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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1856
indomitable courage. His bearing is that of a gentleman, and his courage the flint-it always reflects the fire when brought in contact with steel. When the poor, miserable Chinese were perish- ing, and when all the ship's crew dared not offer assistance, Rolando volunteered, and saved five hundred and thirty out of six hundred. In a few moments more they would have perished. He rescued them; and in two successive fights with the pirates he performed feats of courage the most daring and unexampled in modern warfare. He was stricken down; and, as an apology for that, what is presented? An insinuation is brought against him by the venerable Senator from Delaware. I wish he were here. What did he say? That the reports of his shipmates, or the officers of the ships, would justify the finding of the board. They were all retained, and my inference would be that it was a mistake in the board to retain any of them, if they condemned Rolando. Formerly, if unequivocal charges of delinquency and crime were furnished, men were stricken from the rolls, and the act was never called in question. It is different now. Ah! sir, he had excited the envy of these men. None would be willing now to put their chivalry or valor in competition with his. I hope it will never be done. I want reason; I want legislation; I want national justice to restore these officers to their proper places; but I wish no bloodshed; I would discourage it; but if it rested on that test I should feel assured of the capacity of those who have been stricken down. But now an insinuation is made against Rolando. When I called upon the Senator from Delaware, and asked him to state the facts, he said, "Call on his brother officers-call on his cap- tain; he will sustain what I say of him." Still further, he said it was all I would get; but it would justify the board in their finding. That is what I call branding a man with an innuendo. The venerable Senator was not willing to exhibit the arrow, but he was willing that the poison should be infused into the wounds of Rolando's insulted feelings-he was willing to attack his honor and reputation. He would not name the facts; but he referred us to officers at Norfolk, as if a Senator could rise on this floor and go on the wings of the wind to Norfolk and get the hearsay of officers who had been with Rolando, who had filed, in compli- ment to the Department or the officers of the board, some censures on him. In the Senator's innuendo there is not one word of truth. If I catch a man in one mean thing I am willing to extend my suspicion to everything that he does. The course of the Senator on this point reminds me of a story which I heard of a manufacturer
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