'WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1857
interchange evidences of regard to one another from personal considerations that would grow between them while associated, and admiration of traits of character that would develop them- selves. Then you would have a congress in every superintendency of the natiori. You would thus do away with the animosity and . hostility of tribes one to another. You would thus, after a while, tranquilize the Indian, deprive him of the excitement of war, and then he would be as docile and tractable as you could desire him to be. You may then direct him in the pathway of peace, and lead him to agriculture. Show him the comfort of having domestic animals around him and their utility; show him a habi- tation for his family to protect it against the storm of the inclem- ent mountains, and you will make that Indian bless the epoch in which he has lived. You will do honor to the American people when you civilize and interpose in behalf of the Indians to redeem an almost extinguished race, and you will render not only to ·society and to earth a blessing, but you will bespeak some con- sciousness that there is a divinity that stirs within us. 1 Congressional Globe, Part 1, 1856-1857, pp. 532, 533, 534. The general subject of discussion was the Indian appropriation bill (see also remarks made January 26, in this volume). Houston made many speeches and wrote several newspaper articles on the injustice to Indians, and the proper method of controlling them. For enumeration of some of these speeches and articles, see this volume, page ·-·• note 2. CONCERNING DESERTIONS IN THE NAVY, FEBRUARY 3, 1857 1 Mr. President, in consequence of a misunderstanding as to the condition in which the resolution was placed the other day, and a mistaken supposition of mine that a gentleman intended to address the Senate, I did not notice that the vote was taken until it was too late, and, by the action of the Senate, the amendment of the Senator from Florida [Mr. Mallory] had been adopted. I did not introduce this resolution for the purpose of obtaining information impertinent to the discharge of our duties. I intro- duced it in order to produce before the Senate information on subjects proper and legitimate for inquiry by the Senate. The object was not to gratify any individual curiosity, but merely to obtain from the proper source such information as I considered necessary to the enlightenment of the Senate in regard to the present condition of the Navy. In the first place, an unusual number of desertions, amounting to one hundred and ninety, took place from one vessel within n.
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