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PAPERS OF MIR.A.BEAU BuoNAI'.A.RTE LAMAR
lieve that this was the shortest eourse to Annexation? And yet it is the only course in which Gen. Houston has travelled. And such a course. How absurd ! How audacious ! How treacherous to his friends, and how treasonable to his country. If feel that I am insult- mg the human understanding by discussing so manifest a derelection of duty-:mch an obvious case of guilt.· It is useless to pile Ossa on ¥elion. If the facts and reasonings already adduced are insufficient to satisfy the reader of the uttel' falsehood of Gen. Houston's declaration, that all this apparent oppo- :ntion to Annexation, was only intended to deceive the British Min- 1ster, I fear that his mind is, upon this question, impervious to truth; and it would be useless to urge upon him any further considerations. If, however, there is a patient examiner of evidence, who is slow in receiving conviction, yet willing, when fairly convinced, to surrender his prejudices and passions to the sacred cause of truth, to him I will address one more argument-or rather I will present some of the past arguments in a new shape, and then leave the matter, in the elegant and perspicuous language of his present Excellency to "its contingen- cies." Let us then, for a little while, suppose General Houston to be arraigned by Capt. Elliot upon the charge of insincerity. Suppose the Minister were to say to him--"Sir, You assured me upon your officia1 honor that you were opposed to the Annexation of Texas to the United States; and you desired me to notify my Government of the fact.-Why then, have you since declared that our correspondence and intercourse upon this subject, was mere "Coquetry" on your part?" Against the depravity implied in this charge, and in the defence of his honor, the General might very justly and triumphantly reply, in the following language. He might say to the Minister-"Sir, You know very well that this declaration was extorted from me by the dangerous position in which I was placed by my fidelity to you. Had I acknowledged to the truth and validity of my pledges to your government, it would have involved me in treason to my own people. To gloss them over, therefore, under the plea of coquetry, was my only alternative. It was not done in malice to you, but in safety to myself. That I have acted in good faith to your Government, you have every reason to believe; and have no testimony to disprove. Did not my Cabinet oppose the Annexation? Did not my Press, my partii::aris, my foreign Ministers, my officers of Government, and all others over whom I had control, do the same. Did I not, under your advice, issue my Proclamation of an Armistice, and send my Commissioners to Mexico. Did I not also cause Dr. Jones to be elected to the Presidency for the a.vowecl purpose of having my p1edges to you, carried out? And has he not done so, to the full extent of his abilities? Did he not furnish you with the basis of the Treaty with Mexico, one· of the Provisions of which expressly denounced Annexation. Did he not de1ay the calling-- of Congress until your return with that Treaty; and as soon as he re- ceived it, did he not issue a Proclamation of an Armistice in which he distinctly indicated his preference of Independence to Annexation. And did I not throughout this period, whi1st the whole country was "clam- orous" for annexation maintain a su1len si1ence, even though strongly aopealed to, by the dying Hero of New Orleans. to come out in favor of it? What stronger proof can you require of my fidelity? I defy
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