346
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1863
1834. From 1836 to 1844, he represented Chariton County in the Missouri Legislature, and was Speaker of the House from 1840 to 1844. In 1844, he was elected to the United States Congress, but resigned in 1846 to enter the Mexican War as Colonel of the Second Regiment of Missouri In- fantry. During the war he distinguished himself for unusual ability as a soldier and officer. He was 1·aised to the rank of Brigadier General, and was made governor of Chihuahua. He was governor of Missouri from 1853 to 1857. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was an anti-secessionist and did what was in his power ·to prevent the secession of the State. Finally he joined the Confederacy, and participated in many battles of the Civil War. In 1865, he went to live in Mexico, but after the collapse of Maximilian's empire in 1866, he returned to Missouri a broken and sick man. He died at St. Louis and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery. See Dictionary of American Biography, XV, 216-217; Biogra.phica-l Directo,-.y of the American Congress (1928), 1432.
To G. RoBINSON 1
Huntsville, Texas, May 27, 1863. Mr. G. Robinson, Editor of the Item: Having for some time past noticed the agonizing distress of some of the presses of Texas, as well as that of some of their contributors, relative to my permitting my name to go before the people as a candidate for Governor of this State, I am disposed to relieve them from their painful apprehensions. For months past when spoken to on that subject, I have invariably replied that "under no circumstances will I permit my name to be used as a candidate" ; always assign- ing as my reason, "that I could not see that my services could be of any use to Texas, inasmuch as her affairs were daily be- coming more complicated; not that my wishes were not as anxious and as sincere for the prosperity and welfare of my country as they had ever been, but that my circumstances as well as my inclination demanded of me the adoption of the course that I had resolved upon." NOT THAT I WAS INTIMIDATED by any PROTESTS, or squibs that envy might suggest, or that malice promulgate, with the view to cast a shade of suspicion upon my loyalty and devotion to this country ; but simply because my circumstances require it. If I were to judge from the mani- festations in various parts of the State from letters which I have received, and if I possessed half of the modesty that the protestants have shown, I might be assured that I would receive a much larger vote than I have ever done in, Texas, or than any other candidate has ever received; but even this cannot change my determination. There are several gentlemen who desire the
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