15
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1832-1853
We cannot conclude this hasty notice without recalling an incident con- nected with the liberation of Santa Anna, by General Houston, as an act, in our estimation, which was as honorable to his head as to his hea1·t. When General Lamar was here in 1837, he made an address before a vol- unteer company in Marion, in the course of which he commented with sever- ity amounting almost to bitterness, upon the act of liberating Santa Anna. He declared that he had rather be one of those whose bones were bleaching on the plains of San Antonio than have it said that he had done that deed! While General Houston was painting in such forcible language on Satur- day, the dire consequences which must have followed such a savage act, we could not avoid exclaiming mentally as if personating General H., "I had rather that my bones were whitening on the plains of San Jacinto, than that my hand should be stained with such a bloody deed!" How different the position of General Houston in the eyes of the civilized world, to what it would have been, had the life of General Santa Anna been taken.-Ala. Sta.te Review, September 17, 1845.
To MEMUCAN HuNT 1
Washington City, 6th April, 1846. My dear General, I have only time to thank you for your kind letter. Its contents were very interesting to me, and I am grate- ful for them. I have noted all and will heed them. And while I do this, you will allow me to say to you that Genl. Rusk is most kind to you, and I am assured he will unite in rendering you any service. That was a spree which you were all in at Austin, and if I were you, so far as Genl. Rusk and you are concerned, I really would think no more about it. Rusk is a clever man, and you may rely upon it will act cleverly and patriotically. If I can consistently aid Col. Fisher I will do so, if I should never see him afterwards. As yet nothing has been done in the Indian Department. I doubt not that we will be able to gratify your wishes in relation to the Superintendency of Indian Affairs in Texas, so soon as the place is created by the Government. Write to me when you can and give me the news. I will write but seldom. My mails range from 20 to 30 letters per day on business. It is now one o'clock in the morning and I have just ceased business duties. Sam Houston General M. Hunt.
1 Memucan Hunt Papers, Texas State Library.
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