WRITINGS OF SAM· HOUSTON, 1860
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shed to maintain them. The Demons of anarchy must be put down and destroyed. The miserable Demagogues & Traitors of the land, must be silenced, and set at naught. Write to me and tell me all the news. I wish you to write to Cousin Mart Lea, at Bay Town, Harris County, Texas, and beg of him never to drink another drop of liquor. You can write to him as a friend and relative, and as one for whom you feel great affection, and say to him that you wish to go to see him, & that you felt sure that if I should hear that he drank a drop, that I would not let you go down to stay with him. Urge him by any and every reason that you can think of, or that you may think fit. Don't let him know that I have given you a hint to do so. Now, my Dear Son, don't fail to write to him. I will write to you whenever I can, and do you write often. Thy father, Sam Houston. Sam Houston, Jr.
1 Jfouston Letters (Domestic Correspondence), Texas State Library.
To CLEMENT R. JoHNs 1 Executive Department, Austin, Texas, Nov. 7th, 1860.
Hon. Clement R. Johns, State Comptroller Sir: Herewith I return the bond presented by you as Comp- troller, with my reason for declining to receive the same. In compliance with your request, made through Mr. Bud Hol- land, Chief Clerk in the Office of the Secretary of State, a few weeks since, I stated that all I desired was that your bond should be made in compliance with law, and in response to your direct inquiry as to what I would require in regard to the securities, I replied that they should be perfectly solvent and that they should be vouched for in the usual form, suggesting the certificate of the Chief Justice or County Clerk. The paper presented by you purports to be signed by certain parties residing in another County. Their signatures are neither witnessed by any party or authenticated by any officer of the law, as known to the Executive. Nor is any certificate appended show- ing the financial worth or solvency of the parties. They may be perfectly sufficient, but the Executive has no evidence of the fact. Your certificate as Comptroller, that these parties pny taxes on $171,441.00 of property proves nothing. They may owe more than that amount, or their property may be so encumbered that noth- ing can be made of it. Leaving out the propriety of permitting
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