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Show General Sam Houston. Senator Culberson of Texas, In the current Scrlbner's, tells of "General Sam Houston and Secession." It is an Interesting reminder of the days that led up to the Civil war. Houston had fought with Jackson in the Creek Indian war, was fearfully wounded at the battle of Horseshoe Bend, and was by instinct and education a Union man. He received many honors in Tennessee, but suddenly separated from his young wife and disappeared. dis-appeared. He was practically a recluse for years among the Cherokee Indians, but finally went to Texas and at last came forward and at the head of the command at the battle of San Jacinto won the independence of Texas. He was twice president presi-dent of the Lone Star state, then on its admission admis-sion was United States Senator and was Governor Gover-nor of Texas when the war came on. The secession seces-sion convention carried the state out of the Union, and appointed state officers for the state. Houston approved of the convention under protest, pro-test, saying that if he were twenty years younger he would try to hold the state In the Union; but he declined to surrender his ofllce as Governor until the new government ousted him from the place. He was ousted, and. that fact shows how awfully bitter the times must have been, for Houston for years had been the Idol of tho fighting fight-ing men of Texas a second Washington to them. But they have changed since and given him back his old placo In their hearts, and hy their choice his statue holds a place now In tho rotunda ot the national Capitol. So much of grandeur and so much of mystery as surrounds the life of General Houston attaches to no other name in our country. Ho was an invincible in-vincible fighter, a born general, a gifted orator, a sagacious, clear-headed business man, and yet there was sornothing about him which was of mystery, and when his closost friends in life were asked about it their reply was, "I do not know." They either did not know or with a sensitive chivalry chiv-alry lied like gentlemen to save their friend or the reputation of some one whom the doughty old fighter loved. |