1'1-5
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1837
it was without ten day's provisions; it had not five hundred efficient arms; it was woefully defective in ammunition-(and I regret to say that the country is without any at this time:) we had to look abroad for our supplies; general discontent prevailed in the army; Our only reliance for the remedy of those evils, was upon the scrip which had been sent to agents of this Government in the United States, to be disposed of: unless the scheme should prove successful, the army must remain destitute, which would soon have led to anarchy and its dissolution. Congress had adjourned; the Executive and his advisers had the country to sustain in the emergency; whatever would go to sustain the finance, or re- sources of the country, it was wisdom and patriotism to promote them. Under the direction of the Government ad interim, the act- ing Paymaster-General had issued upwards of thirty thousand acres of Land Certificates for discharged soldiers. They im- mediately sailed for New Orleans; and, on their arrival there, finding themselves destitute of means, they found persons there already ready to purchase at a great sacrifice. It was sold at twenty cents per acre, and under that price. Speculators soon availed themselves of these facts. When the Scrip of the Government was brought into market at 50 cents per acre, there were always persons who had pur- chased the soldiers' certificates, for a mere nominal amount, who were prepared to speculate upon it at a price from twenty-five to thirty cents per acre, alleging, that it emanated from the Gov- ernment; and that it was equally as good as the scrip of the Government, and rendered it impossible to vend it for cash, or to purchase supplies for the army, without paying from one to two hundred per cent advance for them. Under these circumstances, had no other difficulties presented themselves, it would have been manifest impolicy to have issued the scrip to the soldiers. In auditing their accounts, they have no assurance of what land is due them. No injury can result to the soldier, in not having issued to him, the scrip. Had the Government recalled all its scrip at the time, it would have obviated one manifest reason for not issuing scrip to sol- diers. The danger of depreciating the scrip of the Government would then have ceased, and the soldiers placed on a more re- spectable footing. But there were other difficulties. There was a want of sta- tionary in the country, on which to have printed bank forms.
Powered by FlippingBook