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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1850
delicacy, of propriety, renders them ever tenacious of the honor of their State and of its citizens. It would have been the duty of the President, too, and the duty of every Senator, to have called me to order if I had violated the rules of decorum. But no one interposed, and hence it may be reasonably supposed that noth- ing was said or done to call forth the resentment of any one. The charges, sir, to which I will now call the attention of the Senate, are embodied in interrogatories propounded by the indi- vidual to whom I allude. After speaking to the editors for some time, he says : "I will for a moment, Messrs. Editors, change the venue from you to the Senator himself, for the purpose of propounding to him a few direct and plain interrogatories, and hope he will favor the public with a distinct answer to each." He then propounds them, proceeding to say: "I ask you, sir, did or did not Mr. Madison, soon after the battle of the 'Horse Shoe,' appoint you to the office of sub-Indian agent for one of the southern tribes?" In answer to that interrogatory, I will say that Mr. Madison did not appoint me. I was appointed under the administration of President Monroe, on the 29th of September, 1817, by Mr. George Graham, acting Secreta1~y of War. His next interrogatory is: "Did or did you not, sir, hold this office until Mr. Monroe came into power, and Mr. Calhoun under him as Secretary of War?" This is a useless question, as it has been already answered, and as it has no bearing on the subject, I was not in office when Mr. Monroe came into power, but was appointed under his Administration. He then proceeds : "And did or did not Mr. Calhoun cause you to be removed from office of sub-Indian agent for malfeasance in office? Mark the word, sir, I say malfeasance not deeming it altogether in good taste to use the term which all are familiar with who are acquainted with the titles of the criminal code. Will you, sir, give direct answer to these interrogatories without reverting to your usual prevarication? The public will be gratified, doubtless, to hear your response." Sir, I was never removed from office. I have taken some trouble-and I have no doubt the clerks thought so-to have the
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