HOUSTON
HOUSTON
at San Jacinto, and was sent to New Orleans for
treatment. From there he sent a protest against
the execution of Santa Anna by the Texans who
clamored for his blood to avenge the Alamo and
Goliad; and they allowed him his life according
to the terms of the agreement. While absent
from the state, Lamar was made commander-
in-chief and an election for President of the
republic had been ordered by the March conven-
tion. Twelve days before the general election,
which was held July 22, 1836, General Houston
announced himself as a candidate and he was
chosen President, receiving 4374 out of a total of
5104 votes. He took possession of the office in
October. Santa Anna was then released bj' him
and sent under escort to Washington by way of
New Orleans. Texas was recognized by the
United States as an independent republic, and
the recognition was coupled with the notifica-
tion that the question of annexation could not be
considered. Great Britain and France made
special commercial treaties with the new re-
public. The army became insubordinate and
was disbanded and re-organized, Albert Sidney
Johnston being made senior major-general.
Houston kept up his drinking habits, in spite of
which he held the respect of the community.
He married as his third wife Margaret M. Lea, of
Alabama, in 1841. She finally succeeded in re-
forming liis habits and he abandoned drinking
and swearing and became a consistent member
of the Baptist cliurcli. The constitution of Texas
rendered the President ineligible for two succeed-
ing terms, and in
1826 Mirabeau B.
Lamar was elected
President and Gen-
eral Houston served
two terms in the
Texan congress as
senator, 1839-41,
during which time
Great Britain,
France, Holland and Belgium recogniz- ed Texan independ- ence. In Decem- ber, 1841, Houston aifuji.e ar Ttx*t was Inaugurated
President of Texas for the second time, and in order to restore financial credit, then greatly impaired, lie suggested the reduction of all official salaries one half, which was acted on, his own salary being reduced from $10,000 to .$0000, and during his three years' term the treasury paid out less than .$440,000. In 1842 Santa Anna under- took to renew the invasion of Texas, which only resulted in a sharp correspondence between Pres- ident Houston and the Mexican dictator. In
June, 1843, President Houston directed the Texan
minister at Washington to withdraw the applica-
tion filed with the government for annexation to
the United States and then after receiving assur-
ances of protection during negotiation, appointed
a special commissioner to renew the proposal
for annexation. When it came before the senate
with a commendatory message from President
Tyler it was rejected by a vote of 35 to 16.
Houston then sent instructions to Anson Jones,
the Texan secretary of state, to accept the offer
of Lord Aberdeen to arrange for the permanent
independence of Texas. This action aroused
the alarm and jealousy of the United States,
and on the issue the Democratic party se-
cured the election of James K. Polk as President.
On Feb. 14, 1845, a joint resolution passed con-
gress for the admission of Texas into the Union,
and on Oct. 14, 1845, the republic of Texas be-
came one of the United States and Sam Hous-
ton and Thomas J. Rusk were chosen U.S.
senators. Houston drew the short term and
took his seat, March 4, 1846. In January, 1847, he
was re-elected, and again in January, 1853, his
third term expiring March 3, 1859. In the senate
he voted against the introduction of slavery in
Oregon; in favor of the admission 6{ California
as a free state; for the abolition of the slave trade
in the District of Columbia; for the Clay com-
promise measures; and against the Nebraska bill,
being one of the two opponents to the measure
from southern states, the other being Jolin Bell,
of Tennessee. He received eight votes for Presi-
dential nominee in the Democratic national con-
vention of 1852, three votes in the American
national convention of 1856 and fifty-seven votes
in the Constitutional Union national convention
of 1860. In 1857 he was defeated by Hardin R.
Runnels for governor of Texas, and in 1859 he
failed of re-election to the U.S. senate. The same
year he was elected governor over Runnels, but the
Secessionists elected a majority of the legislature
and most of the executive officers. He took no
part in the pi'esidential election of 1860 but
worked against secession and was denounced
as a traitor to the South. He vetoed the resolu-
tion recognizing the authority of the Texan state
convention of Jan. 28, 1861, and the resolution
was passed over his veto and the convention car-
ried the state out of the Union by a vote of 167
to 7. As governor" he then submitted to the will
of the people, rather than involve the state in a
civil war. He declined to take the oath of alle-
giance to the Confederacy and was declared de-
posed from office and Edmund Clark was sworn
in as governor. He declined a commission of
major-general in the U.S. army offered him by
President Lincoln. He had four sons and two
daughters, children by his tliird wife. His eldest
