details of his life during the next two years nothing is known, though it is altogether likely that a part of the time unoccupied by his official duties was used in the reading of law. And we may readily believe, too, that his associations with Governor Troup— staunch states' rights advocate that he was-did much to intensify his inherited love of individual liberty. In January, 1826, he married Miss Tabitha B. Jordan, of Perry, Alabama, and seems for a time to have forgotten his political ambitions. For two years he lived in retirement on his farm, but in 1828 moved to Columbus, and established The Columbus Enquirer. The first number of the Enquirer appeared May 29, 1828. In his salutatory the editor announced that it would "be attached to the Republican creed as exemplified in the administration of Thomas Jefferson," and would "defend the "Union of the States and the sovereignty of the States."" Other interests were to receive his attention, however, and he promised that a large portion of his columns should be filled with "such miscellaneous selections as are calculated to instruct, to gratify fancy, and to increase knowledge thus making it a literary as well as a political paper." He was determined to forego none of the privileges of his office, he declared, "except the one enjoyed by many of his brethren of using insults for arguments and making assertions without proof." Above all, "he will never surrender the privilege of writing as dully as he pleases, and in open defiance of the rules of Lindley MurIf his patrons are offended at this they are respectfully informed that his remarks, though they may be very dull, shall not be very numerous." In view of this promise and of the dearth of news, contributions were solicited from all classes, but especially from "those gentlemen who are in the habit of heading their communications, 'Strayed or Stolen,' 'Just Received a Fresh Supply.' For any contributions of this kind he will return his warmest thanks and gratitude, in which species of payment there is no danger of bankruptcy." From which it will at least be seen that he did not take himself and his work too seriously. ray. * * * * * * * * The Enquirer was doubtless the means of bringing about his real entrance into politics. He was soon elected to the State Senate, where he represented Muscogee county one term. He probably pleased his constituents, for he was a candidate for re-election the next year, with every prospect of success, it is said, when the death of his wife caused him to withdraw again temporarily from public life. In retirement his ambition increased. When he reappeared it was to announce himself a candidate for Congress. It was near the end of Jackson's first administration, the tariff agitation in South Carolina was soon to reach its acute stage, and one is not surprised to find Lamar running on an independent ticket with nullification for the principal plank in his platform. He was defeated. Once more he tried it-this time on the regular Democratic ticket-with the same result, and then he came to Texas. In 1838, after Lamar had already held in Texas positions of high trust, the question was raised whether he was constitutionally eligible to the presidency. From his answer, one learns that he reached Nacogdoches, Texas, in July, 1835. The storm clouds of the Texas Revolution were just then beginning to assume a threatening aspect, and, true to his belief in the rights of the State, he aligned himself heart and soul with the little band of leaders who favored an unequivocal declaration of independence from Mexico. Naturally he was too little known and his understanding of local conditions was too imperfect for him to spring at once into prominence, but at least once he is to be seen participating in a public meeting at Washington, and making a ringing speech for freedom and independence. He determined to make Texas his permanent home, located his land, and had it officially surveyed, but moved too deliberately, and before he could have it formally registered, the land offices had been closed by the provisional government. In the meantime, his affairs in Georgia were suffering from neglect, and in November, after receiving from Stephen F. Austin the assurance that he would forfeit none of his rights in Texas thereby, he returned to Georgia to give them the necessary attention. He opportunely arrived in Texas again about the first of April, 1836. Houston's little army was then encamped at Groce's, on the Brazos, and thither Lamar took his way. In the retreat thence to the San Jacinto he accompanied the army-as a private, it is said, but whether or not there was a regular enlistment is doubtful. A brisk cavalry skirmish on the 20th furnished the opportunity for him to so distinguish himself that on the following day Houston asked him to command the cavalry in the battle of San Jacinto. This he refused to do through consideration for the prior claims of the regular cavalry officers, but when these officers themselves invited him to the command, he accepted. In the glorious action which followed the commander-in-chief found it impossible to distinguish between the valor and merit of the commanded and the commanders, but certain it is that he was not disappointed in the conduct of Colonel Lamar and his sixty-one troopers. After the battle of San Jacinto, Lamar's rise was meteoric. On May 5, President Burnet appointed him Secretary of War, and in this position he vigorously opposed the policy of liberating Santa Anna. It was his opinion that the Dictator's blood-thirsty disre gard of the rules of civilized war had forfeited his claims to consideration as a prisoner of war, and justified the Texans in condemning him by court-martial to be shot for murder. Certainly it can not be contended that Santa Anna deserved much less, but did not Texas owe herself much more? For her fair fame, one can not be sorry that the Cabinet overruled the opposition of the