57
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1854
"Such a precedent, once established in the case of an officer of Captain Moore's rank in the public service, the Executive conceives would have the immediate tendency to a subversion of all good order and all good government. - Anson Jones." Moore was dishonorably discharged from the service, and the acts set forth in the proclamation were never denied and were undeniable, but still he applied for a court-martial while President Houston was at the head of the Government. Although it was an ex post facto law, and therefore could readily have had no efficiency, President Houston approved the joint resolution to give him a court-martial, knowing that no men on earth could be selected who would not sustain the President in his course, when they saw the letters and correspondence of the Commodore. He was allowed a court-martial. I perceive that in his book, he calls it a packed court of the Executive. The Executive approved the resolution. He cared nothing about it, for he had his own course marked out, and all the courts in the world would not induce him to sanction an illegal act, but he was willing to have an expression of the opinion of a court. Surely Commodore Moore has no reason to find fault with them. He slept with, ate with, drank with, and staid with the president of the court, and a part of the members ; while the president of Texas never spoke to but one of them that he knows of during the time. Certainly he never had had a conversation in relation to the subject with one of them. They did not find Moore guilty of murder, although that he had committed murder was the most self-evident proposition in the world. They found him guilty of disobedience of repeated orders, but fixed no penalty. The President said he cared nothing about it. Now, I ask if the same acts had been committed in any country in Christendom where there is an organized navy, if an officer had committed the same outrages, and violated the laws of his country in such a flagrant manner, would his life have been spared for thirty days after his arrival on land, and after the government laid hands on him? When in the annals of Christendom have such acts of enormity occurred? I have never heard of them. Here was a contumacy unparalleled in history. Here was a total disregard of the interests of the government and the country. In fact, during the administration preceding that of President Houston's the country had been completely demoralized and disorganized. The head of the diplomatic corps abroad controlled that service~
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