WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1832-1853
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One John Jiams came to Texas in 1824 and settled in Austin's Colony. He was a married man with a wife and one son, John Jiams, Jr. To John Jiams, the elder, this Cedar Point league of land was patented. His wife died in 1833, whereupon he took as a common-law wife one Tabitha Harris, to whom he willed the land before his own death in 1837. But the son by his first marriage laid claim to the land. In the early days of 1840, Houston bought the land from Tabitha Harris, and upon learning that Yates had negotiated with John Jiams, Jr., for the purchase of the same land, wrote the following letter: "Galveston, 26th April, 1840 "Sir-I am informed that you wrote to a man by the name (asumed) of Jiams, that I was sending hands to my place on Cedar Point; and if he wished to resist them he could do so. If this is true or false, I wish to have it placed in your power to avow or disavow the truth or falsehood of the fact. "I am with courtesy your obedt. servt., etc. Sam Houston" "To Mr. Andr. J. Yates, Present" Yates answered courteously, but bought from Jiams and the case went to court. Final decision of the Supreme Court was rendered in Houston's favor, in December, 1848. A complete record of this case is to be found among the William Hale Papers in The University of Texas Library; also in The Texas State Gazette, March 16, 1850. The Gazette gives a complete review, made by the Supreme Court, of the case.
RESOLUTIONS CONCERNING THE MEXICAN WAR, HUNTSVILLE, DECEMBER 25, 1847 1
Wherea.s, By a series of resolutions adopted at a public meeting called at Lexington, Kentucky, on the 13th ult., by the Hon. Henry Clay, the people of the United States are invited to assemble together in their respective communities, to express their views, feelings, and opinions on the subject of war with Mexico;-and Wherea.s we, a portion of the people who reside in a state more immediately interested in the great questions incident to the war, and feel it our duty to express in this public and solemn manner our views, feelings and opinions in relation thereto; Therefore, 1. Resolved, That the present war between our government and Mexico was brought on by the latter country; and that the immediate occasion of hostilities between the two countries arose out of the order of the then Pres1dent of Mexico-Paredes-which was issued in the beginning of the year 1846, directing the Mexi- can army to attack us; that our government, after learning that on the 16th of December, 1845, Mexico had definitely refused to receive our minister, was clearly justified in the order of January 13th, 1846, directing General Taylor to move from Corpus Christi
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