Political Papers and Presidential Campaigns in the Republic of Texas, 1836-1844
Vol. 35, No. 1, 2018
By Erika J. Pribanic-Smith, University of Texas-Arlington
For 18 years, Texas operated as an independent republic with its own government and its own presidents. However, an influx of settlers from the United States put the republic in a unique position. American expatriates brought to Texas their home country’s ideals and customs, and many pushed from the beginning for the formerly Mexican territory to become a U.S. state. One of the values Americans brought to Texas was the belief that newspapers played an integral role in the political process. Unlike their counterparts in the United States, though, Texas newspapers did not attach themselves to political parties.
This study involved reviewing every extant issue of every Texas newspaper available during the republic’s four presidential elections: 1836, 1838, 1841, and 1844. The newspapers had strong editors whose perspectives drove the content, including whether candidates would be endorsed, which candidates would be supported, and how vehemently particular candidates would be backed or opposed. Furthermore, the editorial columns contained the only original content in nineteenth-century Texas newspapers. Therefore, this research focused on content found in those columns: editorials, letters from readers, and excerpts from other newspapers that editors wanted to point out and comment on. Because of the widespread practice of reprinting and discussing editorials from other newspapers, the extant publications provided insight into the newspapers that no longer are available.
Analyzing editorial content during presidential elections demonstrated that newspapers opposed or supported specific men rather than focusing on party principles. In fact, editors claimed to abhor partisanship. Sam Houston was the polarizing figure. He won two of the four presidential elections himself, and one of his cronies won one. Whereas some newspapers were loyal to Houston, others opposed him. Those that supported Houston in 1841 also stumped for his ally Anson Jones in 1844, and those who had endorsed Houston’s opponent in 1841 also advocated for Jones’s opponent in 1844. However, that was the extent of partisan alignment. Editors who endorsed the same presidential candidate frequently endorsed different vice-presidential hopefuls and vice versa. Editors tended to cite personal qualities—rather than policy positions or party principles—as evidence of a man’s fitness for office or lack thereof.
Texas historians demonstrate that true political parties never formed in the young republic. By extension, the newspapers failed to galvanize into a true party press. Unlike American newspapers, Texas newspapers generally remained free from party patronage, relying on job printing and other income for financial support. The government awarded what little patronage was available based on the economy of printers’ bids, not due to political alliances. Therefore, Texas editors had no financial incentive to support a party or politician and enjoyed an independence to advance their own views. Moreover, because of the republic’s unique situation, editors maintained a patriotic concern for their country’s welfare that superseded potential loyalties to political factions.
Questions for Discussion After Reading Article:
- The Telegraph & Texas Register eventually became an anti-Houston newspaper. Why did its editors remain neutral during Houston’s first election campaign (in 1836)?
- Why did other newspapers (such as the Morning Star and Northern Standard) choose to be neutral in later campaigns?
- Why did some editors publish letters supporting the opponents of candidates their newspaper endorsed?
- What characteristics did editors list as ideal qualities for a candidate? What characteristics made a candidate unqualified for office?
- Why did other editors criticize the way Jacob Cruger editorialized in the Texas Centinel?
- Why were some editors insulted when they were accused of accepting patronage?
Exercise 1
Texas annexed to the United States and became a state shortly after the republic’s 1844 election. This exercise encourages students to explore the evolution of Texas newspapers during statehood, focusing on their coverage of politics. Using the Texas Digital Newspaper Program (https://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/TDNP/), find Texas newspapers from the 1850s, 1900s, 1950s, and 2000s. The class may split into groups with each group reviewing a different decade.
- For each of the four decades, discuss how the newspapers covered politics. What kind of articles appeared? Did the newspapers seem to favor particular politicians? Did they seem to adhere to particular parties?
- What similarities exist across the four decades?
- How did the political coverage change over time?
Exercise 2
The United States had a hotly contested presidential election in 1844, the same year as the Republic of Texas’s final presidential election. The class should split into groups with each group selecting a different U.S. state. Some groups should have northern states and others, southern states. Using the Library of Congress’s digital newspaper archives at Chronicling America (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/), each group should find 1844 editorials from its chosen state that discuss the presidential election.
- What themes appear in election editorials? How did editors discuss the candidates? Were editors more interested in the candidates’ personalities or their policy stances? What issues did they discuss?
- How did the newspapers demonstrate partisanship?
- How did the northern newspapers compare with southern newspapers?
Exercise 3
Arrange an interview with a local newspaper editor to discuss how newspapers cover politics today. Following are some questions students may ask:
- Does the newspaper endorse political candidates? Why or why not?
- If it does endorse candidates, how do the editors decide whom to endorse?
- How does the newspaper cover politics? Who writes about political candidates and issues? What is the tone of the coverage?
- Does the editor feel media outlets should be neutral when covering politics? Why or why not?
- Does the newspaper publish letters to the editor regarding political candidates and issues? If so, how do the editors decide what letters to publish?
- Does the newspaper give political candidates an opportunity to express their views? Why or why not?
- How important is political coverage to the newspaper’s readers?
Following the interview, students should compare modern coverage of politics to that of Texas during its republic era.
Resources
Chronicling America: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
Handbook of Texas History: https://tshaonline.org/handbook
Portal to Texas History: https://texashistory.unt.edu/
Sheppard, Si. The Partisan Press: A History of Media Bias in the United States. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2008.
Sibley, Marilyn McAdams. Lone Stars and State Gazettes: Texas Newspapers before the Civil War. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1983.
Wallace, John Melton. Gaceta to Gazette: A Check List of Texas Newspapers, 1813–1846. Austin: The University of Texas, 1966.