WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1847
538
"That the old division, as established by Mr. Calhoun as Secre- tary of War, extending from Florida Point to the Southern extremity of Lake Michigan, has been restored, and General Gaines been put in command, and orders to take up his quarters at Fort Jesup, who will receive similar orders, as to any demon- stration by land, to those given to the naval commander as to a demonstration by sea; and that he and the charge d'affaires will keep up an active correspondence with the President of Texas, and if they should receive any communication from him which he conceives threatens any serious intention upon the part of Mexico to invade Texas by land, they or either of them shall forthwith despatch the same to Washington city by express. That the President will, in that event, send a message to Congress, informing them of the fact, and request Congress to adopt, as speedily as possible, such measures as may be necessary for the defence of Texas; and if the emergency should require it, to say in his message, that he would, in the meantime, consider it his duty to defend Texas agairist every aggression, and will ac- cordingly do so." After the treaty was rejected, assurances were given to Texas that no material change should be made in the orders to the com- manders of sea and land forces, except that they should no longer correspond with the President of Texas, except through the United States charge d'affaires. In accordance with these assurances, Texas had received that protection which good faith required, and without which negotia- tions would not have been opened. He was not going to discuss the constitutionality of these measures; but he would say that the President was pledged to use all the power which the Con- stitution placed in his hands to defend Texas to her boundary line. If it should be pretended that he only intended a constitu- tional exercise of these powers, and that his discretion was to be governed by that, to delude Texas into the belief that assurances were given which were not intended to be performed, it would reflect discredit on the President of the United States. Mr. H. did not believe that the assurances which were given were more than the President had power to give; nor did he mean to reflect on any officer of that Administration, because it was a fair and honest transaction between the two countries. The assurances were renewed, and he was sorry they were not always carried out; for after the treaty was rejected, and Texas was in the worst
Powered by FlippingBook