WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1831-1832
225
"To the Honorable the House of Rep1·esentatives of the United States "The accused, now at the bar of the House, asks leave respectfully to state, "That he understands he is now brought before the House, to receive a reprimand from the Speaker, in execution of the sentence pronounced upon him. "Was he to submit in silence to such a sentence, it might imply that he recognized the authority of the House to impose it. "He cannot consent that it shall be thus implied. He considers it a mode of punishment unknown to our laws, and, if not forbidden by the prohibition of the constitution against 'unusual punishments,' yet inconsistent with the spirit of our institutions, and unfit to be inflicted upon a free citizen. "He thinks proper to add, in making this declaration, that he has been unwilling to trouble the House. "That although he believes the whole proceeding against him, as well as the sentence he now objects to, unwarranted by the constitution of his country, yet circumstances may exist to justify or excuse a citizen in deter- mining (as he has done on this occasion) to suffer in silent patience, what- ever the House may think proper to enforce. "Samuel Houston."
PRENTISS TO HOUSTON 1
New York, May 18, 1832.
Gen 1 James 2 Houston My dear Sir I had thee pleasure to address you under date of 4 Inst since which I am without any of your favors- I rejoiced to learn that you are again free and hope the pleas- ure of seeing you soon Before you leave Washington I hope you will learn if any important news come from Mr. Butler 3 in his late dispatches to our Government Where is Mr. Pearse 4 I have expected him Daily for the last two weeks I took the liberty of giving to my friend Egerton:; late of Mexico intro- ductory letter to you Have you seen him If you are not coming soon pray write me and let me know all that is interesting in yours affairs as also of the object of my late letter- J. Prentiss [Endorsed] : Copy to Saml Houston 18 May 1832 1 Prentiss Lette,·s, The University of Texas Library. See Prentiss to Hous- ton, May 4, 1832, note 1. 2 Again Prentiss seems to forget Houston's first name, or it is a mere slip of the pen. The endorsement is to "Sam! Houston," and the letter, beyond doubt, was written to Sam Houston. Prentiss's own name was J nmes. That fact probably accounts for his error. 3 Anthony Butler, Minister to Mexico, 1829-1835. 4 Richard Pearse was consul for the United States to Matamoras, Mexico. See Houston to James Prentiss, April 8, 1832.
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