346
TEXAS STATE LIBUARY
were at the siege of Bexar. A large company of them entered the town on the fifth of the month as the war otlice will proYe, and were in all the preceding campaigns, ·and it was by the gentleman's own orders that they were not at San Jacinto, being stop1~ed by his orders at the Trinity- Yet they do not brag about their exploits- My friend was in 011e caii1paign, and 011e only, and which was fortunate He was obliged to conquN ii' he wouhl follow his men- I do not wish to detract from my friends military renown I do not envy him the fame he has acquired, but wish him to have the full measure of his gl0r,\- But to hear the gentleman, it would be supposed that the victories of Napoleon, and the marches of Zerxes were but farces in comparison with the unparalleled and unprecedented manouvres and exploits of my friend from the time he left Gonzales 'till he gained the battle of San Jacinto- The world never beheld tl1e like before-what heroic achievements! what crowns of immortality! · He cast his eyes OYer the battle field to fully assure himself that he had been victorious, still mistrusting his own senses- At last-seeing the enemy's standards taken, he became so full of glory that thrones and empires were as nothing- )fr Speaker my friend's loYe of glory was not yet satis- fied- He hastened to the Fnitecl States to enjoy his glory and re- ceive the praises of an astonished nation. He traveled through the most populous parts of the States by land. By that kind of travelling he could afford more facilities of being seen. He moved slowly giv- ing ample time for the news of his advent to precede him, anticipat- ing applause at e,·ery step, and honors and entertainments at every mile stone on the road the fruition and glory of all glories! The peo- ple of that Country knowing my friend's fond expectations 811(1 lo,·e of honors, his ambition and yearnings after fame, and knowing also the great trouble and inco11\'enience he had brought upon himself to afford them a11 opportunity of worshiping him, did assemble from all quarters- They had read of his unrivalled and almighty deed·s in Texas, and had no other desires than to behold with their eyes this procligy of the world. He ha,l gained but one battle, whilst the Citi- zens of ,Jasper County had pnrta ken in sevcral victories. So much for a name- :\fr Speaker, He had acquired some notice hy his follies from the time he left his native State. And so it is that great- follies are lauded and honored while little follies are unnoticed save in eontempt- )[r Speaker I must return to my friend's triumphs throug-h the ::-,tntes- He moYe<l slowly arnl magnificently on exposing, oc-rasio11ally as if by accident some memento of the battle field to afford fresh sourees of delight-anrl admirntion to the then astonished mul- titudl"~. gi,·ing to his nppearnm:es anrl moYements, at the same time, something of the romantic and unearthly, hitherto never pictured in the mo,-;t poetic ima;.dnations- His lofty bearing, hi!. noble front, hi" majl"stic ,,:tPp. hii- intellectual face, his eloquent mouth, his mag- nifiel"nt train, and the witchery of his loYe begetting smiles created a "en,-;ation ne,·er before felt in any age 11or country- All ages sizes, 1-1·xe:-: and di,-;rinetion,-; were smitten with his magic intlnenc:e- 'l'he f'l'J1.-ation IH•1·aine r·o11ta/!ious ;111d all, far and near, were to be s~en joumeying towards the spot where he might be se~n, craving noth~ng mon' than tu fea;:t their eye:; ancl die- The cnpples were haltmg
Powered by FlippingBook