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for tlio oroctlon of this testimonial, and Hon.
William Jennings Bryan, who, by special -Invitation,
delivorod tho principal addross.
MR. BRYAN'S SPEECH
Mr. Bryan said:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I
estooni It a great honr to bo Invited to partici
pate In these exorcises, and especially to havo
tho Invitation endorsed by an immodiato descen
dant of tho illustrious man in whose memory
this monument is erected.
Monuments and memorial days proclaim tho
morits of tho living as well as tho virtues of
tho dead; we would provo oursolves unworthy
to enjoy tho blessings purchased by tho labors
of tho dead If wo wero indifferent to their sacri
fices and their achievements. This memorial
testlflcH to your grateful appreciation of tho
raro qualities of General Sam Houston and of
tho manner in which ho performed the Hercu
lean taBks that foil to his lot. The fact that
you havo reared it and assembled at its unveil
ing is ovldence that tho spirit that animated him
awakens a response in your breasts. I shall not
attompt a slcotch of his life; your children learn
of him In tho schools. "His llfo was so full of
dramatic incidents as to prove that truth Is,
indeod, stranger than fiction. Had a novelist
Imagined such a career and pictured it on the
printed page, tho character would havo seemed
overdrawn so far do actual facts outrun the
fancies of tho mind. No one would havo thought
it possible for a human being to leave such a
unique record.
General Houston was born in Virginia in
1793, and at the timo of his birth nnd boyhood
tho Old Dominion vibrated with the praise of
three of her sons, each a world-leader in his
lino of work Washington, the successful gen
oral and incomparable executive, whoso sword
won independence and whose wisdom directed
tho ship of state as it started upon its course;
Patrick Henry, whoso eloquence aroused a na
tion to arms; and Thomas Jefferson, the greatest
constructive statesman of all times the civic
law-giver who even from tho grave is instructing
the nations of tho earth in tho art of govern
ment. Tho influence of these three men molded
the thought of tho period covered by Houston's
rtmth and could not have failed to awaken tho
latent fires in his heart.
After tho doath of his father, which occurred
in 1807, his mother removed to Tennessee and
this change of residence brought him into con
tact with tho iron-willed hero of New Orleans,
Andrew Jackson, who was destined to exert a
marked influence on the life of Houston and
who, in turn, admitted Houston to the circle of
his intimato friends.
It la not necessary that we shall claim for
General Houston freedom from faults and
"easily besetting sins." God builds his earthly
structures out of human material, material
flawed with the frailties of tho flesh and Ho
utilizes oven our weaknesses in tho absence of
stronger Btuff. We take our elemental traits
and tendencies as our wives take us at tho
altar, "for better or for worse;" the good and
the bad in us are as hard to separate as tho
wheat and tares. Even our virtues have their
near-by vices, and faults restrained may bo
made to yield some advantage. Caution, for
instance, can degenerate into over-caution and
over-caution into inactivity, while rashness can
be moderated into zeal, and without zeal we
would not undertake largo things. Great forces
are always difficult to direct; as the polish of
tho stono is proportioned to its hardness, so
the cost of conquering usually measures tho
valuo of tho conquest.
Houston was as consistent in his eccentrici
ties as he was persistent. Tho spirit of indepen
dence that led him, as a boy, to seek tho free
dom of an Indian wigwam rather than submit
to what he regarded aB injustice at tho hands
of older brothers led him, later, to risk his lifo
in resisting what he regarded as injustice done
by tho Mexican authorities to the Bettlers in
Texas. Tho same power over himself the same
-willingness to subordinate himself to things
which ho regarded as moro important that
enabled him to resign a governorship and turn
his back upon a promising political career, pre
ferring, as ho said, to ruin ono life than two
enabled him to throw himself into the breach
to save his people when great interests wero at
stake. A weaker man would have given his
friends less anxiety in his earlier years, but ho
might have been less useful In those crises which
requiro extraordinary firmness.
