[4332) (BURNET Lo SENATE]
Executive Deparlment Columbia Oct. 1836
To The Honble The Senate Gentlemen
In pursuance of the resolulion of the Senate of the l 2Lh instant requiring me to furnish information on divers subjects I have Lhe honor lo remark. That when lhe Government ad interim went into operation the country was in a very deslracted and disorga- nized condition the population al and ajacenl to the theatre of War was broken up and flying before the enemy, and one general scene of confusion and disorder was spread over the settlements of the Brazos and all the region west of it. The newly formed administra- tion was by necessity involved in the common disruption, and subjected to many inconveniences. The translation of the Govt from Washington lo 1-Iarrisburgh was an inseperable consequence of this disaslrous confusion. Immediately sequent to Lhe inauguration of the members of the Executive government on Lhe 19th i\larch George C. Childress Esqr and Roberl Hamilton Esqr were appointed Special agents with plenary powers to open a negociation with the Cabinet at Washington as will appear by document A. hereunto annexed. I would here remark that the members of the present administration and especially myself were very little acquainted with the transactions of the antecedent government; and the general disorders which prevailed at our induction lo office and for a long time subsequent to it prevented our enquiring into the doings of our predecessors as minutely as would have been desirable and perhaps useful to us. The dispersion of papers was incident to the hasty dispersion of the people. The appointment of Messrs. Childress and Hamilton was predicated on the high character and enthusiastic patriotism of the one and the financial experience, the umblemished integrity and the personal wealth and extensive pecuniary connections of the other. We have recievcd no communi- cations from Mr Hamilton. The intelligence imparted by i\lr Childress will be found in the papers marked B. After leaving Washington myself and the cabinet tarried two days at the house of Jared E. Gross on the east side of the Brasos where some business was transacted At this point Thomas J. Green made himself known to the Government. Mr Green actuated no doubt by that philanthropic and chivalrous spriit which has prompted many of the
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