WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1850
186
now it is left without palliation or apology. The comm1ss10ner sent by Texas to Santa Fe was a gentleman of manly and sterling qualities. How did he demean himself"? In a manner becoming the character which he bore, and the interesting mission which he had to execute. He was respected by all, and his mission promised to be successful; and no doubt it would have been so, had not the military power been employed to resist him. That power, united with a clique (to whose character I shall directly advert, in order to show who they are, and what they are; how they got there, and what they are doing there, and what they intend to do, and tlieir object in the formation of a State Gov- ernment), to defeat the object of the commissioner. Yes, sir; this commissioner deported himself as an officer of his Govern- ment, as a soldier, who had passed through Indian trails, endured hardships, borne fatigues, and undergone privations within the territory to which he was then commissioned. He was only zealous to maintain the honor, and uphold the rights of his own State; he was worthy of his position, and most worthily did he conduct himself. I will now give a little insight into the character of those gentlemen who are so busily engaged in carving a new State within the limits of Texas. It is derived from a communication addressed to the editor of the Pennsylvanian, a highly respectable gentleman, and the editor of a highly respectable journal. The writer is from New Mexico, whose name is subject to the call of any gentleman. From the style of his communication, I freely infer that he is a gentleman of some mark and character for intelligence ; and for the purpose of presenting many important facts, I will read the communica- tion: "Messrs. Editors :-As yours is the only sheet which, in its views, approximates near the truth, in relation to a portion of New Mexico claimed by T'exas, I take the liberty, with your permission, of making some statements, which hundreds of American citizens in Santa Fe will at any time verify, and which the future will prove the truth of. "The attempt to form a State Government there had its origin in the ingenuity and self-interest of not over twenty men, all told, each of whom, until the early part of April, had opposed with all his energies the organization of a State Government, and had clamored loudly in public, and in a newspaper which Gov- ernment officers, in Santa Fe, had appeared to have sold, for the continuance of a territorial government. This latter kind
Powered by FlippingBook