WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
240
It may be easily understood what service these bubble banks might perform, or might be expected to perform, in furnish- ing resources of power to the land company, and particularly in a small community like that of Brownsville. No exertion of power, or resort of ingenuity seems to have been left untried by the conspirators to compass their infamous ends. A United States judge was secured as a confederate; attor- neys were imported into the country to give vigor to the spec- ulation; and banks were established to subserve the ends of the conspiracy. All the transactions of different members of the company seem to have been "part of one stupendous whole," banded in one common design of plunder; a rivalry seemed to exist as to who should grasp the larger fortune in the land con- troversies of Texas. To convey some idea of the fearful magnitude of the oper- ations of this land company, I may state that it appears from the action of the Senate of Texas on the subject, that they ex- tended to twenty-four million seven hundred and thirty-one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four acres of land, besides being implicated in the proceeds of other interests of immense value, I shall presently allude to. To give some idea of the confidence which appears to have animated this vast conspiracy, I may here introduce a letter in which Reynolds, one of the principal financial conductors, pro- poses to another member of the conspiracy, to have still an- other judicial district created "in the glorious country their locations covered," and to secure the appointment of a judge there. It seems that these parties were not satisfied with hav- ing enlisted the services of one Federal judge to promote the ends of their conspiracy; they were anxious to perfect their organization by securing the appointment of still another judge in their interest, to share the labors of his honor John Charles Watrous. I read the brief but interesting disclosures made in the letter I have alluded to. Here it is: "Branch of the Commercial and Agricultural Bank of Texas, at Brownsville, Decernber 11, 1850. My Dear Johnson : . . . You have seen the report recently published in the 'Republic' of the glorious country our locations cover. I think you can gain it; and then get a law passed for a new United States dis- trict, and take the appointment. I would go on at the heel of the session, and log roll for you if necessary. J. N. Reynolds."
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