17
WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1860
Department for arms, as well as for an organized and efficient force for the protection of our frontier. It affords me pleasure to say that you have given abundant evidence of your desire to succor Texas in this her time of need, as your late recommenda- tions to Congress testify; but there still seems to be a suspicion in the minds of some that Texas has a covert design upon Mexico, and the same has been used as a pretext for not authorizing the raising of an adequate force. The disposition of the troops asked for, as set forth in my former communication, as well as my assurance to the Department, I had hoped would have set at rest all such apprehensions in the mind of the intelligent. I have never yet stooped so far as to substitute a pretext for a manly action. If any yet entertain such suspicion it is a matter of sincere regret to me. The facts reported by the citizens west of San Antonio in authentic form assure the Executive that Indians domicilated in Mexico, the Muscaleras and Lipans, have but recently crossed into Texas, and besides stealing a number of horses, murdered no less than four of our citizens. They were pursued on their flight across the Rio Grande. This surely furnishes a just cause of pursuit of them into Mexico and their punishing them; and should the Mexican authorities declare their inability to repress such outrages upon our people, it would be our duty as well as our right under the law of nations, to hold the country until we had an assurance that similar wrongs would not be inflicted. Yet in the face of these things, as well as those which have occurred in the past few months upon the Rio Grande, the executive has defered to the federal authority, neither seeking a pretext nor availing himself of a right to invade Mexico. The department must be aware that the executive of Texas has sought to avert the storm by every possible means, and if possible prevent the necessity for an invasion of Mexico to obtain reclamation for the many wrongs that country has inflicted upon us. He desires to see the honor of our country maintained in a legitimate manner by the government, and at the same time to visit alone upon the bandits who have annoyed us the punishment they deserve, leaving the unoffending inhabitants secure in their persons and property. But recently it was communicated to him from undoubted sources that a force was assembled near the Rio Grande to invade Mexico. In view of a pendency of a treaty with that government which had been submitted by the President of the Senate, as well as other considerations, he felt it his duty
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