TEXAS ST.ATE Lnrn.AnY
574
mistake. He was not despatched to Washington City on any special mission, but was appointed our resident Charge' d' Affatres there, with the expectation that he would represent this Government, during, at least, its present administration.- Thus far he has done so to the entire satisfaction of the Executive, and has not within my knowledge failed in the accomplishment of any thing which he has been ordered to do, either for the want of address, abilities, or fidelity. Had he so failed, I should not have waited for his v·oluntary return that the Government might have "a full opportunity of trying another," but I would have recalled him promptly upon the first evidence of such incapacity or de- linquency. Having, however, no complaint against him, I feel that I should be offering great wrong to him and doing disciedit to myself If 1 were to displace him merely to bestow his place upon another. In your letter, however, you disclaim all desire to have Col. Bee recalled. ''I do not wish to be understood (you say) as requesting Col. Bee's recall, but on the other hand, I would like to see him transfered to France or some other court." Now I cannot transfer him t-0 France, for we are already represented there by Genl. l\Icintosh 42 and however disposed I might be to remove that gentleman for the accommodation of my friends, yet I could not do it at present without committing great injustice for I should have to dismiss him without paying the salary that is due to him.- Neither can I send Col. Bee to the Netherlands (the only Country in Europe except France that has acknowledged our Independence for for [ sic J as yet she has not sent her representative to us and General Hamilton now abroad jg competent and is fully charged with authority to perform all the duties growing out of our very limited relations with that Country.- Shall I send Col Bee to England? If I do this, I not only degrade him from the rank of a Charge d' affaires to that of a mere agent; but I send him to a Court where we are already ably represented in the person of our Loan Commissioner, who asks no other compensation for his services than the consciousness of promot- ing the good of the country.- If I had the means, I might indeed despatch him to Spain for the purpose of establishing a commercial intercourse between this country and the Island of Cuba; a measure which I have long been anxious to effect but have not been able to do it for the want of necessary funds.- These cannot now be commanded.- But even with the means, I doubt whether Col. Bee should be selected for the mission in disregard of the claims which other of my friends might have to the station- yourself among the number.- Where then can I send him, so as to create the desired vacancy? Send him where I may, it would be attended with an unnecessary expenditure of the public money.- A waste which would be doubly culpable at the pres- ent time, when our National Treasury is so nearly exhausted; and one which it would be improper for me to commit at any period for the mere gratification of my personal predelictions, however strong I admit them to be. In another portion of your letter you use the following language; to wit:- "Perhaps Dr. Archer is the only man of your friends whom General Houston would not recall so soon as he comes into office;" nnd then in the next sentence you say, "it might be <'onstructively consid-
"'See no. 1808.
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