TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
296
"Under the new law," remarked the Matron of majestic mein "men are properly taught to cherish, comfort and respect the sex." "They shoutd not only respect, but love," said Miss Maria, at the same time seating herself on the Rev. Timothy's knee, and taking a freedom with his person that roused his holy ire, to the convulsive merriment of the General, Madam lifare and the fillies. "General Houston" roared Timothy as he rose for an escape - "your Tennessee friends thought you were a man, but i'll let e'em know you are a demon. )lay God help those who fall into your snares." Methin1<:s I hear a democratic lady, who considerably relieYes her hush-and of the cares of direction, sharply say: "My good Sir, all you have urged in behalf of your Unsavory friend, goes to prove we done well in rejecting him. Did you imagine we are in love with low villiannv? "I did not indeed, but I did belie,e that such is your adoration of independence, that if adequate reasons be tendered, why you ought to reject my candidate, you'll instantly go and vote for him. You are a people of pledges. Sam would give his sacred pledge to each party, and never discover that virtue had departed from him! You are a Temperance admiring people Sam would half empty a whiskey barrel, and then assure you he had never indulged. You are a religious people, of tenets wide as the poles asunder; Sam will shock nobody's bias; he is all things to all men. He would be cir cumcised if you were Jews. You are a negotiating people; you even insist on becoming ac quainted with ,Japan: Sam's "coquetry" with Diplomatists is Machia vellian. With face as hard as adamant, he will deny to day his en gagement of yesterday. You are lovers of diffuse and flowery speeches: who can better talk against time than Sam? who can more effectually throw truth into convulsions, by surrounding her with a torrent of perverted facts & downright falsehoods? Then how fascinating his never to-be-forgotten stories and tropes - The Springing buck - the sound of the anvil - Halls of Montezuma --lovely woman --· my brothers in arms - the fox who had lost his tail - the animating call of the trumpet - my indomitable will - the monkev who shaved the barber - my succe!"s- ful address &c. · Take it for granted that the General stands convicted of all ihat has been urged, - he has nevertheless, attained a position which snch a course of life 'usually forbids. What you deny him in merit, you cannot refuse him in skill. And I humbly conceive that in the present crisis. it is skill and not consf'ienti011sness which is rrnuired at the helm. A few more instances of skill, and I have done. · No audit nor check could be instituted upon the debits for public expenditure during Hous ton's periods of early command and Presidency. His certificates, there fore, for supplies and services, considering the associates his bonhomie had gradually attracted around him - had to be proportioned to the consciences of those who were well able to estimate what he wanted of them, and thev of him. It is well understood - the archives show the fact, under whifchl emharr11s!'lments President Lamar received over the administration, loaded with claims, the manufacture of which seemed still in unremitting actiYity.
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