376
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
formation of a Southern Confederacy, there would be more room for great men to come into office. We have so many great men that almost any place can get three or four of them at one time. In case of disunion, what would become of the public money? the Navy? the Army?-could the South get them? He spoke of the Houston Convention-wished they had called it by another name. The nominees were in favor of reopening the African slave trade; were ultra in their views; and were advocating doctrines that would lead to disunion and secession; they were about to carry out a policy ruinous to their country. He was induced under the circumstances, though he was not desirous to enter public life again, to obey the voice of the people and step forth as a candidate for Governor. The people had indorsed him, though they had given him a very decent drubbing two yea.rs ago, which they had a perfect right to do as freemen, and for which he was not mad at them at all. He spoke of Washington-where was his parallel? He pointed to him as the political Moses whose farewell address contained the prophecies of our country, which we must heed if we would preserve it. Love of Union was the inspiration of Liberty; we should cherish it; we should remember it on the Fourth of July. He paid a tribute to Jackson. He was of the old Simon pure Democratic school and opposed to all this modern Democracy, which declares that you must vote for the nominees of a conven- tion in any case. He spoke of Seward. He was a resplendent abolitionist-the South had justly denounced him. He had regretted the necessity of voting in his company; but he thought that the best interests of his country required it at his hands. It does not hurt a good man to go to church with a bad man. Seward was a cold-blooded, cool-calculating, unexcitable man. If one should cut him to the center, it would draw no more blood than could be got from a lizzard. The editor of the State Gazette next received a severe casti- gation. He said that John Marshall had been connected with a fire-eating disunion paper in Mississippi, and had removed to Texas to carry out his ultra views. He (Marshall) had advocated a violation of law as to the juries ofl the country concerning the opening of the African slave trade. A man who would propagate such doctrines ought not to be countenanced. He (Marshall) had stolen $20,000 from the Public Treasury, as was reported.
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