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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1859
rancor and hatred with which they pursue an aspiring politician whom they wish to sink or depress. I could see no reason for their continued efforts to detract from my fairly-earned repu- tation. Mr. President, these were fond anticipations, and they were delightful to cherish. I entertained them with cordiality; they were welcome to my heart. But I find recently, and that is it to which my observation is immediately directed, a· production purporting to be a Texas Almanac, which contains what is said to be a narrative of the "campaign of San Jacinto." It has a name attached to it, and purports to be taken from the diary of a gentleman who has the prefix of "Doctor" 2 to his name, to give it weight in society. The individual is unknown. He is a poor dupe, ignorant, I presume, of the contents of the paper which bears his name. It is possible that he never knew ·a word it contained. It would be difficult to think otherwise; for one avenue to his understanding, he being profoundly deaf, has for many years been closed, and he has given a positive contra- diction to the parts of his paper that were considered the most pointed and important. The object was to assail my reputation, and to show that the battle of San Jacinto, and all the preceding acts of general- ship connected with that event, had been forced upon the Gen- eral, and that really, on that occasion, he had acted with a delicacy unbecoming a rugged soldier. This is the design. How far it will be successful, I do not pretend to say; but it strange that such a mass of this work should be produced. I perceive that no less than twenty-five .thousand copies of it are to be circulated in the character of a book. It would be rather im- posing, bound in cloth or leather, but in paper it is not so very important; but still there is something very ostensible about it. My object, on this occasion, will be to show the true state of facts connected with that campaign, and with the wars of Texas. It is a subject -..vhich I had hoped was passsed by forever, and would never again come m.1der review, particularly my having had any connection with it. I had desired that it would cease forever, so far as I was concerned, and that I should never be placed in a position in which I should seem to be fighting my battles over again. They have not been so numerous, or so illustrious, that I should recall them with any more pleasure than that which arises from having rendered yoeman service to my country, and rendered every duty that patriotism demanded.
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