WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
133
To MESSRS. H. C. PEDIGO AND OTHERS 1 Executive Department, Austin, September 4, 1860. Messrs. H. C. Pedigo, H. Hough, R. S. Holland, James Barclay and Others. Gentlemen : Your petition urging me to take steps for the pro- tection of the Alabama Indians against violence, has been received. Allow me in reply to say that I have in response to your call adopted such means as will secure those poor creatures, now dependent upon our humanity, from harm: and I solicit at your hands as well as all the good citizens of Tyler County, hearty cooperation. Sam Houston.
1 Exec.utive Records, 1859-1861, p. 219, Texas State Library.
To SAMUEL A. BLA1N 1
Austin, September 4, 1860. My Dear Blain, I thank you for your letter, and the informa- tion it contains. I was somewhat surprised at Rector's expres- sions, but I need not have been had I reflected, for he has been long in office, & by his time-serving character, he has had things all his own way, and his Cousin Johnson Senator, who lives in Jacob Thompson's family in Washington City has a strong in- fluence; so you can see how matters are. For more than thirty years Rector has pretended to be my devoted friend. It was all pretense, no doubt, and now he supposes I cannot expose public delinquents & peculators. I can, and will reach him, if I live. So let him rest. I regret extremely that you have resigned, but of this. you are the best judge. You are too frank and honest to hold office in this corrupt age. There is no place here vacant that you would have, or rather, there is no place vacant at all. The salaries here are low, and living is high. If anything can be done for you by me, I will faithfully and cordially perform it. I will be rejoiced to see you, and hear and learn from your own lips everything touching your matters, and the conditions touching the Indians, as well as of the affairs of the Superin- tendency at Fort Smith. Write to me, I will on tomorrow write to Mr. Jacob Thompson, and tell him not to accept your resigna- tion. This I will do, for Johnson assures me that Texas should
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