over himself Wild. primitive.
violent and passionate. he conquered
himself. He was TO Texas It's son and
Is stronger in the affections OF the peo-
pie than the man OF San Jacinto.'
Losing, the historian. thus describes
him: Houston was six feet in height.
and always kindly I'm manner; his face
was expressive of great intelligence and
irmness Of viii, and me was ready and
impressive debater. The writer remem-
in Washington as senator attracting the
attention OF everybody as bis command
ing figure appeared In Pennsylvania ave-
Due. moving with military precision.
while a bright scarlet Mexican light
blanket cast iauntilv over his shoulders
made him conspicuous object on the
street" "
Sam Houston was born in Virginia in
1898. His father died when he was a lad
Of IL and he was practically self cdu-
Gated. AS boy he is said to have de-
vourod Fope's translation OF the Had,
and when he commanded the Texas army
he studied Caesars Commentaries. as did
Miles Stnndsh, an Indian fighter of an
earlier day. Later he read and appre-
cated Shakespeare and perused the Ri-
BILE so constantly that It's phraseology
tiuged his oratory
This selfmade Yirginian served later
I'm the war OF 1912, became n lawyer,
twice governor OF Tennessee. was at the
head of the Texans at San 1acinto, was
the llherator of Texas WAS twice elected
tor from his adopted state, and was its
first governor. and when the Civil war
broke out retired to private life. He
died in Texas and over his remains III
placed plain slab bearing the insCrip-
lion: General Sam Houston. Born
March . 1893. Died July %, 1853
When Texas seeded from the Union
in 1851. all the state officers were re-
quired to take the oath OF allegiance
to the Confederate states. This Houston
refused TO do, and on March is was de-
posed as governor. On May 10. 1861, he
made a speech at Independence. Texas.
In which he defined the position of the
Southern Unionists. lie said; The
voice OF hope was weak, since drowned
by the guns of Fort Sumter. The time
has come when a mans section is his
country. ] stand by mine. Whether we
have opposed this secession movement or
favored 1T. we must alike meet the CON
sequences. IT Is no time TO turn bnCk.
He took no part in public life after this.
March . is the date on which, in 1861.
the national bureau OF education was
established by an act of congress. on
which, In 1884 Blanchard the dean Of
aeronauts made his first balloon ascen-
sion In Paris; in 1920 the Missouri COM
promise bill was passed; and In 1864
Ulysses S, Grant became commander In :
chief of the Union army. 1t is the birth
day OF Dewitt Clinton, the chief pro
moter OF the Erie canal QT60, Carl
Schurz. statesman QS2D. Pope Leo XIII
0Si0): ID. Junius Juvenal the Latin
poet (l0 A. d; Lord Chief Justice Will
liam Murray G7O5); and the day upon
which John Stuart Blake, the Scotch
poet, died in 1895, John Wesley, the
founder Of Methodism. died in 1871; Hor-
ace WalpoIe. the English author. died in
1897. the date on which Louis Philippe
escaped to England In lSiS, and the flrst
school for the blind was incorporated in
Boston in 1929.