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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 18~9
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hurculean task which gave to Texas millions of money and re- served to her her public lands. Would that he was here to answer for me! In 1847, Messrs. Wood and Vanzandt were candidates for Governor. They made the issue the sale of the public domain. Gov. Wood advocated a sale of the public domain for ten millions of dollars. The people elected him. That was equivalent to a declaration that the people would take ten millions for it. When Gen. Henderson was sent on to negotiate terms of annexation, the whole of our public domain was offered, if the United States would pay our National debt. Thus stood the matter. When the Compromise measures came up, the Texas delegation occupied a strong position. Upon their decision hung the Compromise. We made our ultimatum and fixed the price at which Texas would sell her Santa Fe territory at ten millions of dollars. We stood firm. Rusk and myself obtained from Mr. Polk the admis- sion that our claims to the Santa Fe territory were just, and although there were rumors that Gen. Scott had been ordered by President Taylor to repair to Santa Fe, we played the part of valorous men, knowing that the people would sustain a sovereign state in resisting federal oppression. We were stern and unyield- ing, and when told that the troops were on their march to the scene of trouble, we told them that we could raise Texians enough to tie them after they got there. We obtained the ten millions of money, and reserved one hundred and eight millions of acres of your public domain. It was to ensure you against taxation, to enable you to secure the navigation of your rivers, and to encourage railroad improvement. It opened out before Texas a career of greatness, if it were properly husbanded. Of this money, five millions were left in the U. S. Treasury to secure the payment of your national debt. In 1854 we secured two mil- lion, five hundred thousand dollars more. This added to the five millions, paid the last cent of the debt of the Republic, and today there is 300 thousand dollars in the U. S. Treasury, coming to Texas which needs but the form of law to have it paid into your treasury. I helped to do this; but when you were giving me such hard licks two years ago did you think of that? Go back to the old Republic; was I faithful there? I left the government prosperous and the people hopeful. Mail communica- tion was kept up. The frontier was quiet. The Indians came down in peace to trade in the city of Houston. The public debt was but two millions. Three years I was out. The people called me when I did not wish to be a candidate, and I was elected.
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