335
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1851
attacks on South Carolina. I will be a little personal to myself, but I hope not egotistical, in stating the only occasions on which I made any allusions to the constitution of South Carolina. The first difficulty that originated was with a distinguished citizen of South Carolina, and I hope the gentleman did not understand me as casting the slightest reflection on the late Senator from South Carolina. [Mr. Calhoun.] I said that I buried any resentment which I might have had against him, and I wished it so understood. I have no resent- ments against the dead. I was proceeding to state that the first thing in this controversy was the denunciation of me by that dis- tinguished man, when he said that I ought to be held up to the public reprobation for voting for the Oregon bill. I adverted to that matter in an address to my constituents.:? The next cause was a letter which I received of a most abusive character from Colonel Gadsden, of that State. I responded to it. 3 I was not the assailant in either case. The next cause was, that a member of the other House issued a most scurrilous publication against me. I repelled that,· 1 so that I was merely acting defensively. At the conclusion of the last session an attack was made on me by a Senator, which was followed up by another. I am now repelling that attack, which I had not the opportunity of doing then. I care not what others may think about it; but I thought it due to myself that I should let these facts be known. I designed no reflection beyond the facts. I intended to say nothing in deroga- tion of the State of South Carolina, or of her citizens. We have lately seen a practical manifestation of the truth of my remarks. The Legislature has taken one course in the recent proceedings in that State; the matter was submitted to the peo- ple; and notwithstanding the unanimity of the Legislature, we find that the people, by eight thousand majority, negatived the course indicated, so that I am right in relation to the matter fo South Carolina. The Senator says that I am a practical secessionist. I never was a secessionist. If I left my own to visit an adjacent coun- try, it was no secession from principle or from allegiance to this country. If a new government was formed, and I was part of that government, I owed my allegiance to it, but that did not make me an enemy to my native land. It is said South Carolina has imposed obligations on Texas in her veriest need. I recol- lect that a Governor of South Carolina denounced Texas and her cause when she was bleeding at every pore. When her women
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