WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1826
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firesides? No! But when the New England States suffered by outrages committed on her citizens and her commerce, national pride swelled in our bosons. We had not our brothers and sons impressed by the enemy. The mountains of the West entrenched us. We, too, could have objected on the grounds of constitutional scruples, to participation in that war. It was not done. The limits of the continent were not too broad for our militia. They would have marched to the Rocky Mountains, nay, even to the shores of the Pacific, if the national safety had required them to do so. When Our armies were without supplies in the land of an enemy, not one murmur escaped them against the General Gov- ernment. On this floor our Representatives true to the national interests throughout the struggle, declared the will of their con- stituents. But one feeling was cherished by them, and that was an anxious solicitude for the preservat~on of our liberty, cost what it would. ,Vhen peace was restored, we claimed nothing of the General Government, but what we were fairly entitled to by conditions of service. If Massachusetts had pursued a similar course, not a voice would have been heard today in opposition to this claim - she chose to pursue a different course, and it is but just that she &hould realize its consequences. 5 1 Abridgement of Dcbat6s, IX (1826-1828), 57-62. Gales and Seatin, Regis- ter of Debates in Congress, II, Part 2, pp. 1782-1795. 2 James.Hamilton, Jr. (May 8, 1786-November 15, 1857), statesman, Gover- nor of South Carolina. For good brief sketches of the man's life see the Biogmphical Directory of the A111e1-ican Congress; and the Dictionary of American Biography, VIII, 187-188. 8 John Davis (January 13, 1787-April 19, 1854), lawyer, statesman, Repre- sentative and Senator from Massachusetts. For biographical sketches see the Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 886; -and the Dic- tionary of American Biography, V, 133-134. •James Lawrence (October 1, 1781-June 4, 1813), naval officer, was born at Burlington, New Jersey. He.made himself famous for brave services in the war with Tripoli, 1801-1805, and for his last battle as commander of the U.S. ship Chesapeake in its fight with the British frigate Shannon which was blockading the Boston harbor. The last words of the m~rtally wounded hero as he was carried below from the deck of his ship-"Don't give up the ship"-have become an American adage. James Lawrence was first buried, June 8, 1813, at Halifax, but his body was removed, September 16, 1813, and re-interred in Trinity Churchyard, New York City. See the Dictionary of American Biography, XI, 49-51. ~For further discussion of this subject by Houston, see his "Remarks on the Massachusetts Militia Claims," December 14, 1826.
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