PAPERS OF ll!rRABI~Au Bco:N"APARTE L.nun
9
sistent with law to retain them in service in their present official grades; or to make such other provision for them as your judgment may dictate. · .. There is another class of Officers, to which the undersigned, wquld also beg leave to call the attention of your Excellency. lt'is thafalass which have within a few years past, been dismisse9- :. the. service, · or compelled to leave it in consequence of the disbanding of tl).e,,:, :··•·:-~ . [mutilated] the Navy in ordinary, .and. the impossibilify: of:subsisting them from the depressed state bf the finances of the country:~ '"-These Officers entered our service with the fee'lings nnd viewsS-¢tttertained by those who are yet retained 111 'it; and devoted themselves ,wi.t.h: equal ardor to it, until forced to leave it by the causes abovt:\).rt1e:riti911ed. They left it, however, with the approbation of their Cou1ifry, ,and received from the Government, honorable discharges. They ~are now without employment and some of them in penury and waht; and the undersigned would respectfully recommend them to your Excellency for such appointments in the Navy of the United States as it may be proper for them to receive. The accompanying Llocument from the Navy Department will exhibit the names of such officers as still re- main in the service of Texas, as well as of those persons who have been honorably discharg®, from the same. [Endorsed:] Incomplete petition to Pres. Polk on behalf of officers &c of Texas Navy No. 2194. ELLIOT AND OTHERS IN REGARD TO ANNEX- ATION: ANONYM:OUS 1 [Newspaper Clipping] October 25, 1845 Captain Elliott, the late British }Iinister to Texas, who has been visit- ing our city for some time, has rather less than fair play from the press of the United States and England. We cannot comprehend the short-sighted bigotry which prompted some of our own citizens to op- pose annexation, but national policy made it both natural and proper that England should wish to defeat it. Texas, an independent ally; or Texas, one of the United States, would at no distant day make a vast difference in England's position as a great manufacturing power. She was right as a nation in sending Capt. Elliott to diplomatize against it, and she could not have chosen a better man to get up mystifications and embroilments. Witness his succe8s with opium in China. But she blundered dreadfully for her own interests in not acting upon his advice. And her press is now fretting at the inefficiency and bad faith of Gen. Houston and Dr. Jones. This is unjust. They were loyally English; but they could do notliing but gossip about annexation, be- cause England herself would do nothing but gossip. The Milliner Queen cannot boast of three, more willing servants than Elliott, Houston and Jones; her stupid :Ministers, however, would not strengthen their hands in season. If, as the three gentlemen desired, the British Min- istry had found the wit three years ago to insist upon Mexico recog- nizing the independence of Texas, England lending the embarrassed republic a million sterling to meet pressing wants, she could have staved off annexation and perhaps clividecl the union (her darling plan 'With No. 2204.
Powered by FlippingBook