WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1858
166
agent's graduation is only a little better than that of a dog. Any man who would respond in such a manner to an officer of the Government who had called on him for a necessary and useful purpose, would have a pen dashed through his name; and if I had power, he should not hold his position for a moment. I would rebuke him, and I would never rescind my order of degradation. The army complain there that they are not going to be a frontier police. A man who would act in this manner is not fit to head a gang of scavengers on this avenue. That would be an elevation to the man-much more than he deserves. What, taunt an officer of the Government by saying "I will do as I please; break up the Indians; disappoint the objects of the Government; abandon the reserve; and if you want protection, go to the fort!" Our rangers have protected us, and the Government owes us $80,0000 for giv- ing protection to its posts in Texas. Their regulars cannot pro- tect themselves, except by shutting their gates and keeping the Indians out. When it was reported that the Indians were coming down in large bodies, another appeal was made. These Indians were the same that Ford has lately whipped. They could not get a supply of provisions for a long time. I do not know that they wanted them, for their supplies are very precarious until they reach Texas, and then they help themselves out of the herds of Texas. This Mr. Evans says to Mr. Leeper, that if the wild Indians were actually fighting on the reserve, and he could get reliable in- formation of the fact, he would then send troops. If they were fighting, and had twelve miles to send them, I should think the fight would be over before they traversed the twelve miles. In- fantry march rather slowly, and they would not be disposed to hasten much if they expected a conflict with the Indians when they got to the end of their journey. They would be very apt to get lost, and find their way back to the fort again. [Laughter] Sir, I desire the Texas agents to be made permanent, as other agents are. They are now special agents, and are not confirmed by the Senate, as other agents are. It is degrading them ; it is treating them as if you had given special favors to them which they were not entitled to, not placing them on a footing with other men occupying the same relations to the Government that · they do. That is one object of my amendment. The other object is, to have this reserve-which lies upon our borders, which is on two sides surrounded by our territory, which is separated only
' t i I 'l
I, I
Powered by FlippingBook