12/12/2025
Saw this and had to repost the history.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FxDU3xkbt/?mibextid=wwXIfr
On this day in 1838, Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was inaugurated as the second president of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston was unable to serve consecutive terms due to what we would call today term limits.
Sam and Lamar were bitter political enemies, and as Dr. Gregg Cantrell put it, "Houston showed up to Lamar's big inauguration day dressed up for all the world like George Washington. He had on knee britches, silk stockings, and a powdered wig of all things. And he proceeded to give a three-hour speech, greatly exaggerating all of the remarkable achievements of his own administration, and taking all sorts of shots at Lamar, which so flustered Lamar that he couldn't even give his own inaugural address. His secretary had to stand up and read it for him." Dr. Cantrell said, "Houston had the last laugh that time."
In Houston circles Lamar is often denigrated but let's take a closer look at the second President of Texas.
He was elected to the Georgia state senate in 1829 and was a candidate for reelection in 1830 when his wife died of tuberculosis. He unsuccessfully ran for congress and then followed James Fannin to Texas in 1835.
When the Texas Revolution broke out he raced to the Texas Army and joined them as a private at Groce's Plantation, just south of today's city of Hempstead.
On April 20th, at San Jacinto, he broke from cover to help Thomas Rusk and Walter Lane who were in trouble during a skirmish with Mexican cavalry, and saved their lives with such valor that it brought him a salute from the Mexican lines. Houston promoted him on the spot to the rank of colonel and placed him in command of the cavalry for the main battle the next day.
When Houston left for New Orleans for treatment of his musket shot ankle, Lamar was made commander in chief of the Texas Army but he soon retired to civilian life.
He was elected vice president in 1836, founded the Philosophical Society of Texas in 1837, and became the President of Texas in 1838 when Houston had to leave office and the other two candidates died.
Contrary to Houston, Lamar didn't want Texas to join the Union, arguing instead that Texas should expand to the Pacific Ocean and become the continental equal of the United States. Likewise contrary to Houston, Lamar had a very stern Indian policy and inaugurated wars against them to drive them out of Texas.
In 1839, at Lamar's suggestion, the city of Austin was built on the Colorado River and became the capital. And at a time when the population of Texas was insufficient to support one university Lamar was laying the groundwork for two. His forward-thinking advocacy earned him the nickname "Father of Texas Education," and his statement that "a cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy" was translated into "Disciplina Praesidium Civitatis," which became the motto of the University of Texas at Austin.
When the Mexican War broke out in 1846 Lamar joined Zachary Taylor's army at Matamoros as a Lt. Col. and fought in the Battle of Monterrey.
After serving in the Texas Legislature in 1847 he became the U.S. Minister to Nicaragua and Costa Rica a decade later in 1857.
He died on December 19, 1859, and is buried in Richmond, Texas. Lamar County and the town of Lamar were named for him, and Lamar University in Beaumont also bears his name.
