WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1842
249
regularly all Texas legislatures, still pressing his claims, memorializing the legislatures, etc. See Petitions and Memo1·fols, Texas State Library. Lamar Papers, III, 212, 144-158, II, 454-455. History of Texas, XIV, 242-243, Lewis Publishing Company, 1895. ~see Winkler (ed.), Secret Jom-,ials of the Senate, etc., 251-254. 0 See Document B, lbicl, 154-157. 7 See Houston to the Governments of Great Britain, France, and the United States, October 15, 1842. 8 The dispatches referred to here are printed in Garrison (ed.), Diplomatic Con·esvonclence of the Re1mblic of Texas, III, 955-1043 passim. TO THE TEXAN CONGRESS 1 Executive Department, Washington, December 23d., 1842. To the Honorable, the Senate and the House of Representatives: The President deems it his imperative duty to inform the Hon- orable Congress, that he has been recently assured that the dif- ferent tribes of Indians have in their possession, as prisoners, no less than eleven Texians, and that they will be brought to the Waco Village at the time set apart for entering into treaty, with the intention and expectation on the part of the Indians to ex- change them for their own people held by us as prisoners, as well as others held by the Lipan and Tancahua tribes. The Executive has ever regarded the reclamation of our pris- oners from the Indians as a matter of the deepest interest not only to their relatives but to every humane and generous heart, and he has also believed that it could never be effected unless peace could be restored and established between the people of Texas and the Indians. The Executive feels confident that the Honorable Congress will not require any incentive that he could offer to induce them to place in his power the means to perform an act so well calculated to fill every humane breast with pleasure and satisfaction. The Indians being apprised that we hold many of their people as prisoners, will be induced to retain ours until they are assured that theirs are all in good faith restored. The President has not the power or means by law, to compel those citizens who hold the Indian prisoners to surrender them to his order, so as to enable him to obtain the restoration of ours to their homes and the country and to give once more to our frontiers peace and tranquility. The passage of a law, with ade- quate penalties, authorizing him to compel all who may refuse to place the prisoners at his disposal, to give them up subject to his order; and also to enable him to employ such person or
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