WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1844
357
Burleson, in which relations you suggest he must be well known to me, and whether I am opposed to his election. I am not opposed to his election. If I have not been a noisy advocate for his success, it has not been because I did not confide in him. I had confidence in him in the army of 1836 at San- J acinto. As Executive, I appointed him Minister to the U. S. in 1838, I knew him in the Senate for two sessions at Austin. When I was elected President and assumed the duties of the office in 1841, I selected him as the first officer of my cabinet. Since then I have been intimately associated with him. He has con- curred in my policy and with distinguished ability he has con- ducted the foreign relations of the govt. and I have confidence that if the choice of the people should devolve the duties of President upon him, he would consult the true interests of the country, and that he would endeavor to carry out the policy which he might conceive would best promote its honor and prosperity. I have arrived at this conclusion from the fact that I know him to be intimately acquainted with the true and abiding in- terests of the people. Sam Houston To Messrs. Black, Ruthven, Hadley, Lubbock, Torrey, Ewing and others. 'From the Collection of Houston Letters at Rice Institute, Houston, Texas. 'The letter of July 25th is in the Rice Institute Collection of Houston's letters.
To ZACHARY TAYLOR 1
Private
Washington, August 6th, 1844. My dear General, The despatches which you will receive (some of which you will transmit to Washington) are of a very interesting character. I regret that, if emergency should require action, the troops under your command should be compelled to await orders from Washington. I did not so apprehend the regulation when a copy of the treaty was sent to me. Should disaster. befall the country, I shall not fail to satisfy myself in the assurance that I did not misapprehend the pledge of the government of the United States, that the President of Texas should at any time
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