I shall not attempt to record tho achievements
of General Houston; they are a part of the na-
The Commoner.
tion's history, tho very foundation stones upon
which this great and growing state was built.
Neither will I discuss tho controversies in which
General Houston became involved with those
who wero his co-laborers. He was not a diplo
mat In tho senso in which the term is generally
employed. His imperious will made him com
mand whero others would have argued. It is
not surprising that there are conspiracies
against him it required combination to match
his strength. Whether he might have gained
moro by conciliation than by fighting is not a
question which it is worth while to consider;
ho must needs bo for himself and do his work
in his own way. Unusual talent is likely to bo
expressed in unconventional ways; when wo
accept tho benefits wo must take tho risk
which accompanies them. We cannot dis
pense with flro merely because it sometimes gets
beyond control; we cannot do without water
even if it does sometimes appeaT in the form of
a flood; We must havo air, although it becomes
destructive when it rushes upon us in the hurri
cane. I shall content myself on this occasion with
an enumeration of those extraordinary qualities
which distinguished General Houston, and I
enumerate thorn that the generations to whoso
caro this monument will be intrusted, when
his personal acquaintances and friends have
passed away, may know that the fame of the
hero of San Jacinto rests upon an enduring
foundation.
While General Houston was a man of unusual
intellectual proportions, ho was still a normal
man. He passed through the three stages that
characterize the natural growth and develop
ment of tho individual. His youth was given
up to physical enjoyment; his body absorbed his
attention, and he made himself the very pic
ture of health and strength his figure would
attract attention to any company. Afterward,
his mind became his master and ho planned upon
a gigantic scale. Still later, the moral element
asserted its supremacy and tho intrepid warrior
became an humble follower of the Prince of
Peace, the orator whose "voice was accustomed
to sway the multitude, was proud to employ tho
words of Him who spake aB never man spake;
the statesman who had framed laws for a re
public sought to square human institutions with
the sermon on the mount.
The fact that he knew from experience during .
his earlier years, as well as by observation
throughout his life, the dangers of tho drink
habit, made him the more earnest in the ad
vocacy of total abstinence, and, aided and en
couraged by his devoted wife, he became the
exemplar of Christian virtues in his home and
among his neighbors, growing in grace with the
years.
A man's inner self can be judged by the com
pany ho keeps, and his value as a man can be
measured by tho character of tho friends whom
ho draws to himself. The fact that Andrew
Jackson admired, trusted and loved General
Houston is proof that the latter deserved ad
miration, trust and love. For a quarter of a
century tho two were confidential friends Hous
ton journeyed from Arkansas to Washington to
denounce a slander which an enemy of Jack-
son's aimed at the president through Houston
and Jackson was Houston's adviser during the
long trial in the national house of representa
tives that followed Houston's attack upon the
member of congress who uttered it. Jackson
gave Houston a letter of introduction to Thomas
Jefferson, the letter being among the papers left
by Houston. When General Jackson was
stricken with his last illness and saw death ap
proaching, he sent for Houston and the latter
left all and hastened from Texas to tho Hermi
tage, taking with him his wife and infant son
. Ho reached Nashville a few hours after Jack
son expired, but had the melancholy satisfac
tion of learning that the last words of his friend
were: "Has Houston come?" He carried his
son into the room to view the remains of "Old
Hickory" and, with a broken voice, begged the
child to try to remember that he had looked
upon tho face of Jackson. oKea
General Houston's wife sang at tho funeral
Jackson and Houston wero alike in ma"ny
ThFLT" pHzed th0 other's friendship and
tho fact gives assurance that he whose ashes
repose here was cast in no ordinary mold
But let us measure General Houston by an
other standard. His greatness was recognized
in every group In which he appeared. At tho
age of twenty-five he studied law; a few months
afterward he was made adjutant general of tho
state with the rank of colonel, and as soon as
he was admitted to tho bar ho was elected dis
trict attorney. In 1823 ho was elected to con-
VOLUMB H, NUMBER 11
gress and two years later was re-elected by
unanimous vote. In 1827 he was elected gover
nor of the state by a majority "which was, at
that time, overwhelming and the legislaturo
elected at the same time was entirely made up
of persons friendly to him politically. These
victories, won when he was between the ages
of twenty-six and thirty-four leave no doubt as
to the impression that hia character and talents
had thus early mado upon thoso who knew him.
