Texas, with her superior natural advantages, must become a point

In the visionary and stately words of Sam Houston, the soldier, statesman, and founding father of a republic, we hear the voice of destiny itself: “Texas, with her superior natural advantages, must become a point of attraction, and the policy of establishing with her the earliest relations of friendship and commerce will not escape the eye of statesmen.” These words, spoken with both pride and foresight, reveal the mind of a man who saw not merely the land before him, but the great nation it would one day become. Houston, who led Texas from the fires of revolution to the dawn of statehood, understood that the greatness of a land is not born only from its soil or sky, but from the friendship and commerce it cultivates with others. His statement is at once a prophecy and a lesson — that prosperity and peace are forged not through isolation, but through alliance.

The origin of this quote can be traced to the early 1830s and 1840s, when Houston, serving as the first and later third President of the Republic of Texas, sought to secure the survival of his fledgling nation amid the turbulence of empire and ambition. Texas had just wrested her independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto, yet she stood alone — a young republic surrounded by powerful neighbors. Houston, in his wisdom, knew that Texas’s natural advantages — her vast plains, fertile lands, deep rivers, and ports open to the Gulf — would make her not only self-sufficient but desirable. He foresaw that wise nations would seek her friendship, that the hand of commerce would bind what the sword had divided, and that through diplomacy rather than conquest, Texas would secure her place among the stars.

To say that Texas “must become a point of attraction” is to speak in the language of destiny. Houston saw Texas not as a mere territory, but as a beacon — a land whose promise would draw men and nations alike. He understood the eternal law of prosperity: that greatness is magnetic. Where there is abundance of spirit and resource, others will come — not only to take, but to trade, to share, to build. Thus, Houston’s vision was not one of conquest, but of commerce. He believed that the foundation of a nation’s greatness lies in the strength of its friendship — that the bonds of trade, mutual respect, and shared benefit are stronger and more enduring than the bonds of force. This belief, rooted in both his Christian faith and his statesman’s prudence, would define his entire career.

Consider the time in which Houston spoke. The world was changing rapidly; the old empires of Europe were giving way to new republics and rising industries. In that age, friendship between nations was often a fragile thing — easily broken by greed, suspicion, or pride. Yet Houston, who had lived among the Cherokee and learned the ways of peace as well as war, believed in the power of diplomacy. When others clamored for immediate annexation or retaliation, he counseled patience and alliance. He sent envoys to Britain and France, seeking recognition of Texas as a sovereign republic. His hope was that by establishing early relations of friendship and commerce, Texas would not be a pawn in the rivalries of great powers, but a partner — respected, admired, and secure.

History would prove him right. For it was not through conquest, but through negotiation and shared interest, that Texas ultimately joined the United States in 1845. Her natural advantages — her fertile soil, her rich rivers, her open ports, her courageous people — made her indispensable. And when she joined the Union, it was as Houston had foreseen: not as a beggar seeking protection, but as a land courted and respected. In that moment, his prophecy was fulfilled. Texas had indeed become a point of attraction, her friendship sought by statesmen, her name destined to echo across the ages.

Yet Houston’s wisdom extends far beyond his own land and time. His words speak to every generation, every people, every individual who seeks greatness. To be a “point of attraction” — whether as a nation or as a soul — one must cultivate strength, virtue, and generosity. The world is drawn to those who possess abundance, not only in wealth, but in spirit. Friendship, whether between men or between nations, is the fruit of trust and respect, and commerce — the exchange of what each has for what each lacks — is its noblest form. The wise, therefore, do not close their gates out of fear, but open them out of confidence.

So, my child, learn from the foresight of Sam Houston. In your own life, as in the life of nations, remember that friendship and commerce — the exchange of goodwill and the sharing of gifts — are the true foundations of peace and prosperity. Seek not domination, but cooperation. Be rich not only in resources, but in integrity, so that others are drawn to your light. Let your presence, like Texas, become a point of attraction, where others find trust, hope, and opportunity.

For Houston’s wisdom endures like the sun upon the Texas plains: that the strength of a land, or of a soul, lies not in what it hoards, but in what it shares. Friendship, rightly pursued, builds what war destroys. And where friendship and commerce flourish together, there too rises the civilization of the free — bright, enduring, and as vast as the horizon itself.