Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-24

One of the most picturesque char
acters of our history was Sam Houston.
He was one of our many barefoot boys
who became leaders of men. He was
stalwart and strong. He knew no fear.
His whole life was that of a normal,
fcrcefu1 character. save during hiatus
of several years, during which his be-
havior baff1ed the understanding Of his
myriad admirers.
He was born on a Virginia farm In
1898 of Scotch Irish parents. When he
was a small lad his father died and his
mother removed the little family to
Tennessee, on land adjacent to the
Cherokee territory. He saw little
schooling. His early teachers were
mostly his Indian neighbors. When
twenty, at the time of the war of 1912,
he enlisted in the regular army. soon
gained promotion as a sergeant and
was several times. wounded at Horse
Shoe Bend, where his magnificent cour-
age attracted the admiration of Gen.
Jackson.
Promoted to the rank of ensign and
directly afterward to that of lieutenant,
he served with honor for five years, and
until involved in a scandal touching the
smuggling of negroes from Florida into
the United States. Resigning his COM
ton Of his conduct, he was fully ex-
onerated, but instead of returning to
the army studied law at Nashville, and
was admitted to the bar. Thereafter he
made a rapid climb of the ladder that
leads to the seats of the mighty. He
became district attorney and member
of Congress. While serving in the lat
ter capacity he fought duel with Gen.
White and wounded his adversary.
Then he returned home to Tennessee
whelmng m36ority.
He was the most popular man in the
state. After serving out his term, he
made trip to Texas and was ele ;ted
adopted constitution for that terri
tory. Soon afterward he was elected
general of'Texas and was the dominant
force in the general consultation"
which established provisional govern
ment. In this conference he was elect
ed COMMUNICATIVE chief of the army of
Texas and Immediately began to weave
the scattered population into an eff
Gent military organization. He was
member of the convention that adopt
ed declaration of independence for
Texas. and when the Mexicans crossed
the line and executed Davy Crockett,
Bowie, Travis and others, Houston,
with only $50 men, met the strong
army VI SdHtd Anna ana within an nOuT
killed half of this number, ma king pris-
oners of those that remained
AS reward he was chosen first presi-
dent of the republic of Texas, and at
the end of his term left the govern
ment in an excellent conditional
peace with the Indians and with Mex
leo, and with it's treasury notes at par
After he had been elected to the presi-
dency second time. the Texas con-
gress elected him dictator He now be-
n a ovtv Ta,rn
the United States. but finding President
Van Buren, unresponsive, affected to
enter upon negotiations for annexation
with Spain, France and England. In
Buren, to terms.
So as a result of Houston's efforts.
Texas. where hes might have remained
an autocrat, entered our Union and as
ington. Here, during the period Just
prior to the civil war. he used his eff
forts in the Unionist cause. Prior to
the convention of 1852 his nomination
to the presidency by the democratic
party was looked upon as certain But
his leanings toward the know-nothings
gave the nomination to Franklin
Pierce. He received votes also in the
conventions of 1856 and 1860. and was
elected Governor of Texas on an indie
pendent ticket after having been
shelved by the leaders of his party
After Texas had been carried for Sc
cession all state officers returned to
take the oath of allegiance to the Con-
federacy, but Houston defantly de-
clined to follow their example and was
deposed.
The strange conduct which made him
one of the enigmas of our history oc-
CURED when he was thirty-si years
old, just at the time when he was in
the midst Of a campaign for reelection
to the Office of Governor of Tennessee.
In January of that year, 1923; he had
married a Miss Allen. who was Of