WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1859
368
zJ ohn Marshall, editor of the State Gazette (Austin), who•had the con- tract for the State printing. He and Houston were not friends. 3 Dr. Francis Moore, edito1· of the Houston Teleg1·aph, successor to the old Telegravh and Texas Register, and, in fact, still at this time, known by the old name, but shortened frequently for sake of brevity. 4 See this speech in this volume. It is dated February 3, 1859.
To A. McGowEN, W. H. KING, AND H. H. ALLEN 1
Independence, July 23d, 1859. Gentlemen :-Absence from home prevented me from replying earlier to your note of the 13th inst. It is not strange that efforts should be made to misrepresent me on any and every subject, as well as the subject of railroads. It will be recollected that when the subject was before the Legislature at Austin, of granting lands to railroads, I wa~ induced to go there, and in a public speech, at which the members of the Legislature were present, I advocated granting to rail- roads Twenty Sections to the mile. Up to that time it was only proposed to grant sixteen sections per mile of railroad completed. The granting of twenty sections I urged as a citizen of the State!!! It will be recollected that my late and much lamented colleague and myself manfully struggled to obtain from Congress the Ten Millions of acres of o·ur public lands- Our object was to enable the State to construct Railroads and such other improvements as the condition of our State requfred. It will be recollected that no claim to Sante Fe, had ever been asserted or pretended until after the battle of San Jacinto, when, in my letter to General Rusk,z I asserted our right to it. I am anxious to see a system devised and carried into effect, which will develop our resources commensurate to the destiny of our great State. Other subjects than those of a local nature have engrossed my attention, but ~hould I be elected Governor, I will not fail to give my especial attention to the subject of railroads, as well as to other subjects connected with the general interest and pros- perity of the country. Economy and retrenchment I will regard as the best remedy for corruption if any has existed, as well as the best preventa- tives to its growth hereafter. Truly thine, Sam Houston. To Messrs A. McGowen, 3 W. H. King, 8 W. H. Eliot 3 and H. H. Allen. 11
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