295
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1859
It was its object to deal in fraudulent land certificates, and to sustain these dealings by corrupting and seducing the courts, thus adding crime to crime. It has been seen that the most open propositions or corruption were made, and the traffic was carried on with the direct countenance and assistance of Judge Watrous, whose agent explored the bar-rooms and groggeries of the State for customers. It was its object to co!lceal their operations, and, especially, to remove them from the actions of Texas juries. For this serv- ice it has been shown how the machinery of Judge Watrous's court was employed, and how, in that court, the great suit of Phalen vs. Herman, seeking to substantiate these worthless cer- tificates, was instituted and removed out of the State in less than seventy-two hours, and that done out of term-time. It was its object to plunder private property, and to secme to its members vast bodies of lands in Texas, and to despoil the settlers of their just and hard-earned rights. It was its object to acquire interests in land within the juris- diction of Judge Watrous's court; to further the speculations of the corrupt use of that court; and through its protection to escape responsibility to Texas juries. It was its object to have the Federal court absolutely sub- servient to its designs; and for this purpose servile juries were sought to be selected, and an order made by Judge Watrous to exclude from jury citizens of four counties, which counties em- braced the chief portion of the company's known field of opera- tions. • It was its object to impose upon the courts a forged muniment of title to a vast estate, and to sustain the forgery of perjured and purchased testimony. The whole history of the forged power of attorney is overwhelming in its evidence of the black and redoubled crime of Judge Watrous and his confederates, in seek- ing to sustain a forgery of the most monstrous description, by devices of fraud, by bolder acts of bribery, and, at last, by direct subordination of perjury. It was its object to betray suitors in Judge Watrous's court, by collusion between the court and counsel, and between opposite counsel, and to divide out among themselves the gains. It was its object to oppose all unfriendly parties who attempted to sue in the Federal court, and, through the favor of the judge, to practice revenge upon them, to strip them of their rights, and to mock them.
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