576
TEXAS STATE LrnR.ARY
he would not be able to walk in. Either his convenience or his prin- ciples might forbid it. Since then you do not request the recall of Col. Bee; and in as much as it is obvious, from the reasons assigned, that it would be altogether wrong for me to send him to France or elsewhere at the present time; & equally wrong for him to go under existing circum- stances, I do not know of any other honorable mode by which he can be ousted of his place. Although you say that you do not request the recall of Col. Bee, yet there is a part of your letter which seems to· insinuate that there would be no impropriety in my doing so, if I thought proper to exer- cise the power; for you say that Col Bee's "expressing his intention of returning in November next, does away with all difficulty upon that score"- from which I can infer nothing else than that his immediate dismissal, though not formally requested, would not meet with your disapprobation. I have no doubt that you are laboring under the impression that Col. Bee intends to resign at that time; and that for me to vacate his place a fe?"' weeks earlier than he had intended to retire, would, instead of being offensive to him, meet with his cordial l approved when the motives for doing so were fully explained. To this / conjecture I can only reply by saying that Col. Bee has not appri~ed me of any disposition to resign his situation; but has merely e~pressed his desire, to accompany Genl. Hamilton (at the General';( own re- quest) on his visit to Austin during the ens'uing November.- The Col. also expresses the hope of being able to bring with him the treaty which he is now engaged in negotiating; but whether he will return to Texas at that time or not, depends upon his obtaining the permis- sion to do so, which he has solicited of the President.- His having expressed a determination to visit Texas in November next, does not therefore diminish the obstacles in the way of my removing him with- out first consulting him on the _point. Indeed there is a strong reason why he should not be recalled at this particular juncture. He is now engaged in arranging a treaty between this Government and the United States of the first impor- tance to this country, and doubtless he feels a laudable desire to bring it to a conclusion before the close of the administration that called him to the task.- If any honors are to flow from the negotiation, he is fairly entitled to them; and let him wear them.- He has represented me at that Government faithfully for nearly two years, during which time I have had no complaint to urge against 4is diligence, industry or ability; and now to dismiss him, at the heel of my administration, just as he is about to bring his labors to a successful termination, that another, may step in to reap the honor of concluding the Treaty al- luded to, would in my opinion be an insult to him for which I could offer no satisfactory apology. The truth is, I could not pursue such a course even towards an enemy.- When I first call}.e into office, I found an individual-1 3 assiduously enga_!!ed in endeavouring to effect a recognition of our Independence by a foreign power and to establish a treaty of amity and commerce between the two countries; and al- though I had many reasons to believe that he was not at all attached
"Genera.I Henderson.
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