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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1839
MR. HOUSTON hoped the gentleman would wait till he heard the testimony before he made up his mind. Mr. KAUFMAN thought it a matter of some importance, and that the bill might as well be amended on the first as on the second reading. MR. HOUSTON would not make a speech upon the subject, but would read from the journals of the provisional government to convince the gentlemen that the Commissioners had a right to treat with the Indians. 4 The government not only had the right, but they had acted wisely in delegating this power to the Commissioners. At that time if ten Indian warriors had raised the war whoop between the Neches and the Trinity, it would have depopulated the whole eastern frontier. It was a time when it was necessary to rally to the standard of Texas, the support of all her friends; and if it had been necessary to tranquilize the East, and secure the country to have ceded away double the territory, the country would then have done it without a word. And if they did not intend to ratify their pledges, they were guilty of an act of base- ness, in holding out the idea. But the claim of the Indians to this land did not rest alone upon this pledge and the treaty, as he should endeavor to show at a suitable time. On motion of Mr. Houston, the bill was made the order of the day for to-morrow morning, 11 o'clock. MR. HOUSTON lamented that anything should have occurred in the debate which should give-rise to any unpleasant feeling. This question should be separated from any political feeling, and discussed solely on its own merits. He regretted that his own motives should have been so far misunderstood as to impute to him a design of giving it any thing like a political bearing. He hoped that gentlemen would separate entirely from party feelings, that they might be prepared to give an impartial and an unbiased vote. He at all times eschewed party feelings, and never more than in the discussion of the pres- ent question. For party purposes he should never have introduced this bill; but he believed the claim of the Cherokee to this land was a valid one - he believed the claim of title which they held was com- plete - the land _had never been subject to location, and conse- quently all locations which had been made were illegal. The title of th~ Indians was good, until they were expelled in August last - the land then became the property of the Republic, and
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