WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1852
the Senate, I will say that many of the evils growing up on the frontier of Texas have been owing to the appointment of agents disqualified in many respects, as I believe, for the discharge of the duties that would devolve upon them, in maintaining the peace of T'exas, and vindicating the rights of its citizens. So long as the agent was continued who occupied that position at the time when the predecessor of the present individual who fills the Executive chair came into power, peace was maintained on our borders. That agent was a man who had been accustomed to frontier life-a man familiar with the Indians and with their habits-a man who would traverse the prairies with them.~ He was the individual who discovered the first route to El Paso from the settlements of Texas, where water and grass could be obtained. He 1·emained their guardian-associated with them. He controlled them, regulated their bad passions, and led them in the paths of peace and quietness. Then our frontier had safety and protection. He was removed-not for cause, but to place an individual there who was sinking under a consumption, and unable to perform any service. An individual was sent there incapable of performing any duty. He never went amongst the Indians. If they came to where he was, he was incapable of transacting any business with them, and finally, under the in- fluence of disease, he passed off. He was a man unacquainted with the habits of the Indians-unacquainted with the means of controlling them. Previous to his removal, and when provision was made for an additional agent, a gentleman was taken from one of the old States, unacquainted with Indian habits, manners, prejudices, feelings, and vices. He was placed there totally ignorant of his duty, and ignorant of what was necessary for an agent to do. 3 He remained there, and men who were capaci- tated, and had been recommended by the people who were di- rectly interested in it, and by their representatives, were excluded from any participation in maintaining peace on our frontier. Individuals were placed there ·who were ignorant of everything that was essential to their qualifications. Here is the evil that has grown up. The national expenditure now in New Mexico, to maintain the troops and give ostensible and nominal defense, is $6,000,000 annually. Have the troops there killed one Indian? Have they made reclamation of one horse? Have they rescued one person, or prevented the taking of one scalp? These are facts which I present. If men who are qualified to discharge the duties of agents-men. who know the habits of Indians; who are familiar with their mode of life; who can
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