167
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1850
that he would never again undertake government work among the Indians. While on his way back to San Antonio, in September, 1859, he stopped at Fort Belknap to attend to a final bit of business concerning the Indians, and thel'e he was killed, September 14, 1859, by a white man named Cornett, the brother-in-law of one Patrick Murphy, an ill-tempered, disgruntled Irishman, who had lost some horses that were later found to be on an Indian reservation. Neighbors had taken the Indians' part in the controversy, rather, he had demanded that the affair should be settled justly after a proper investigation. Cornett shot him in the back with a load of buck- shot; he died instantly. Thus he paid with his life for his loyalty and justice to the Indians. He was buried in the civil cemetery at Fort Belknap, and his grave is now unknown. On July 15, 1851, while he was making his campaign for a seat in the state House of Representatives, Robert S. Neighbors was married to Eliza- beth Ann Mays of Seguin. At the time of her marriage she was only eighteen years old, while her husband was thirty-six, just twice her age. They lived in Austin for a few months while Neighbors was in the legis- lature, but they made their permanent home in San Antonio, on Soledad Street, next door to the Methodist Church. Four children were born to them, two sons, and two daughters. One son died in infancy, the other, Ross S. Neighbors was living in 1938, at San Antonio. Robert S. Neighbors was a. Mason, and at his death was affiliated with Alamo Lodge No. 44, A. F. & A. M. Besides the sources indicated throughout this sketch, the following sources have been investigated and used in various statements: Papers on Indian Affairs; Public Debt Papers; Executive Record Books, Nos. 40 and 49, All in Texas State Library. R. B. Marcy, Thfrty Yem·s of Army Life on the, Borde1·; H. H. Bancroft, North ivlexican States and Texas, Vol. II; Homer S. Thrall, A Pfoto,·ial Histo111 of Texas, 595; also, Histo111 of Methodism in Texas, 108-109; A Master's Thesis, by Alice Atkinson Neighbors, "Robert S. Neighbors, his Life and Public Works," in the University of Texas library.
A SPEECH ON THE TEXAS-NEW MEXICO BOUNDARY, JUNE 29, AND JULY 3, 1850 1
Mr. Houston. I shall not vote for the amendment, Sir. I am perfectly willing to concede that orders were given, while we were in a state of war with Mexico, for the occupation of ter- ritories, and perhaps of States, by military forces, and that, of course their people were subjected to martial law. But, at the same time, while I concede that the circumstances of the case fully authorized the occupation of this territory, at that time, by the authorities of the United States, and that it was necessary for the proper conduct of the war against the enemy, I hold that this was not the case in a time of profound peace. During the war, the State authorities were not in a situation to give that security and protection to the citizens that they were previously enabled to do, and which the United States was then bound to do,
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