WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1843
173
such as you occupy, there is nothing so essential in giving efficiency to great usefulness. Indeed, combined with your intelligence, everything needful to your station and usefulness can be ac- complished for your government and the Indians. The disposition which you express and the earnestness, which you have rendered, of giving peace, to our frontier, are ex- tremely grateful to me-nor will I fail to appreciate it properly. I thank you for your suggestions, and will endeavor to profit by them. I will be enabled to send a Commissioner to the Grand Council in the Cherokee nation. I would send more, but our pecuniary circumstances are so embarrassed that I am unable to command the means to accomplish purposes almost indis- pensable to our national prosperity; or in gamester's parlance , with a bad hand, " I am compelled to go it alone." I will send a talk to the tribes in the North of our territory, and apprise them of the wishes of our Government, and the advantages to them of peace with us. If it would be convenient for you to return by this point, it would afford me a most gratifying pleasure to see and converse with you upon the subject of the Indian relations of the two countries. By letter it is impossible to communicate with that fulness which is desirable. Our relations once established will be of incalculable benefit to Texas. You will be apprised by the Commissioners of the vie,1,•s and wishes as expressed in my last despatches. It is quite important to have a treaty with some of the tribes, if we cannot have one with all of them. The principal chiefs of those who do attend and treat, should, if possible, come and see me and take my instructions. I will write to them by this express again; and the " talk" which I enclose to you I will hope that you ·will have the goodness to have sent from T'owson to the tribes with whom you may think it will have the best influence. Sam Houston [Rubric] "'Houston's Private Executive Record Book," p. 336, courtesy of Mr. Franklin Williams. ~Pierce l'vlason Butler (April 11, 1798-August 20, 1847), govcrno1· of South Carolina, agent to the Cherokee Indians. After his term as governor was over in 1836, he was appointed agent to the Cherokees, and went on duty at Fort Gibson, whe1·e he remained until 18-16. At the outbreak of the Mexican War, he was elected colonel of the Palmetto
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