TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
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will be some days longer or I should personally pay my respects to you & solicit your favour a line from you would be most thankfully recd I have the honour to be your Excellencies most Obt. Servt. J D BOYLAN [Aadressed :]. Bis Excellency 111 irabeau B Lamar President of the Republic of Texas Houston [Endorsed:] J D Boylan N. 0. Apl 15-39 Application Naval
No. 1206. THOMAS PRATT TO LAMAR
Houston 17th April 1839
To His Excellency. ?IL B. LAMAR Prest. Rep. Texas. Sm-
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Among the many exercised privilidges of a Texian Citizen is that of a free and respectful communication with the chief magistrate of the Republic, abiding by this prerogative and guided by the rectitude of my intentions, I take the liberty of addressing. your Excellency, upon a subject alike interesting to myself and friends.- On the 10th Inst I addressed you a note respecting my Application (which was on :file in the War office) for a Captaincy in the Cavalry service, your reply was that you were Mt aware I had applied for an appointment,-that you would see the Secy of War and assertain what arrangements were made &C &C- On the 13th your Excellency informed me that you had se[cn the Secretary] of war-and that all the vacancies in the Cavalry had been filled- On the same day I called upon Genl. Johnson the Secy of War ana requested the return of my application, which was handed me by the chief clerk of the Department, and upon examination found that it had been endorsed with the word unworthy written in pencil, breifly legible- Now may it please your Excellency. Not wishing to infringe upon the pri\·iledge I have assumed or to impugn the motives or conduct [of] any officer of this Government I place the following honest-s'imple questions before your Excellency, which I trust will be favored with an explanation- J s the power of Appointments in the Military service vested in the President or in the Secy. of War- If in the Presiaent Were not all the applications that were on file in the ~ar office laid before him for his appointment or rejection- If SO- ~{y Application which has been on :file in the War Office since 23d. ,July '38 must have been presented to your Ex~ellency If presented- Your Excellency must have been aware that I had applied for an Ap11oinlment If the Application wns nol presentea to your Excellency and the Secy. of Wnr not ha\'ing the power of appointment or rejection, then the 01H1orsement mnst hn\·c been executed by some individual who had no right to do so; and my application unjustly withheld from a proper investigation
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