Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-03-13
Concluded from last week.

,ervisors in the Courthouse Lexington. Va.
March 1. I9t2D
Concluded from last week.
On May 9th, 1910, Sam Houston
again married, at Marion, Alabama,
Margaret Moffctte Lea, a lady Of
rare mental culture, endowments
and force of character. who bore
him four sons and four daughters.
Houston life was always full OF
storms, but at no period was be
confrontediwith more opposition and
denunciation than at the outbreak
of the Civil War, when he opposed .
TIE secession of the State Of Texas, |
and nowhere does his independence |
Of character loom up more resplend- |
ent than in this crisis. Re found |
in the ranks of bis opponents many
of his Old friends and comrades and
it made him very bitter Houston s
sentiments were those l, as a boy,
heard expressed often by so many
in his native county at the same
period: IF we must fight, let US
do it in the Union. the flag is ours.
and the Union is the product Of the
sacrifices: Of our forefathers.
Houston was against hasty and I'M
concerted action and could not rec
oncile to his mind the idea that our
safety demanded an immediate sep
aration from the government, ere
we have stated our grievances or de
manded redress. Houston ignored
the Secessional Convention of Texas
and believed only the Legislature,
then in session. had the power TO
settle the matter in controversy.
He refused to sign the Ordinance OF
Secession which this convention
passed and to take an oath TO SUP
: port the Constitution of the Confed-
/ crate States when ordered TO do so
in their presence. For this act he
was driven from power and his
acknowledgement Edward Clark.
succeeded him. When Clark en-
| tered the executive Office and de-
= manded it's archives, Houston,
{ wheeling slowly in his chair to face
2 him, asked with great deliberat;or
and with that hauteur and scOrn, o
: which he was master, What is your
/ name, sir?" They had been Ions
political and personal friends.
There was no doubt as to where hi:
sympathy lay in the struggle be
e tween the States. At the city {
e Houston in 1862, being invited t
e address a Confederate regiment i
e which his son had enlisted, he sale
Al While in the beginning | differe
! with many of you, my feeling an
20 interest are bound up in the caus'
Is and while by reason of old vo~nG
x am too infirm to enter the can
n, paign myself, 1 offer my only sc
E. old enough to fight.
BIT A distinguished senator of Tex;
is has said of him, he was man
b splendid presence, a popular Orat'
Q. of the first order. No one at ar
" period of his career in Texas a
tie preached him on the busting
OF When on the platform. Houston h;
ed something of the individuality ar
an force of Benton, something of Il
I'D audacity and majesty OF Danto
cit In personalities he never asked
nd gave quarter. One illustration
err this was an assertion of what
thou0ht of a distinguished form
on friend in answer to question as k
cit him during one of his speeches.
III. replied. He has ali the characte
in istics of dog except his fidelity
is While in Washington as senat
as in 1854 Houston became greatly
he terested in Christianity, and on I
is return to Independence. Texas,
ed united with the Baptist denomir
of ton. of which his wife was a me
nal Der, and ever afterwards lived
consistent Christian life, and IN
his death was an active and devOt
nov member.
~ Houston died at his home
ue' Huntsville. Texas. on July 23, Is
or HIS dust still repOses in the mod
iny cemetery in grave unmarked
.,.,o,.ot aS lata DC 10Ot in