Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-01-16
Mn. GARRETT DAyIs's LETTER.

In the preceding columns the reader will find
Letter from the gentleman whose name heads thi
paragraph, the object of which is to correct a
error into which he, with others, has been led b,
such history Of the Texas Revolution as alone ha
hitherto been within their reach.
Nothing in fact could well be more striking
commentary upon the COMMISSIONS, contradictions
and general want of information, amidst which tn
business of Texas " annexation" has proceeded
than the fact stated by SO diligent and capa
BILE as Mr.. DAvIs-the fact that it is only after th
publication of speech laboriousy and ably pre-
pared that he has been able correctly to settle thu
precise terms Of treaty $50 called) ,chich IN
doubtedly should hare been known, at all points
TO all who tapored annexation, or justify the pre-.
sent Uar: for it is chiefly upon the agreement in
question that the President has relied for making
constitutional his acts, as to beginning this war;
Indeed, nothing is more difficult than to recon
cile authorities in this matter, even after one has
been able to find them. President VAN buren,
said, in answer TO the application OF Texas Tor adj
mission into the Union, that, under the circum-
stances at the time Of its being proposed to him,
! it would be stain upon our public character /;
while President Polk now AYERS that it would have
been a stain not to have done it, and not TO have
gone to into the bargain-the measure itself
being all the while one that could not possibly be
any thing but peaceful one.
Again. the annual Executive Message asserts that
the treaty between Texas and Santa Anna, while a
prisoner, was binding upon Mexico and this, al
though its very letter required its confirmation by
the Congress Of Mexico, which confirmation that
body refused. Now, on this very point, we have
the opposite authority Of the late LIFE OF HoUs-
TON" obviously written from materials furnished
by him. In the pages of that work the hero and
President Of Texas is directly at issue with Presi
dent Polk, the book expressly declaring in its ac-
count of this transaction, that the Government Of
Texas Itself released Santa Anna from the compact
by violating the main condition for which he made
it-that of being Immediately set at liberty. In
stead of this, he was seized on board the vessel
that was to carry him back; put in irons, sub
ected to great ndignities and personal danger and
finally sent to the United States, instead Of Mexi-
90. All this is expressly declared, in the following
(p 1917 of Gen. HousToN's views Of the
matter: When Houston was asked what he would
have done in the same circumstances, he said
4 would have regarded the faith Of the nation
under any circumstances, and, before the mob
Gen. t. Green and his soldiers acting under an
order from the Government shouldhave laid hands
on Santa Anna, they should have first drunk my
; blood 1t now became perfectly certain that all
: the hopes of advantage Houston had borrowed
: from the treaty and the release of Santa .4nna
: mere 10 be disappointed. He knew that the only
reliance they had or could have upon his
: gratitude and sense Of honor; and now the
course his enemies had taken had DISSOLVED ALL
HIS OBLIGATIONS"
1t thus appears that President HoUsToN looked
upon The treaty as only the personal engage
rnent of one whose influence would probably be
sufficient to procure its adoption by the Mexican
Congress, if he was at once suffered TO 90 home !;
and that he Gen. H. considered it as entirely dis
soived, even as a personal engagement, by the de-
tention and other treatment Of Santa Anna All
the facts to this matter may be found between
pages 1876 and l3l Of Testers " Sam Houston and
his Republic
Nothing, however, is better settled than that even
sovereign can be in no manner bound by treaty
made with him while prisoner. After the battle OF
Pavia, (about $751; when CHARLES " exlorted from
his captive, FRANCIS |, Instantaneous treaty, all
Europe commended FRANCIS for disavowing and
disregardng it, as soon as released and CHARLES
was held to have got not right, but only shame, by
such dealing with prisoner.
In this country, we may be said to have gone
still further; for, under the Presidency Of Mr.
MADISON, we refused, for year or more, to recog.
Mise Spanish Envoy don OSIs) because his so.
vereign, FERDINAND, was though at large really
under the control and keeping Of the French En-.
peror. When under restraint, his sovereignty was
considered in allegiance, and treated accordingly.
The Washington correspondent Of that leading
Administration paper in New York, the Evening
Post" after noticing the refusal Of the House &c
adopt the recommendation Of the Secretary Of tn,
Treasury to impose tax on tea and coffee, say:
that, at a casual meeting Of majority Of the mem
bers of the Ways and Means Committee, it wa
agreed that the best mode Of supplying the wants
Of the Treasury and Of upholding public credit wa
to prepare bill for imposing direct taxes during
the war upon bank stock, mills. dstilleries, car
riages, plate ewery, and articles Of that description
The writer then proceeds to make the following
remarks, which, Says the Richmond Whig,) ema
mating from such excellent Democratic authority
may be sanctioned by the Wing press without fea
| of tho hanoman