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PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
the officer cannot get them up- owing to the bad credit of the nation- A good Boat- transport from Galveston to Houston- would pay itself · over & over again- Why could not the govt on its own capacity-::;:- purchase & run a Boat on the Bayou- commanded by an officer of the Gvt, or a person appointed for it. It could run constantly & pay its way- independent of transportatn of men & luggage arms- am- munition-guns Etc Etc- and not conflict or compete with the Boats on the regular trade- from what I see, & hear- I have been induced to suggest the measure as being a very usful & expedient scheme- "Why in Hell dont the Govt have a Transport" aslc the people) on the Bayo[u]- and listning to all I hear- I fancy a hint wont be amiss. Take it as we do a negro's oath in court~ "for what it is worth only-. 4000 Dollars in funds might be saved by what men & things are now to come- & the Boat wont bring them- they can hardly march from Galveston to Houston, for less expence. A Boat-called the "Govt Transport" commanded by an officer of the Navy- of sound sense, and cool habits might sav[e] the country a large sum of money, and judi- ciously managed produce an income & see that all things for the Govt were immediately forwarded- Col Hockley- last week told me (and he knows nothing of this Transport suggestion) that he could get noth- ing from Gals belonging to the Dpt of ordnance- without sending means & an order &c- can the Govt be benefited by a Boat of its own if so; it cannot intercept, or clash with the priYate commerce of the two cities of Houston & Galveston- A boat will always- provided it be properly & orderly controled) sustain its way & pay expenses- If this is certain, (when all the Boats have, & and [sic] are still coining money) will not the cost oi transportation be saved of Govt men & munitions- I am aware- tho' you may not be- that there are Gent at the head of things, whose narrow minds will hoot at the suggestion, because it was not concocted & originated at "Head qrts"- but I dont care a fig for narrow policy- I like one man, just about as well as another when he has not the honor, safety, & means of the Country at heart. No man can alter my private opinion daily expressed on prudence of Genl Lamar's inten- tions in all matters, I saw an evidence on yestrday of narrow, selfish consideration here- a man was put in jail- who has on action vs J. W. Moore the sheriff- Col Thruston & Co- tried to get him out & failed- I was called upon & set him at liberty- and that too legally in fifteen minutes. Bob Wilson- who put him in- came up- in the crowd & says- Well Andrew the man "the injured man" who suffered incarceration- "give us your hand''- I told the crowd- that Bob W- should not take the hand of no Andrew Lawson that such dam- nable hypocry [sic] was unbearable- and carried the mob vs His Hon- Bob Wilson. and cut his gills short in so doing effectually in this den of his Houston- But to the Boat-see your F'd and the nations friend Judge Webb & let it die, if it is not practicable- if it be, belive I am -and evr will be Yours till Death H. Thompson I shall beat the crowd for mayor I know- if I run. I tell you that •
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