The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 52

52 The Southwester Historical Quarterly
victory over the "secretly marshalled forces of the ubiquitous
Sam" in the recent elections.
Not less than twenty-two county conventions, in the fall of 1855
adopted resolutions upholding the doctrine of state rights, and of
political equality, endorsing the Kansas-Nebraska bill, condemning
the Know-Nothing party, and disapproved of Houston's attitude
toward the Kansas-Nebraska bill; others recommended that the
state legislature demand his resignation from the United States
Senate. The Hays County convention declared that the many past
services of Houston only added to his present shame and infamy,
because of his base and traitorous desertion of Democracy and the
just cause of the South; that by persisting in the grossest mis-
representations of both the will and the interests of the state,
he had forfeited all claims to his title of honor, and to the con-
fidence of his constituents.16 The Cass County convention declared
that he had violated the confidence reposed in him by his constit-
uents, and that in view of the almost unanimous wish of the
people, he ought to resign his seat, so that a man, who would
become the exponent of their principles and the defender of their
rights, might be elected." Walker County, his own county, was
probably most severe in its condemnation. Resolutions were
adopted at Huntsville, to the effect that Houston had forfeited
all claims to Democratic support by joining the Know-Nothing
"conspirators"; that it was the bounden duty of the legislature
to pass resolutions instructing him to vacate his seat in the
Senate; that the integrity of the Democratic party, the interests of
the South generally, and of Texas particularly, and a proper sense
of self-respect, demanded this action at their hands. The con-
vention also most heartily endorsed Senator Rusk's vote on the
Kansas-Nebraska bill, and recommended to the incoming legisla-
ture, his re-election to the United States Senate.18
Many of these conventions organized Democratic associations,
o"State Gazette, November 17, 1855.
"Ibid., October 27, 1855.
"Ibid., October 20, 1855.
The counties that thus expressed their sentiment in regard to Houston
as found in the State Gazette were Cass, Fayette, Hays, Cherokee, Walker,
Freestone, Colorado, Bell, Burleson, Smith, De Witt, Lavaca, Fannin,
Liberty, Lamar, Leon, Comal, Travis, Shelby, Williamson, Burnet, and
Bastrop.