470
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 184-2
policy has been established and pursued successfully by England, since the settlement of America. It has also been adopted by the United States, and continued with general success, by the late illustrious father of Texas-Stephen F. Austin. Had not this policy been pursued by the first colonists, our country would at this day have possessed a far less population than it does- if, indeed, it had not remained a wilderness. The amount actually necessary to maintain peace on our borders need not exceed a sum of twenty thousand dollars, for the first year, and to be diminished each succeeding year. So soon as we could form treaties with the Indians of the prairies, and establish with them a trade, we need not apprehend any serious difficulties. We could furnish them a market for their horses and mules, which they obtain in vast numbers on the Rio Grande, and for which they have no market within a shorter distance than Red River. They could obtain from us in return, articles to supply their wants; and would soon learn to regard us as valuable friends; because from us they could receive com- forts and supplies not otherwise accessible to them. They are rational beings, and would perceive at once that a peaceful inter- course maintained with Texians, would be of greater advantage to them than all the horses they could deprive us of, by their in- cursions made upon our frontier, with hazard to them as well as injury to our population. The fact of their maintenance of peace with Coffee, at his trading house, established on Red River, re- mote from all settlements, cannot but be regarded as evidence that the Indians are either controlled by a sense of treaty obiiga- tions, or that interest produces a result equally desirable. The policy of "extermination" by war has proved so perfect a failure, that I presume it will find but few advocates who have perceived the disasters and expense incident to the attempt, since the declaration was made. One million [dollars] of money would not meet the debt incurred by it. The loss of life as well as our people now prisoners among the Indians, are conclusive to my mind, that no other course than that I recommend, even though we had millions of money to expe~d, would prove useful in the attainment of peace and security to our frontier inhabitants. By keeping up hostilities, T'exas will gain nothing. By peace, we can realize the most de~irable_ a~- vantages. If we now obtain prisoners from the Indians, it 1s through the influence and mediation of Col. Coff~e. Wer: we to make peace with them, we would be able to obtam the prison- ers now in their possession-and the maintenance of peace on our
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