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299
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1838
TO THE TEXAS CONGRESS 1
Executive Department of Texas, City of Houston, Nov. 19, 1838. To the Honora.ble Congress: GENTLEMEN-The resolutions of the honorable Congress touching Indian relations, and the copy of a letter from Maj. Gen. T. J. Rusk to Brig. Gen Mosely Baker, have been presented to the Executive, and would have been answered ere this time, had it not been that he entertained a hope that some more satis- factory information would arrive from the East, than any that had yet been received. On the subject of running the line be- tween the whites and the Indians, the Executive has no official notice that the work has ·been completed. A copy of a communi- cation, to Maj. Gen. T. J. Rusk,~ and one to Col. Alexander Horton,:!! will convey to the Honorable Congress information as to the course adopted by the Executive. And he will state the grounds upon which he believed he had the competency to do it. The accompanying documents not before referred to in this com- munication contain most of the data on which the Indian claims to land are predicated. It is worthy of remark, that as early as the convention which met at San Felipe as early as 1832, 3 the subject of Indian claims to land was referred to a committee of that body, a report made by the Hon. Chas. Taylor, chairman of the committee, in which the Indian right to land was recog- nized, and the report was received and sanctioned by that body. We find again, that in 1833, in the month of April, a convention was held at San Felipe for the purpose of forming a constitution for a state government separate from Coahuila, and that when the constitution was formed, a committee was appointed for the purpose of drafting a memorial of which the Hon. David G. Burnet was chairman. The memorial embraces .the report pre- viously made by the Hon. Charles S. Taylor, literally, and when it was reported to the House, the convention unanimously adopted the memorial which was sent with the constitution framed by Col. Stephen F. Austin to the city of Mexico, and submitted to the federal congress. It will be perceived that by a copy of the treaty contained in the accompanying pamphlet, which was made agreeably to the preliminary action of the government of Texas, that running the line was stipulated, and at this time its execu- tion has been considered all important.-• If ever prompt action has been necessary for the salvation of T'exas, it is necessary at this time to tranquilize and conciliate the tribes yet friendly on
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