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WRITINGS OF SAl\I HOUSTON, 1842
142
To JOHN G. BERRY 1 Executive Department, City of Houston, August 5th, 1842. John G. Berry Esq., Collector, San Augustine Sir Please pay to the order of A. C. Davidson the Sum of Five hundred clolla.rs Exchequer Bills and this shall be a sufficient voucher for that amount, in the Settlement of your accounts, with the Treasury Department. $ 500 Sam Houston [ Rubric] [Endorsed]: Copy of draft in favour of A. C. Davidson, Col- lector San Augustine Exchequers 1 Comptrolle1-'s Lette1·s, Texas State Library. See Houston to John G. Berry, September 30, 1841. TO RICHARD ROMAN, H. LEDBETTER, AND OTHERS 1 City of Houston, J.Qh. August, 1842. To Messrs. Richard Roman, H. Ledbetter, James D. Owen, A. S. Cunningham, William Van Norman, and John McHenry, Com- mittee: Gentlemen - Your note of the 30th ultimo, accompanied by the proceedings of a public meeting held on the same day, at the town of Victoria, reached me to-day. I avail myself of the earliest moment at my command to respond. To none has the past condition of the Western section of the Republic been a matter of deeper interest and solicitude than to myself. I have not been forgetful of the wants and exposed situation of the Western people; but have always rendered such protection and assistance as my means .and power enabled me. The citizens of the Western frontier, amidst all their difficulties, will surely not expect the performance of impossibilities. My own purse would not sustain, even a single day, a force upon the frontier sufficient to give protection. The Treasury of the gov- ernment is but little more competent to that object. The appro- priation made by the first session of the last Congress would not suffice to sustain a single company upon the border. Under these circumstances, what more could be done than has been done? These circumstances resolved themselves into the only course left to the Executive, and that was to invoke the patriotism and rely • solely upon the aid which the people of the Republic might volun- tarily render. That course was accordingly adopted, and numer-
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