Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/375

 issue involves the fate of nations. Destiny must determine. Its course is only known to the tribunal of Heaven. If experience of the past will authorize speculations of the future, the attitude of Mexico is more "problematical" than that of Texas.

In the war which will be conducted by Texas against Mexico, our incentive will not be a love of conquest; it will be to disarm tyranny of its power. We will make no war upon Mexicans, or their religion. Our efforts shall be made in behalf of the liberties of the people, and directed against the authorities of the country, and against your principles. We will exalt the condition of the people to representative freedom; they shall choose their own rulers; they shall possess their property in peace, and it shall not be taken from them to support an armed soldiery, for the purpose of oppression.

With these principles, we will march across the Rio Grande; and believe me, sir, ere the banner of Mexico shall triumphantly float on the banks of the Sabine, the Texan standard of the single star, borne by the Anglo-Saxon race, shall display its bright folds in liberty's triumph on the Isthmus of Darien.

With the most appropriate consideration, I have the honor to present you my salutation.

To His Excellency,

President of the Republic of Mexico.

We are now obliged to cut short our relation of events in detail, to give a brief account of other more important movements. Confidence began to be restored. One open rebellion against the laws of the country Houston put down by going to the scene, and calling out the militia. When desperadoes found there was a man at the head of affairs, who could not be trifled with, they soon disbanded, and the supremacy of law was again restored. A new set of men were in office—justice was efficiently administered—economy was observed, and although there had been saddled an enormous debt upon the country, which could not be discharged for a long time to come, yet public credit was being restored, and men began to feel proud of their Government.

, April 16, 1844.


 * —Your notes have both reached me, one of the 30th ult., and one of the 1st inst. Today I forward to the State Department all my dispatches.

Colonel Ashbel Smith, our Chargé d'Affaires, writes from Paris, under date 29th February, this important fact: "The French and British Governments have united in a protest to the United States against the annexation of Texas to the