WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1855
144
ment, and go so far as to say that they do not fear the result, should soldiers come to fight them." That is all hearsay. It is reported as hearsay, not as being authentic. "The rest of the tribes in this agency are disposed to do right, and many of them at once will unite in exterminating the above bands. Several of them have come voluntarily to me, and stated that, should a force be sent here to chastise these, they will hold themselves in readiness to give any information relative to their locality and movements in their power, and render any assistance that may be required of them." Well, now, when you can divide the Indians in this way and have one party, suppose you were to send two hundi'ed men against hostiles, you could acquire an equal Indian force, so as to countervail them, and the whites would determine at once the preponderance in favor of our Government. Mr. President, I assure you I can not agree to the proposition. Besides, the gen- eral objections which I have to the increase of the army as the policy of the Government, I will say that we have enough in the present force, if properly employed, with the exception of the convoys necessary to the emigrant trains, and it would be very easy to digest a system for that purpose short of the contem- plated three thousand troops. Sir, I discovered furthermore that in the plan suggested the section of the country from which I come is left entirely free from all the influences of its provision and all its benefits. My honorable colleague says that those who are in danger ought to flee for home. I say so too, but I am sure he has not looked into this, and exercised his accustomed sagacity, or he would per- ceive that Texas has not been mentioned in this provision; but it relates to the emigrant routes of California. Texas is to be put out of the way. There is nothing central there-no prepondering political influ- ence there. Texas is neglected. I made a proposition the other day, that if the troops are to be called out, and one-fourth of the money were given to our agent that would be annually expended, I would stake my life upon the event that we should have perfect peace there; and the influence of peace there would radiate to the Pacific. Justice will be done. Their wants will be supplied. We must remember, sir, there is a race of mortals wild, who rove the desert free. They owe no homage to the written rules which men have made; owe no
Powered by FlippingBook