173
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1850
"I have, in consequence, ordered Major Chevallie's command to Saltillo, where it can do less mischief than here, and where its services, moreover, are wanted." "Where their services are wanted"-for what? To "do mis- chief"-that is, to kill more than "one Mexican," I suppose. Is it not strange that he should send these men, whom he is unable to restrain and control in the face of a large army, to a place where there was none to control them and restrain them from outrage on the Mexicans. Were "their services" wanted there for outrage and depredation? or were they sent there with a view of ascertaining whether new temptations would inspire them with a stronger sense of duty? "The constant recurrence of such atrocities, which I have been reluctant to report to the department, is my motive for requesting that no 11w1·e troops may be sent to this colu.:nin f?·oni the State of Texas." "No more troops from the State of Texas." They had been an incumbrance to him, one would suppose. Yet one of them- the gallant and lamented Walkerz-was mainly instrumental in saving the army from disaster at Palo Alto. And McCullough- who, in the General's report of the battle of Buena Vista, was only mentioned as having done very well-was designated as one of the spies sent on to Encarnation, and was also a Texan. In- stead of saying in that report that McCullough gave him informa- tion at Encarnation which saved the army, he merely remarks' that he was of great service on that occasion-or gave him information which was of great service. Yes, sir, it was McCullough who reconnoitered the enemy's camp, and possessed himself of the first information of the advance of Santa Anna, and thus in time enabled our troops to fall back from Agua Nueva to Buena Vista, where the gallant defence was made. Well, sir, does not all this look like a strong prejudice against the Texans? Would it not, from the evidence I have produced, seem most unavoidably to be deduced that this prejudice existed even before he had any experience as to the character of her soldiery, and that it only increased with the services rendered by them to the Government and to the army? And, sir, are we now to have visited upon us further consequences resulting from that prejudice? Is the State of Texas, as a sovereignty, to succumb to the degradation of an infringement on her rights, on the sub- version of her authority, and the infraction of her territorial limits? And is it expected 1 that we are to submit calmly to the
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