J t is true Lhe company of officers of the Infantry Regiment have been appointed by Lhe Hon. General Council, but the field officers proper lo command and superintend the several recruiting Rendezvous have not been appointed. The Regiment of Artillery so necessary for the defence of our sea coast, as well as for field service, has no basis on which it can be raised; no officers are appointed, and il will be impossible for me ever lo enlist the rank and file of the Army until the Officers are appointed. An army never has been raised for Regular service until the Officers had all been appointed. The regiments of the U. Stales army were all completely officered before one man was enlisted in the ranks. It can nol be objected, that merit will be forestalled by filling the Several corps, at this time. It must have been contemplated by the framers of the organic Law that the army would be immediately organized out of the materials then in Texas. Il now seems their only course which is lefl lo be pursued, lo accomplish Lhe object designed in the formation of a regular Army. Unless Lhe officers are appointed al an Early clay it will be impossible lo have an army al the opening of the Campaign which can not, in my opinion, be delayed with Safety lo the country longer than the 20th of February or the first clay of March, al farthest. lf only a portion of the Officers should be appointed, I apprehend the organization of the Army will be incomplete, and the intention of the Law will not be answered; the necessities of the Country seem lo require a complete organization. We must have an army or abandon all hope of clefending the Country! The tellers recently intercepted from Genl Santa Anna, and the functionaries of the Central Government, are calculated lo arouse every generous heart in Texas lo active and obstinate resistance; an army of Lhe enemy amounting lo l0,000 men, with suitable munitions of war, must be met and vanquished or Texas will be overw hcl med for years lo come. Union and confidence among ourselves, and a generous support of the Army, will achieve everything that is desirable lo Freemen! Unlil a full com plemenl of Officers is appointed for the regular army, it is impossible that one can be raised. I take pleasure in assuring your txcellency that I will al all Limes hold myself accountable for the means placed al my dispot-al, de::-.:ignecl for tlw ddcnccs of the Country and the Sueccss of our eaust•. Hut it must lw obviou:,; to all that in the same ratio in which the
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