Then camo the self sacrificing exile, which was
to all appearances to terminate the brilliant
career upon which he had entered. During his
stay among the Indians he won the heart of tho
red man as he had won the heart of the pale
faco and tho affection was reciprocated. Ho
ever afterward supported the Indians' demand
for justice, and had frequent opportunity . to
answer charges made against them. After his
death, representatives of the tribes came at
night to his grave, and, performing the cere
monies to which they wero accustomed, gave
evidence of their sorrow.
In 1832 he bade farewell to the Cherokees and
with a party of friends removed to Texas.
His superior talents were at onco recognized
and in 1833 he was made a member of the first
convention ever held in what afterward becamo
the republic of Texas. The convention prepared
a state constitution and a memorial to the Mexi
can government. Two years later, General Aus
tin, recognizing Houston's military genius,
offered to resign the command of the army to
Houston, but Houston declined, insisting that
Austin had been elected commander and was
entitled to the position, but he assisted the
general in every way possible. Next he was a
member of the council of war and assisted in
framing a provisional declaration of indepen
dence. A little later he was, without dissenting
voice, elected commander-in-chief of the armies
of Texas and conducted the campaign, which,
seventy-five years ago today, resulted in the
epoch making victory of San Jacinto and gave
independence to Texas. The declaration of in
dependence was adopted during the preceding
March, and upon the second day of the month,
the forty-third anniversary of Houston's birth.
In.the fall following, he was elected president,of
Texas by acclamation, thus becoming -the first
president of the republic chosen by ,the people,
and, the provisional president resigning, Hous
ton was inaugurated on the 22nd day of October,
1836. The constitution made him ineligible to
succeed himself and he retired from office at the
end of two years, but was recalled to the presi
dency as soon as tho constitution would permit
and he began his second term in 1841. Upon
the admission of Texas to the union, Houston
waselected United States sena'tor and afterward
re-elected. In 1859 he was elected governor
and his term covered the exciting period pre
ceding the withdrawal of Texas from the union.
His official career was brought to an end by a
legislative resolution deposing him because ho
refused to join in tho steps that led up to the
stato's final action .
Surely, the honors ' conferred upon General
Houston in youth and during the latter part of
his life give conclusive proof of his eminent
abilities. He was chosen for pvery kind of pub
lic service. If the crisis required a soldier ho
was the choice of those who were to serve, a
compliment the sincerity of which can not be
doubted for, when men feel that their lives
must pay the forfeit if the choice is not a wise
one, they have every reason to select with care,
if a legislator was required Houston measured
up to the responsibilities of the occasion, in con
vention and in assembly he was always a leader,
if a proposition needed to be presented with
persuasive power, his associates yielded to him
as the one best fitted to represent their side. He
was no less efficient as an executive, mingling
prudence with firmness and uniting a compre
hensive grasp of the subject with care for de
tails; and to these he added a sense of justice,
and a singleness of purpose in administering it.
as soldier, as orator and as statesman he towered
above his compatriots, and many of them were
strong men. In fact, nothing so challenges the
attention of those who review the career of this
remarkable man as this extraordinary, co
mingllng of the qualities that make the leader
upon the battlefield, the leader in the forum, and
the leader in the council chamber.
A military leader rmiBt have physical courage;
he must have self-control; he must have mathe
matical talentthe ability to grasp a situation,
to estimate quickly, to calculate accurately, and
mJ 5m,ld confllct ot opinions, and in tho
El ,of daneor; he must have the ability to
command; and, at the same timo, must be able
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