WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1850
183
the bearing which its action would have on the well-being of the Union; the evidences were before him, and he was "conscientiously forced" to abandon his former policy. Where did he get the "evidences"? 'What "forced" him to action? Was it directions from Washington, which embodied the "evidences" that "forced" upon him a change of policy? Yes; and with all, he owed a "sacred duty to the Union." I will read the extract : "Believing, as I am most conscientiously forced to do by the evidences now before me, that the peril to the Union is certain, irn:niinent, and inunecliate, and that it is in our power materially to aid in diverting it, I hold it a sacred duty I owe to the Union, my adopted country, and to myself, to advise the native people of New Mexico that I conceive it to be their cluty, as well as my own, and that of every other American citizen in the territory, to come forward boldly, and at once, and endeavor to sustain the integ'rity of our Union by the formation of a State Constitution and government, with an explicit declaration on the subject of slavery." Previous to writing this article, it avpears that the people hacl been "always," and conscientiously, opposed to the State gov- eniment, as disaclvanta,geous to them; but now the conservative principle of the Administration calls upon them to take decisive measures, which they ce1·tainly have clone, as fa.1· as they were able. The Executive is not here directly charged, but the Adminis- tration is, and whatever has been done amiss the President is responsible for. He has attempted to trample down the rights of a sovereign State, and thus by military power to vindicate the wrongs inflicted. The outrage upon Texas has been enforced by military POWER, contrary to the authority of the Constitution. Is this military power a portion of the "sovereign power" which we hear spoken of? I hope, sir, that it is not becoming a favored principle at the \1/hite House. If it is, not only Texas, but every State in the Union, may tremble for her rights and her institu- tions. In March last, by order of the President, the Adjutant-General referred him to the instructions given to General Riley, unde1· date 26th June, 1849, in which this remarkable expression ap- pears: "Such regulations must necessarily be temporary, as they are presumed to be voluntary, and designed to meet emergencies and difficulties which the sove1·eig-n power will take the earliest
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