WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 184-2
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unless under the auspices of the government. Individuals can- not know the situation of our relations, either foreign or domestic. A campaign may be designed by the government for the purpose of effecting a particular object, for instance a surprise of the enemy. It may require all the resources of the country, the greatest secrecy and that the whole force of the country should be in readiness to act in concert so as to effect the design. If in- dividuals assume the right of projecting campaigns, they are liable not only to thwart the designs of the government, but, by a diversion of a portion of its means, bring on disaster and ensure the greatest calamities to the country. Indeed, it has not been unfrequent upon the frontier to project and conduct cam- paigns without reporting to the proper department any fact or circumstance connected with them from beginning to end. Public stores and muntions of war have also been applied in this way without the sanction or even the knowledge of the government. At the commencement of the present administration, it was the earnest desire of the Executive to be enabled by acts of Congress to maintain a force on the frontier amounting to from one to two hundred men. Could this have been done he remains satisfied and confirmed in the opinion thai the recent calamities and annoy- ances upon our frontier would not have occurred. Less than one fourth of the amount which the incursions of the enemy have cost the country and the frontier citizens would have sus- tained the force requisite. Unless something can be done to pre- vent the system of molestation practised by the enemy, it will cause Texas to subdue herself. If the whole country is to be agitated and called from their homes at the appearance of a few hundred rancheros, who can make a display on our frontier and again recross the Rio Grande, before our citizens have left their homes; a few only having rallied in numbers sufficient to jeopard- ize themselves without effecting any useful object, we can never hope for security to our frontier or tranquility to its citizens. If it is impossible to maintain such a regular force as would be ade- quate with the present means of the government; it is at least within the power of Congress to enact such laws as will compel the requisite number of militia to be furnished by draft from the counties, as will meet the necessities of the frontier. In this way we have the means of giving protection to that interesting por- tion of our countrymen who have adventured to the West and South. And the Executive continues to regard it as he has ever
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