The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-06

page
The President and General Houston.
The Senate, on Saturday last, having taken
up for consideration General CAss's resolution
inslrucling the Committee on Military Affairs
''to inquire into the expediency of prohibiting
by law any officer of the army from assuming
OF exercising, within the limits Of the United
States, any civil power or authority not con
ferred by act Of Congress, and Of providing
an adequate punishment for such offences"
General HoUsToN awaited himself of the occa-
sion to deliver violent TRADE against the Pre-
sdent Of the United States. in the course of
which he said:a
| "Sir, there has been un fortunate prejudice
entertained on the part of the Observation-Disclosures
a commanding general in the field the
Executive of the nation under the Constitution
against the State which have the honor in part
to represent. The people of that State have been
unwarrantably assailed, traduced, and DETAINED
by the present Executive of the nation when u
general in the field"
! In preferring against the PRESIDENT the
grave charge of having ''unwarrantably as
sailed, traduced, and DETAINED" the people,
of Texas, General HoUsToN seems TO have
been fully aware of the responsibility he in
CURED, for he Immediately adds:
''If were not sustained by incontestable autho-
| rity, l would scorn TO impute to any high func-
! tionary of this Government aught that I'M
| worthy Of his station, Of the high position
which he occupies but, in this Gaze, am fully
. sustained in every word say, ] will show by
recourse TO testimony stronger than the mere =
scrtion of political opponent, that will carry
conviction TO the mind of every candid man who
is disposed to canvass discuss truth when it is
! presented TO him"
High-sounding words, these Let us follow
the General, and see how far he makes them
good. He proceeds:
son the 18th Of March, previous to the war with
Mexico, when lac General Tayorl occupied a
position on the banks Of tho Rio Graude, as com
mander of the army Of occupation, and before one
| blow was struck, what docs the Executive say in
reference to the Texans! Not one of them, up to
| that hour, had ever been placed under his COM
nand; and not solitary corps or individual Of
them had he then ever seen ranged under his ban
ner and yet what does he say Of them In re-
ference 10 the critical position of the army, as he
then supposed il to be, he said
"'Under this state of things ] must again and
urgently call your attention to the necessity of
speedily sending recruits 10 this army. :.
. The militia of Texas remote from the Dor.
der that we cannot depend upon their
aid
- Sir he has assumed the responsibility Of de-
flaming the character of men who, to say the least
Of them, had never given the least occasion for
such imputation this-men who would have
rallied TO his standard in a moment, If lac had
{ given tho least intimation 10 theul-rnen who
! . havc par,lled -. III. 81,
their Territory-ncn who. in their recollection of
former deeds, would have offered up libations Of
their hearts blood in vindication Of the honor Of
the flag Of the Union with which they had become
! incorporated, and to which the bright lustre of
. their lone star had been added. Yet he says the
army was in position where IL could not depend
: upon them When, J ask had they eper been inef
o,snf delinquent IN time Of peril recreant IN ne
ho-u Of danger Yet, here a high functionsry Of
9 the Government the head Of it's army, whose
heart ought To have been filed with admiration of
valorous deeds, and ready to award the tribute
that IL due 10 unoonquerable valor. signoise, IN,
1nen Of Ttra, inefficient and unreliable in time of
peril7 Experience had never enabled him to
Judge Of them, and this, then. no manifesto
ton Of prejudicoP
We submit, to borrow General HoUsroS's
own language, 4" to every candid man who is
disposed to canvass OF discuss truth" whether
the General does not here grossly pervert the
language and the meaning Of General TAYLoR2
What General TAYLOR wanted, aud what he
asked for in that despatch, was recruits in the
regular service, TO fill up the regiments in that
service. which were then under his command
Authority had been given to him TO call upon
Texas for volunteers. and the entire correspond
ence shows that the Government expected him
to call upon that State in the first instance. and
in preference to any other He therefore in
formed the Adjutant General that the militia Of
Texas were $50 remote from the border" that
he could not depend upon their aid" Was
this "stiginatizin the men Of Texas as inef-
fcient and unreliable in time of perill' Was
this impugning either their courage or their pa
triotisml Surely not. II was their remoteness
from the border that General TAYLOR assigned
as reason why he could not depend upon their
aid when il might be needed and not any want
of bravery, or willingness to fight the Mexcans.
on their part.
In this conneXion, we may point out an error
of fact which General HousroN has fallen in
| w. ne says, AZ VIII oo SEEN NY reference 10
the extract from his speech last quoted, that,
up To the hour when General TAYLOR wrote
the letter Of which he complains. not one Tex
an chad ever been placed under his General
TArLoR's command; and not solitary
= We quote from the report Of the National In
teiiigsncr Of Monday last