318
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1839
intentional corruption. He only intended to say that they had been deceived; yes, absolute!y gullecl into the vote they had given upon the removal of the seat of government. . The gentleman from Brazoria 0 had gone into a lengthy argu- ment to show that it would be impolitic and inexpedient, to leave this question to a vote of the people.-But the gentleman's argu- ment had not convinced him of the inexpediency of the measure. He thought the people might be trusted in a measure where they were so immediately concerned; and if they were disposed to have the seat of government at Austin, he would acquiesce in their decision. But the gentleman from Brazoria had touched one subject, which though not connected with the removal of the seat of gov- ernment, had incidently found its way into the debate. It was a subject upon which he felt a deep interest, and he was bound to take some notice of his remarks. . In his remarks of yesterday, he had spoke of the removal of the Cherokees, and of the unprotected condition of the eastern part of Texas since their removal. The gentleman had seized upon those remarks, and gone into a severe examination of his whole Indian policy, while filling the executive chair of this re- public. He had drawn a comparison between the Indian policy of the past and present administrations. Mr. Houston did not shrink from the comparison; time would test which was most calculated to promote the interest of the country. But he must say that the Cherokees had been treated with duplicity and fraud; that the government had acted towards them in bad faith, and that the Cherokees had been driven unjustifiably, from their country and their homes. The blood shed on that occasion will not be unavenged ;_and the time is not distant when the Indian war cry shall be heard upon our border, and the country will learn the bad effect of making enemies of tried and faithful friends. But he would not occupy the time of this house by.an examination of the Cherokee campaign. But he would previous to the adjournment of congress, put it in the right place-where it should stick like a blister!!! When he became chairman of a committee at San Felipe, on the state of the republic, he felt it his duty to lay before them the condition of the northern frontier, and recommended friendly relations with all our Indian tribes. For this, imputations had been cast upon him; he had been accused of instigating the con- sultation, a body of fifty men, to adopt the policy recommended
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