impulsive Secretary. It must be said, however, that his was the popular view, and by his able advocacy of it he lost no friends. In July President Burnet, with the advice of his Cabinet, appointed Lamar a major-general and commander-in-chief of the Texas army. At this time the army was in considerable confusion. General Houston was at Nacogdoches, not yet recovered from the wound received at San Jacinto; General Rusk, in nominal command of the troops, had no desire for the office and had previously requested the President to relieve him; and nearly every officer in the army secretly aspired to his place. When Lamar's appointment was learned, therefore, the officers held a meeting and resolved that the Cabinet had exceeded its authority by choosing a commander without consulting the volunteers. Upon Lamar's arrival in camp he was informed of this sentiment and was at the same time made to understand that none of it was against him personally. He declared his willingness to submit the matter to the decision of the whole army, and when that body manifested its dissatisfaction with the method of his appointment, he good-humoredly withdrew, saying that he should consider it honor enough to lead the van. It must be remembered that the pioneer is the most democratic species of the American genus, and upon this army of pioneers, intensely jealous as they were, of what they considered their rights, discipline sat very lightly. The proof that there could have been little personal objection to Lamar, is the fact that within a month he was nominated to the vice-presidency, and was subsequently elected. This office of vice-president he held from October, 1836, until December 10, 1838, when he was inaugurated president. His administration covers a very important period in the history of Texas, and as to the wisdom of many of his acts historians differ. The main features of his policy I shall briefly discuss below. When his term expired in December, 1841, Lamar retired to private life, and little is known of him for the next few years, except that his opinions upon the subject of annexation underwent a complete change. Though one of the bitterest and most outspoken opponents of the movement in 1839, he came by 1845 to be its earnest advocate. In 1846, at the outbreak of the Mexican war, he joined General Taylor at Matamoras, and participated with him in the battle of Monterey. A few days after the battle he was appointed inspector-general by General Butler, with the rank of lieutenantcolonel. This position he very shortly resigned, with the expectation of joining General Scott at Vera Cruz, but changed his mind, and took command of a company of rangers stationed at Laredo, to guard the frontier. Here he remained for two years, and at the expiration of his command was sent by the Laredo district to represent it in the Legislature. Nine years later, in 1857, Mr. Lamar was appointed by President Buchanan United States Minister to the Argentine Republic. For some reason this appointment was not accepted, but in January of the next year he left Texas as Minister to Nicaragua and Costa Rico. In May, 1859, he resigned this office and returned to Texas, where, in the same year, he died. He had married a second time a few years before his death and left one daughter, who still survives him-Mrs. Lola J. Calder, of Galveston. In appearance Lamar has been described as under medium height, heavily built and muscular, with dark, straight hair and blue eyes. What is considered a fair likeness of him may be seen in Dixon's The Poets and Poetry of Texas (facing p. 174), and a full length portrait represents him in the Senate chamber of the State Capitol. This, however, though no coxcomb, he would scarcely feel flattered to own. In manner he was gentle, kindly, very considerate, and though impulsive, was usually self-contained. In character he was without reproach. Merchant, editor, farmer, statesman, soldier, that he was, his varied career indicates his many-sided interests, and to this long list of titles must be added another yet-author. He published a volume of verse in 1857. His friends, with more regard to the man · than the verse, perhaps, claimed that it merited for him the title of "bard," but another less reverent declared him only a "rhymer." Unfortunately the verdict of his friends can not be fully sustained. In one poem, "The Daughter of Mendoza," he does, indeed, attain to some sort of rank as a lyrist; but this poem stands absolutely alone. The rest are disappointing. Except for a few speeches and articles none of his prose was published. In fact none of it seems to have been finished. He wrote on a variety of subjects connected with the history of Texas-lives of Gutierrez and Long, the filibusters, an ambitious sketch of Santa Anna in Spanish, and many others. He left a great mass of material which he had collected on the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. Much of the Revolutionary matter consists of original documents, but most of that upon the Colonial period he recorded from the verbal narratives of the actors themselves. As to the importance of his incomplete biographies one could not offer an opinion without careful reading, and at present they are not accessible to the public, but to the historical student the materials which he gathered certainly possess considerable value. Perhaps his literary work may be taken as an epitome of his life. He was a rolling stone. Endowed with no little talent, he might have attained distinction in any one of a half dozen pursuits, but his restless temperament prevented systematic application and kept him continually vacillating from one to another. It seems likely that the college training which he refused in his youth would have remedied this. Perhaps, as I said, he realized his deficiencies in the end with the reasons therefor, but whether or not this was so, he was always the good friend of public education in Texas. |
