WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1844
301
not permit ourselves to be trifled with, and duped by the United States. But of this subject, as your situation may soon call your attention you will be the best judges. A Diplomatic agent may eat and sleep enough for health, and may drink generously with the Diplomatic agents of other coun- tries, provided, he can induce them to take two glasses to his one. Men are fond to be thought knowing, as well as wise, and when listened to with attention, frequently impart knowledge, at a wine table, which they would not dream of in the forenoon of the day. You can instruct yourselves much by the course intimated. · This letter does not cancel former instructions from the De- partment, but it is designed to meet emergencies which may arise, or remedy those which have already arisen. Having awaited the arrival of your dispatches and there not being time to forward them, and send a reply from the State Department, I have deemed it proper to write you directly by the return Boat, so that you may be ready, in the event of necessity, to take such action as our ~ituation may require, and be prepared for contingencies. Sam Houston To Genl. J. P. Henderson 2 and Hon. Isaac Van Zandt. 3 1 From the Collection of John H. Gundlach, St. Louis, Missouri. Crane, Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston, 359-362. C. E. Lester, Seim Houston and His Republic, 192-197. =see Houston to Henderson, February 10, 1844, this volume. 3 See Volume III, 113.
To WASHINGTON D. MILLER 1
Private
City of Houston, April 16th, 1844. My dear Miller, Your letters to No. 9. have arrived safe, and I thank you for them. Until now I have not written. At home I was much engaged and did not write. I awaited the news after your arrival at the city. On the 1st instant, I left Washington on my way, via this place, to the Trinity, with Mrs. Houston and Sam. When I came here our commissioners were here ; and as nothing satisfactory was done by them, they proceeded no farther, and I returned with them to the Island, where I met Captain Elliot. You will have seen the terms proposed for future negotiations with Mexico, and, of course, I did not accede to them. 2 This was the topic mainly of our conversation, and
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