WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1855
238
And did they not soothe the waves of discord that dashed at the foot of the Capitol? As if a Savior spoke, so calm and smooth became their glassy surface! Did it not quiet the discordant croakings of the Abolitionists, and lull into security the fears of the American people? It was a re-affirmation of the faith of compromises; and when the repeal of the Missouri Compromise was asked, I would have been untrue to every political act of my life, untrue to the repeated instructions of my constituents, had I not resisted it. A thousand kind memories cluster around the Compromise.. It was hallowed by the devotion of the valiant de- fenders of the Constitution. Under its rule the country had wit- nessed peace and prosperity. I told them I would stand astride the line of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, if needs be, and there would do battle, and there I would perish in defense of the rights of the South. This is a brief extract of Hous- ton's speech. The newspapers of the period mention the speech, and offer criticisms on it, but all fail to give a full text of the speech. Most of the newspapers reviewing the speech state that it was published in the Nacogdo- ches Chronicle. Unfortunately, only a few issues of the NacogdocJies Chron- icle are available. 1 H. S. Thrall, History of Te:x:as, 561-562.
J ANDARY-MARCH, 1856 To MRS. HOUSTON 1 [No place or date given; probably in 1856]
My Dear Have no anxiety about me. There is One in Heaven greater than the [deleted]. They feel that they have got an Elephant, and they don't care about Lyons; one will do for a show at present, or rather, in other words, they think the bird has flown, and they have got no cage for another. Cousin William has come and perhaps has gone over. Houston. Mrs. Houston. lTemple H. Morrow Collection of Houston Materials, Dallas, Texas.
To A. H. M1cKLE 1
Washington, D. C., 11th Feb. 1856. My Dear Sir: Your favor of the 9th instant reached me to-day by mail. I thank you for the interest you have evinced in caring
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