The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume IV, part 1

'74

TEXAS STATE L11.1R.\RY

insulted and fled for safety; the main trial strain was then to be made, th~ last Congress was about to convene before his term expired; the Congress however, did not take the hint, and he dare not press the question His time expired without his being ahle to accomplish his indian project which to hirn, was paramou11t to all other considerations Not that his philanthopy prompted him to promote the interests of the children of the forest; but under that guise to gain a fair starting point for the furtherance of his own quixotic and ambitious projects. Genl. Lamar as is well known, succeeded him in the Presidency; who not having the fear of old Sam before his eyes; but instigated by a proper S!\nse of duty ordered out an expe(!ition agaiust his murderous Cherokees and at once swept them out of the Country stock and fluke In which expedition his favorite chief (The Bowl) was killed, whose loss he much regretted as he understood his cue, !llHl pla_wd secon fiddle well, and whose loss was not easily supplied. Bustamenta was now in power in Mexico, who entertained no thought· of subjugating Texas; and old Sams pets expunged; duriug this administration we enjoyed peace and prosperity. It might naturally enough be supposed, that so many defeats, would tire the patience of our hero and that he would abandon his favorite indian project, the accomplishment of which, would now seem hopeless. The reverse will however prove true as the sequel will shew From some one of the Counties he was elected a member to the popular branch of our Congress, which position he occupied until he again became eligible by the constitution to be elected President. It would naturally be supposed that this patriot, this hero, this great statesman, would now be found industriously employed in his endeavors to establish the grand land marks of some sure and well known system of general policy by which the legislation of the Country should be conducted, and which would be <'alculated in its final results to be productive_ of general good to the commonwealth Still in pursuit of his own interest, to the neglect of all others, and compelled to chase the buble popularity, to climb again into power, his general course was the noncomittal. Too self important to stoop to the drudgery of com- mon business, he devised only the ways and means to protect from assault his own imaginary interests To do this successfully without creating suspicion, he assumed his usual garb of patriotism and in- tegrity. Under this guise he so completely mystified his true objects by his legislative quackery, keeping his true intentions, as he now does, in the dark, so that the Congress and unsuspecting people were com- pletely lost in the fog where they remain unto this day It is a maxim well known that guilt is afraid of light; it considers darkness as a natural shelter, and makes night the confidant of those actions which cannot be trusted to the tell tale day. This noxious and offensive serpent who can now only be traced by hi,- foul stench and slime de- posited wake; and to do which, without the hazard of being parallyzed by the poisonous affluvia will require the breast plate of truth and shield of integrity Thus armed capapie I will fearlessly trace this noxious animal through his legi,-lative ciuackery, his layrinthian mazes of low cunning and sophisticated diplomacy and prove clearly that sordid ambition, can stoop to creep as well as soar. The only measure got up by him, and the only one which was prosecuted by him with any energy, as is well known and the journals will prove, was his famous cherokee bill. Having for its caption (originally) A bill to

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