WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
123
To vVILLIAM s. TAYL0R 1 Executive Department, Austin, August 20, 1860.
Mr. W. S. Taylor, Dear Sir: Your letter of the 12th has this moment reached me. Replying, I would say that Congress has no power over the subject of slavery. The Territories are but the creatures of Con- gress, and Congress having no power to legislate upon the subject of slavery, it cannot invest the territories with that which it does not itself possess. A territory can exercise no power whatever in relation to slavery. A State, only, has the power to establish or abolish it. This is the true Democratic creed, as I understand it, on this subject. A territory in convention, preparatory to becoming a State, can by their constitution say whether they will or will not ~ave slavery. This is the whole sum of the matter. Very truly yours, Sam Houston. 1 The True Issue, September 20, 1860. William S. Taylor came to Texas in 1830. In August, 1831, he received his headright of land in Austin's colony, in what is now Lavaca County. Comp- trollers' Military Service Record, No. 1441, shows that he joined the Texan army on October 17, 1835, as a private in Captain John Bradley's company. He was discharged, December 23, 1835, but was reenlisted, March 12, 1836, and served in the commands of Captains William Ware, and William H. Smith, and Jobe Collard. He participated in the battle of San Jacinto. He was under the command of Colonel Sidney Sherman in the skirmish of April 20, but was with Captain William H. Smith on the 21st. He received his honorable discharge, June 12, 1836. See Dixon and Kemp, The He,·oes of San Jacinto, 331-332.
To WILLIAM C. DALRYMPLE 1 Executive Department, Austin, August 21, 1860.
Captain William C. Dalrymple, Commanding Texas Rangers. Sir: I have received dispatches from Colonel Johnson, inform- ing me that he had ordered you back to your old station on the Witchita. Previous to receiving this information I had ordered him (and had dispatched the order), to form a battalion of your company and that of Captain Burleson, hold an election for Major and order the Battalion upon an extended scout South and West from Radsminski, thence into the settlements to Fort Mason, and there await further orders.
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