Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/394

 from a dependent condition, or after passing through a system of territorial pupilage that Texas became a sovereign State of this Union? No, sir; when Texas became a member of this Union, she stood upon the earth as one of the great community of nations; she was herself a nation; and that sovereignty as a nation she has merged in this Union, and proudly claims equality with its other members. I will now read an extract from a letter of General Taylor's, dated near Camp Monterey, October 6, 1846: "Sir, I have respectfully to report that the entire force of Texas mounted volunteers has been mustered out of service, and is now returning home by companies. With their departure we may look for a restoration of quiet and order in Monterey, for I regret to report that some shameful atrocities have been perpetrated since the capitulation of the town." What high encomiums are these in acknowledgment of chivalric and valorous deeds; what encouragement to cheer the veteran's heart; what encouragement to offer to the young and ardent patriot! In another extract I find where he says: "'One company of foot volunteers which rendered excellent service in the campaign, is now on their march to Carmargo, there to be mustered out of service.'" From this you would suppose that one company had done all that was commendable on the part of the troops of Texas. Indeed! one solitary company had "rendered excellent service!" The success of their arms, the exertions, the vindication of American honor, at Monterey, I suppose, were all confined to one company of infantry. One company "rendered excellent service!"

In another extract which is under my eye, I discover an admission in favor of the title of Texas by the Commanding General, which does not harmonize well with his recent assumptions, that the territory of Texas does not extend to the Rio Grande. The extract says: "It is deemed necessary to station a small force at Laredo, on the east bank of the Rio Grande, for the purpose of protecting that frontier from Indian depredations, and enabling the Government of Texas to extend its jurisdiction with more facility to that river." The jurisdiction of Texas, under the eye of the General, extended to the Rio Grande; but under the eye of the Executive, Texas has no right on that river. How can this contrariety of opinion be reconciled upon any other ground than that of prejudice and a spirit of persecution. The Executive is seeking to inflict further humiliation upon Texas, by aiming a blow at her State sovereignty; but, sir, this is not all. I will recur again to the slander of her troops, by reading an extract from a letter written at Monterey on the 10th of June, 1847, to the Secretary of War, in which he says: "I have ordered the muster of the company of mounted Texas volunteers alluded to in my letter of June 8th. It is enrolled for the war, and commanded by H. W. Baylor. Major McCullough's company has been discharged, and we have now five companies of Texas horse, the exact number laid down in your memorandum of April 26th.

"I regret to report that many of the twelve months' volunteers, on their route hence, on the lower Rio Grande, have committed extensive depredations and outrages upon the peaceful inhabitants. There is scarcely a form of crime that has not been reported to me as committed by them; but they have passed beyond my reach, and even if they were here it would be found next to impossible