WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1847
537
broken off between the United States and Texas, inevitably France and England would regard Texas as compromised to the United States; and it would take much time and care and assiduity to reassure them that Texas would never be treated so scurvily again. It appeared that subsequently instructions were given to the army _and navy; and the officer in command of the land forces, and Captain Connor, who was in command of the navy, did put themselves in correspondence with the Executive of Texas, and maintained it sedulously. They were to be subject to the Presi- dent of Texas, and act at his bidding. If an assurance to that effect had not been given to the President of Texas, he never would ·have sent a minister here, authorized to treat between the two countries on that subject; for it was jeopardizing the national- > ity of Texas. The order was therefore given on the arrival of the Texan minister here, and before opening negotiations for the treaty; and it did not say that the power was to be limited which the President of Texas was to exercise, so far as the army and navy was C(?ncerned; for they were both to be subject to his command; consequently they were both to be employed for the protection of Texas, which was then a foreign country. Texas had then no connexion with the United States; and if Texas, then a foreign country, was entitled to this assistance, without any previous stipulation, surely the President of the United States was justified in employing the army and the navy for that pur- pose, after she had been incorporated into this Union by legisla- tive action. The President, then, stood completely vindicated on this ground, and was not liable to the slightest charge of exceed- ing his power and his duty. But still apprehending that the Government of Texas would not be satisfied, further and more explicit assurances were given by Mr. Calhoun to Messrs. Henderson and Van Zandt to which he would call the attention of the Senate: Verbcll assurances to Messrs Van Zandt and Henderson. by Mr. Calhoun, written down in his presence and read over to him. "A powerful naval force, to consist of ten or twelve vessels, will be ordered to the Gulf of Mexico, the Commander of which, Captain Connor, will, upon any serious demonstration being made by water by Mexico against Texas, inform the Mexican com- mander, that any attack upon Texas will be considered as a ho::;tile act, and the Executive will feel himself bound to use e\·ery means to repel it.
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