b'Sam Houstons FightAgainst SecessionPART 2 By Alan RockmanDespite his hatred of Douglas and his disdain for Breckinridge, Houston could not support Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln, under no circumstances, would I vote for( Sam Houston,The Autobiography of Sam Houston, p. 266 ) .As mentioned, he reluctantly supported Bell, but it was Lincoln who was duly elected on November 8, 1860. Almost overnight Texas went wild. Rumors of Slave insurrections became rampant, there were strange fire outbreaks in Texas towns, and the people were restless and angry. Meetings were held throughout the state, and knowing Houstons Unionist sentiment, even members of his own cabinet began to desert him.G overnor Houston still urged moderation, and to thoseadmission on his part that the forces of Secession hadnegative votes were cast in the face of increasingly who demanded a meeting of the Texas Legislature togained the upper hand. Together with Texas Secretary ofhostile demonstrations. "Throckmorton." James W. decide the state\'s future, he said the following: State Eber W. Cave, they drafted the following: Throckmorton was the leader of the Houston minority in the state senate tall, slender, magnetic and the "While deploring the election of Messrs. Lincoln and"Now, therefore, I, Sam Houston, Gov. of the State ofbest parliamentarian in Texas. It was his 36th birthday.Hamlin, the Executive yet has seen in it no cause for theTexas, for the reasons hereby set forth, do hereby issue"Mr. President, in the presence of God and my country, immediate and separate secession of Texas" (Ibid., p. 270). this my proclamation ordering the legislature of the Stateand unawed by the wild spirit of revolution around me I of Texas to meet in extra session at the Capitol in thevote no" (James, The Raven, pp.334-335)!With the secession of South Carolina on December 20,city of Austin on Monday, the 21, day of Jan. A.D. 1861 1860, the clamor in Texas for secession increased. It was(Indianola Bulletin, January 5, 1861). Future President and then-Senator John F. Kennedy, soon unsafe for a pro-Unionist to venture outdoors andin his bestselling political history,Profiles in Courage proclamations like this one became common: Events moved swiftly. On January 21st the legislaturedescribed what happened after Throckmorton spoke: met and decided to call upon a Convention of Secession "To his excellency Sam Houston, Governor of the statethat would meet one week later on January 28, 1861, to"When he, (Throckmorton) cast one of the seven votes of Texas. decide the future of Texas. Governor Houston was stillagainst secession and was loudly hissed, he made the fighting gamely, as the New York Times reported: memorable reply: "When the rabble hiss, may well "We the undersigned citizens of Calhoun County Texas,patriots tremble" (John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage, in view of the election of Abraham Lincoln to the"The governor reiterated the position which he has soPocket Books, New York,1963, p.98).Presidency of the United States as the representative ofoften taken, that the insults of which the South complains Black Republican principles, we earnestly request yourhave been placed upon her by the northern states, not theBut Secession won - the Texas legislature voting in favor excellency to convene the legislature of the state at as earlyfederal government. It is, therefore, a question of adhering167-7, and not even the magnetism of Sam Houston, as possible to consult and act upon the present conditionto Constitutional rights or abandoning the Union" (Newpresent as he was, could stem the tide. It was now up of the country" (Indianola Bulletin, November 24, 1860). York Times, February 5, 1861). to the people, and the people had been making their feelings known for the most part since the previous Houston soon discovered how unwise it was to travelOn January 28 the Secession Convention convened inNovember 8th. Before the popular vote was due to take outdoors to seek out public opinion. In a speech in WacoAustin, and on the next day passed a resolution favoringplace, one more dreary drama, a drama which would on New Years Day, 1861 Houston tried to compromisesecession to be voted on by the legislature on Februaryinfluence the popular vote as well as practically and for with the pro-secessionists, promising that he would1st. There was a proviso, in accordance with Houston\'sall intents and purposes forced Houston\'s last major go along with the demand for secession if the peoplewishes, that a popular vote of the people be called forhope,that of outside intervention to go down the drain, themselves would vote for it, spurn the advances of theon February 23 to decide once and for all if Texas wouldhad to be played out. What happened was in effect, a Southern Confederacy, and return to the banner of thesecede. If both votes went in favor of secession, Texasmilitary coup d\'etat.Lone Star state, thus becoming a Republic again. It iswould leave the Union on March 2, Houston\'s birthday.inconceivable that Houston would have himself wantedThe aforementioned U.S. Army General David E. Twiggs, Texas to become an independent republic again, not afterOn the stroke of 12 on that fateful February 1st, thea pro-Secessionist Georgian had returned to command all those years of fighting, militarily and politically forGovernor entered the Texas Hall of Representativesthe Department of Texas at the beginning of the New Year it to enter the United States. This gesture seems to havewhere the ensuing drama was about to take place.1861. While in Washington, D.C. the 70-year-old Twiggs been a desperate political move on his part, a stalling forMarquis James in his biography of Houston describeshad repeatedly warned the War Department how things time in the hope that President Lincoln would come towhat happened next: were shaping up in Texas. He asked the department what terms with the South. It was to no avail, and as the crowddecisions he should make regarding Federal property and listening became increasingly hostile, Houston\'s friends"Amid perfect silence, the Secretary read theto his credit, he warned that he would be very hesitant urged the governor to leave Waco. As to support thatordinance of Secession. Not a muscle on Houston\'sin firing upon his fellow Southerners. These warnings urgency, that night a keg of powder was exploded outsideface moved. The clerk began to call the roll. Thewent unheeded until on January 15, after two additional of the hotel where he was staying(M.K. Wisehart, Samfirst 70 delegates on the alphabetical roll answeredwarnings were made, Twiggs formally asked General Houston, American Giant, Robert R. Luce, Washington,"Aye." "Hughes," read the clerk. Thomas Hughes, ofWinfield Scott, the commanding general of the U.S. Army, D.C., 1962, P. 595). Williamson County, was first and foremost a supporterto relieve him from Texas duty. Scott granted this request of Sam Houston."No!" he shouted. The effect wasand on January 28th sent orders placing a New York Several days later, Houston finally assented to theof stupefaction. Then a cry of disapproval sweptregular, Colonel Carlos Waite of the U.S. 1st Infantry, to demand that the legislature is convened. It was a reluctantthe hall. After another stretch of "Ayes, three moreassume command of the Department of Texas.continued on page 46ArizonaRealCountry.com March 2020 45'