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WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1844
plea. Statesmen will never call it to their aid. Politicians and Demagogues will always carp upon it. I have felt and yet feel great· solicitude for our fate. The crisis to Texas is everything. To the United States it is worth its Union. My toil has constantly been for the freedom and happi- ness of mankind, and if we are annexed I shall hope we have accomplished much, but, if from any cause we should be rejected, we must redouble our energies and the accompanying duplicate will express to you decisively what my purposes are. Texas can become sovereign and independent, ·founded upon her own in- calculable advantages of situation, and sustained by European influences without the slightest compromittal to her nationality. If the present me~sure of annexation should fail entirely, and we are to be thrown back upon our own resources, fix your eye steadily on the salvation of T'exas and pursue the course which I have indicated. I again declare to you that every day which passes only convinces me more clearly that it is the last effort at Annexation that Texas will ever make, nor do I believe that any solicitations or guarantee from the United States would at any future day induce her to consent to the measure. The most careful attention will be rendered to the armament proposed by the Govt. of the U. S. and a direct communication maintained with the Representative Genl. Murphy, with whom I am highly satisfied. This Govt. will be as careful not to permit slight grounds to produce alarm, or call in requisition their forces, as though it had to rely upon its own resources to repel an invading enemy. It is possible that the publications respecting the armistice may have produced some effect in ·washington, therefore it is fit that you should understand the subject explicitly. In the instructions to our Commissioners they were assured that no agreement would have a binding effect until it was referred to the President and had his approval. That approval never has been given to it, nor has any action been taken in conformity with its stipulations. One reason was all sufficient to cause its rejection. Referring to Texas as a Department of Mexico, precluded all possibility of any official transactions under it. The Commissioners were excusable because by signing it they obtained a safe convoy out of the country, which might not have been the case if they had refused their assent to the conditions. They were both well acquainted with the Mexican faith and Mexican perfidy, and would have been unwise to place any
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