Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/28

For the space of a year, or more, before his name was brought before the Baltimore Democratic Convention, in 1856, I had a regular correspondence with him, and I yet think, if he had followed my advice he would have secured the nomination for President. But he would not stoop from what he viewed his lofty position, to secure it. The winter previous to the meeting of the Convention, the politicians of Virginia began to view him as the available man. Mr. Henry A, Wise, his inveterate enemy, knew the importance of forestalling public opinion, went to Richmond, procured the hall of the House of Delegates, thereby securing the presence of the members, with the ostensible purpose of exposing Col. Benton's treachery to the Democratic party. He took the hour to pour forth his bitterest shafts of satire and malice, against a man that he must have known to be innocent. But his purpose was effected, for the members told me they would never touch Houston, after such an expose. I wrote to him at Washington city, begging him to come and reply to that speech, in the same place, and before the same audience. In reply, he said, "Virginia had never done anything for him, and he would never stoop to conciliate her."

I wrote to him that I knew a woman's judgment was not worth much, but unless he would come and put himself right before the Legislature, he would lose the support of the State, and in that case fail of receiving the nomination. I urged him then to come and pay me a visit, hoping that if he did his friends would compel him to speak. His reply was like himself; he said, how delighted. he would be to see me, and under different circumstances he would come, "that no one would believe I have no ulterior views to serve if I should come to Richmond."

I spent several days with him in Washington, and we parted a short time before the Convention met. He still persisted in the thought that Virginia could not prevent his nomination. He was sanguine of success, for he well knew that if nominated he would sweep over the country like an avalanche.

That winter he was surrounded by a great many female relations. As he was a great whittler, he whittled several small hearts out of pine, and sent one to each of us, which we had set and attached to our watch-chains.

In 1834, he paid us a visit on his return from New York and Washington, where he had been making arrangements for the liberation of Texas. He picked up my album; I said he must contribute something. "Yes," said he, "I will contribute by correcting a mistake." He was surrounded by a roomful, and in the midst of that crowd, and sustaining his part in the conversation, he composed the following lines :