99
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1854
was the recipient of all that was stipulated in the contract with Yucatan. He received all the money, and disbursed it himself. He might have called it his private fortune, for he was the pro- prietor of the navy from 1839 to 1842, when he was dishonorably discharged from the service; but I deny that he performed a day's service under the orders of the Government of Texas, for Texan defense or the vindication of Texan honor. The President ·of Texas, in 1840, entered into a compact with Yucatan, and sub- sidized the navy, and sent this commodore with it, and he remained until some time in 1842, at sea, not fighting the battles of Texas, but fighting in a rebellion between a revolting State, and the Federal Government of Mexico. After he came back, he ran away with the navy again, and returned to his old haunts; but he never struck a blow for Texas, for her liberty, or for her honor, and not one day did he sail to protect her ports; but during two succes- sive invasions of the enemy, he was either at Yucatan or in the port of New Orleans. Of seven very fine vessels, he brought back the Austin and the Wharton, with a wounded man on each, as he said. These are the great trophies of his victories; this the proud history of his triumphs, with the exception of dodging the sixty- two pound shot. He did that, and for that reason alone, I suppose, he is entitled to honorable association with the officers of the American Navy. That should give him an admiral's position, because none of them, from Paul Jones down to the last gallant tar who stood upon an American deck, ever had the dexterity to dodge a sixty-two pound shot. But, sir, there are men in the Texas navy who have merit; there are men connected with that navy who discharged their duty to the last, and showed no disloyalty to the Government, and for them I should be willing to provide. Sir, it was an easy matter to go to the Legislature at that time, and get through resolutions. It was easy to confederate with the court which was ordered, not in accordance with the law. It was a matter of grace with the Executive, to say that a court-martial might be assembled, because that was an ex post facto proceeding. The law had been, that no officer could be tried but by his peers; there was not one commodore; and therefore it was alleged no trial could take place; but he was to roam a pirate of the world, I suppose, without any reprehension, or liability to removal. The President of Texas, in his case, exercised an inherent right, which resides somewhere. There is a remedy to correct vast evils and crimes that are glaring. The President took it upon himself to rebuke this man in a proper manner, and to exercise the power
Powered by FlippingBook