Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
I0ust0n "H0merc Giant" Was Brilliant Comet of Plains

rendered az prisoner ~ var. and
Houston threw his own honor att,,,,
him az a shield
Santa Anna. In solemn trnaty. NJ.
knOwledRed the indepsnhe nce ~
Texas. recognized the Rio Gr9ude as
the boundary and pledged himself 10
force the ratification nj these ag-es-
ments If permitted 10 return to Nsxico.
On September first. Sam Houston.
once ColOn-neh the Rover. vas elect.
ed president Of the Republic az Ts1as.
and a year later there was rso,iss-
for annexation TO the United sta.ss
II was refused. and Houston. srgry
and chagrined. act himself 70 T1r< ~
put foundations under the Texas air
castle.
Organizing fna ncial Eyst"gn. tu..d.
ing an army. creating "a navy. senG.7g
his ministers 70 foreign cnur.s. ne
walked the muddy lanes In his red
blanket and drea med great dreams.
Great Britain and France, hating
the United states and eager for ne
cotton fields Of Texas. offered offensive
and defensive alliances: coahu!ia
Tama ulipas and other north Mexico
states sent agents proposing RIO
Grande confederacy: Houston krsw
that Mexican rule was mere SHADOW
i'm New Mexico and California. md ne
shining vision took shape of an enorire
stretching TO the far Pacific. Wien
ne returned to the presidency in isIi. =
however. called hack TO bring order
out Of chaos his clear mind was
forced 20 recognize inpOssibiI!:iGs.
Seven hundred miles II Texas
! frontier were exposed 10 Indian r4.dz:
| six hundred miles Of border 70 Mex-
! lean forays. and the cost of this burden
I of continual warfare was a burden 100
/ crushing TO be borne.
| When the United States agreed ~
annexation In 1s45. the people ~ the
/ Lone Star accepted with a feeling ~
relief. il not thankfulDess.
/ Houston was sent 10 Washington ~
the first Senator from the rev s.a'e.
/ wearing a blanket as In the DAYS vhe7
/ President Jackson exclaimed. Thank
/ God, there is one man. at least, thai
/ the Almighty had the making q, no
/ the tailor
| Now and then he rose in his place
| and spoke words that hit ~ the vsry
heart Of the subject; but for the ms:
part he whitfield. bored and sicssned
| by the politicians.
Loved and venerated by ever man.
! woman and child In Texas. M future
seemed more assured. yet ruin and
I hearSbr were 10 he the portion of
his latter years. Hating slayery--tnis
man that history charges with being
head devil Of the slave Interests -
and loving the Union with an almost
mystical passion. Houston fought with
all his might 10 beat back the rising
tide of secession.
Leaving the Senate in 1852 after -
years OF service. he threw himself into
the battle for his State. and ran <c-
| governor on an anti-secession plar-
form. The whole force of public ser,!
ment was arrayed against hin, v"t
such was the magnetism of the man
that he was elected
Only for a while was San Jarinto r.
unsrubered In 1851. when jefferson
Davis called the South 20 i new ale
/ glance. Texas answered with a Wild
shout. Houston refused 10 follow and
they deposed him.
OF sudden he fell old The wound
/ received at Tohopeka reopened. ard
the ankle shattered at san Jac.n-o
forced him TO hobhle with i crutc1.
Broken in spirit as well as health.
! lonely and very poor. he sat watching
/ the fratricidal struggle with sick eyes.
and there can be no doubt that he vas
glad when death closed them in lss5.
iconyrixhs. 1921