372
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1841
to sustain the Moral Character of Texas," signed Texian. It was in answer to these bitterly abusive articles that Houston replied. It is evident that "Truth" had five letters, the same number that both "Publius" and "Texian" had published in the Telegraph, but only the first and second have been found. They were published in the Houstonian (Houston), a short-lived newspaper, that seems to have been established mainly to further Houston's campaign of 1841. There are only a few copies of this paper in existence today; The University of Texas Library has photostat copies of two issues, and they happen to be two issues that carry these first two "Truth" letters. These "Truth" letters may also have appeared in the Civilian (Galveston); but the extant files of that paper that are in the libraries at Austin, are for a later period than 1841, therefore it has not been ascertained whether or not Houston was successful in getting his articles in the Galveston papers. The entire campaign of 1841 for President of the Texas Republic was marked by "mud slinging" and "muck 1·aking" on both sides; vitu- perative as are the "Truth" letters that have come down to us, they hardly equal the bitterness and the slander expressed in the ten Burnet articles mentioned above. See "Truth" letters below, pages 376-386. 3 Frank was one of Houston's negro slaves. •See Houston to Samuel M. Williams, December 15, 1835.
CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL FROM AUSTIN 1
Cedar Point, 10th August, 1841 Dear Sir: Your favor reached me after some delay. Its con- tents did not surprise me by any means ; for times are now rife with falsehood. It is not true that I did ever "say in San Augus- tine, Nacogdoches, or somewhere else," that if I were elected President, that "Austin should be desolate, and the grass should grow in its streets." If I had said so at any place, it could easily be established, but to charge a man with having said a certain thing somewhere, or somewhere else, shows that it is just as false as it is ridiculous! My opinions and feelings in relation to the sub- ject of the seat of government, have been expressed by me, and published to the world. 2 They were candidly expressed; for I have nothing to disguise on the subject of politics, when asked for my opinion! I never had, and I am as free to think and speak of matters which concern the interests of my country, as I ever was! Bad off as we are, in many respects, thank God we are freemen! Our national character may suffer, but we will main- tain our independence in the greatest adversity, if the people will cultivate only two things: the first is Peace; the second, our farms! Our motto ought to be, "Fewer officers, and more corn- fields." The last part of the motto, would enable citizens to put something in the treasury; and the first part attended to would
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