American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-10-04


of Houston and Jones to defeat annexation Ills
kipwh that Houston and Jones maze the contract
with Mercer 'May ii not be that the Arrangement
Tor the British capital, about which we nave htaru 80
much in Texas, was contingent on defeating anneAa-
tom" Why should Houston and Jones have Done so
much for Mercer? Wfat had he done 10 justify Their
giving him such a contract, There had oeeh no per
sOnal or political association between them. why
should Houston and Jnnc, make such Counact with
him without authuryut law, and ~ VOCATION "t the
expressed will of Congress. (Or ne Houston, had The
bin in his possession repeating the lG"D
There ~ another t1ct Wh go's tar TO PROVE th't tr
object of the contract was to cnabr Mr. Mercer and ms
dsNor,fifS 10 make speculation; ht schs hh"ICS III
the scheme. Ills tlil: The act authosug tic Prcs
dent maze colonization contracts expressly required
that one trd OF the emgrauts should be introduced
the first year. This contract Wjs 50 modified Is 10
give 10 Nh NJ period Of hv" years. and required !in
10 introduce but one hundred tnmilcE Withn inc ilrSt
year. The law limits the grant to sIN hundred iarnics
The contract would uho.sr the Introduction Of r,c
hundred thousand. He says that during the first year
two hundred families hal been muOducrd ii ms ne
trur and tic contract itl been in conformity with the
law. the whole Number would be- six hundred families
IHIlnG the grants OF land under the contract to lout
hundred and Twenty-Five acres including the WeHlitiin
section. Whereas Tho lm. Oi the contract, apprnpri-
att to the OF Mr. Merger and lis GssocniCS A. Is be
li'vCd some twelve millions utarrcs Now Is SAYING
TOO muvhOt SUCH transaction rs Til, To say IS Il
fraud: Is ii violent presumption to suppose ihat MI
Mercer must have furnished strong temptations to
Houston, and Jones, 10 induce thcm 10 pcrpctIae such
fraud; l. it strOngprsunlpti0u suppose HAT the
object Of the contract was t. ell shares lii England, >
is II not rational to believe that This contract mad It's
influence Mr.. Mercer stimulating him TO the extra
ordinary zeal he manifested in support of Nh Clay =
election! And may il infumi,A key TO unlock much
lEat appears nly,icIaus in The Diplomacy Of Texas:
But SIR. Mercer says that his contract TalC sole
IL with view Of providing lUG the debts OF TcXas.
VINO can believe this: Was it providing for the debts
OF Texas, when liuus ton gave away, without money
and wituHt price, many millions Of tic public land:
h. Nr. Mercer a%1qu0cS the title Of the Act struggled
through the Congress during the winter session Of IA
and -ij, which at the time represented 20 be- re
solution defeat his contract but winch from the use
now made Of It. intended as legislative sanction
OF il. Showing that tine parties implicated cndGav0rCd
TO cEaIr one fraud, by practising Il fraud upon The
that effort to obtain iudilia examination of the
contract defeated by Executive influence acting on
the Senate az the last moment OF the session.
In further proof OF what have said, refer 10 the
proceedings in die Convention held TO organize state
government. one of the general provisions of the con-
sthon, aunU. and Vacate@ all colonization contracts
made by President IioH>ton securing hc rights o. ac
tua settlers aHi opening the court" 10 the contractors:
who are to the Stat for indemnity for The loss
of their contracts. This general provision indicates too
clearly the impression OF the Tcyan Convention in re
lation to IioustOu's contracts. And have doubt
that The provision adopted rs the shortest ana best
way get rid of Mr. Mercer and his contract and com
pei him and his GSSOcirteS TO look to Texas jury ''i
stead Of British abot IuS," for the contamination of
I their speculation.
have been thus particular in stating the law, and
appeal upon the law, and facts To the good
and moral sentiment oI the pnbIic,Whcher the trans
action does not bear ON lis fac" and front, resIsess
evidence OF fraudulent character.
h., Most respectfully, BRANCH T. ARCHER.
Cuy Of Washington, Sept. lHh, 1915. 1t