21
WRITINGS OF S.ur HousTON, 1847
the President had not been moved to any initiatory steps. But perhaps he would excuse this apathy on the ground that the ala,r1ning intrigues of England had not then been manifested. This however, I presume he will not assume; because, as a states- man, his forecast ought to have been sufficient to have taught him that Texas could not remain inactive, and that if she met with no encouragement from her most natural friend, the United States, she would look for aid and succor to some other quarter; and any arrangements which she could make would be adverse to the interests of the United States. It is useless to recapitulate the facts and evidence contained in my former communication, nor am I by any means anxious to show that I was in favor of annexation, nor to clear myself of any "doubts" which may exist in the mind of the Ex-President as to the integrity of my purpose. If General Jackson or the Ex-President or any other prominent gentleman in the U. S. distrusted my wishes on the subject of annexation and believed me opposed to it, I certainly accomplished the object which I most sedulously sought. Placed in the position in which I was as Executive of Texas, I believed, as the manifestations given by the legislature and people of Texas were all favorable to annexa- tion, that the object would fail in the United States. So long as Texas was liable to be tantalized in her desires for annexation by the U. S., so long did I conceive the hopes of Texas would be deferred to suit the convenience of politicians. If General Jack- son had entertained no fears as to the success of annexation, and he, with the citizens of the United States, had believed that there was no danger of Texas forming connections with European powers, and especially with England, I doubt much whether, even at this day, Texas would have formed part of the American Union. The Ex-President is surely mistaken when he supposes that Mr. Reily, Charge of Texas, was instructed and did withdraw a prop- osition for annexation. It was Mr. Van Zandt who was in- structed to apprise the government of the United States that the subject of annexation was no longer open to discussion, but it never was officially withdrawn, even by him. The Ex-President appears to be greatly dissatisfied that the Executive of Texas should have "thought proper to exact from an over zealous but devoted friend of the measure" (Mr. Murphy) conditions precedent to sending a minister to the U. S. to negotiate for annexation. Was it the duty of the Executive of Texas to
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