532
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1842
brigade-your brigade is in the field, and you have the orders of the President. Thine truly, Sam Houston. 1 Executive Reco1·d Book, No. 40, p. 72, Texas State Library. To A. D. COOMBS AND N. H. WATRoust Executive Department, ·city of Houston, March 24, 1842. To Messrs. A. D. Coombs and N. H. Watrous, Esquires: Gentlemen:- I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt through you, of the copy of the proceedings of a public meeting of the citizens of Travis county, held at the city of Austin, on the 16h. and 17h. instant, on the subject of an order issued by me to Col. G. W. Hockley, Secretary of War and Navy, for the removal of the national archives from the frontier to a place of security; and also a remonstrance from the citizens composing the meeting, against their removal, and requesting the Executive "to countermand the order and permit the archives to remain at the present seat of Government." From all the information received, I am fully impressed with the conviction that Mexico is making preparations for carrying on a war for the subjugation of Texas; and, although the party which took and plundered San Antonio have fallen back, that is only for the purpose of uniting with the forces now upon the Rio Grande. At what moment the threatened invasion may be at- tempted, I have no means of knowing; nor can it be calculated upon with any certainty. It is indeed true that the immediate cause which induced the order for the removal of the archives, has for the time ceased to exist; but there is no assurance that it may not be renewed in a more formidable shape at an early period. The Executive is exerting, and will continue to exert, all his ability and to em- ploy all the means at his disposal to meet and repel any intended hostile aggression by Mexico upon the soil of Texas, and to sus- tain and protect the Southwestern frontier. For this purpose it is necessary that he should be for the present at a point where he can communicate with every part of the country, and with the city of New Orleans, promptly. It is also desirable that he should have with him his cabinet and other functionaries with the neces- sary papers for the despatch of business. Austin, situated at a point remote from the sea-board and al-
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