WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860
534
I desire this information before I issue orders for the pur- chase of supplies for Colonel Johnson's Command. Sam Houston.
1 Executive Records, 1859-1861, p. 104, Texas State Library.
PROCLAMATION DECLARING AN EXPEDITION TO MEXICO UNAUTHORIZED, MARCH 21, 1860 1 WHEREAS, It has within the last two days, for the first time come to the knowledge of the Executive, that it is in Contempla- tion by Citizens of this State to invade Mexico in armed bands in Violation of Law; and are now assembling at Gonzales for the purpose of organizing, And Whereas a Treaty recently nego- tiated between the United States and Mexico has been submitted to the United States Senate by the President for ratification and is now under consideration, by which American interest will be protected and American influence extended, all of which will be jeopardized, if not defeated by an unlawful action on the part of Citizens of the Unietd States and the negotiations between the two Countries greatly complicated and embarrassed, and the progress of a Correct policy toward Mexico impeded, without any good resulting to any one; And Whereas, the Services of Five Thousand Texas Volunteers was tendered ·by me to the Secretary of War on the Eighth day of the present month in order to enable the Government "to extend to Texas the imme- diate protection desired." And also making a call for arms, to which no answer has been received, but is daily expected, When if the Tender is accepted, those engaged in unauthorized expe- ditions would not be received into the Service of the United States and their movements at this time are calculated to excite erroneous impressions as to the designs of Texas, and Thus defeat the Call. Now, Therefore, I Sam Houston, Governor ·of the State of Texas, do hereby declare, That the Said expedition and Contem- plated invasion of Mexico is not authorized by the Executive; but is discountenanced and ~proclaimed as illegal. The Federal Government having assured the Executive that Troops will be placed upon the Rio Grande to prevent the inva- sion of Texas, and the Same being on the march, and the Execu- tive having tendered the Federal Government the services of Five Thousand Texas Volunteers, in good faith, for the purposes of defence, he feels bound to warn his fello~ Citizens agaisnt
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