Washington telegraph., 1850-05-01
DEAF s NTH,
THE CELEBRATED TEXAN SPY.

THE CELEBRATED TEXAN SPY.
About two years after the Texan revo-
luton, difficulty occurred between the
new government and portion OF the
people, which threatened the most seri-
Gus consequences even the bloodshed
and horrors of civil war. Briefly, the
cause was this: The constitution had fixed
the city of Austin as the permanent
capitol, where the public archives were
to be kept, with the reservation, however,
of power in the president to order their
temporary removal in case of danger from
the inroads of foreign enemy. or the
force of a sudden insurrection.
Conceiving that the exceptional emer
gency had arrived, as the Camanches
frequently committed ravages within sight
of the capitol itself, Houston, who then
resided at Washington, on the Brazos,
dispatched an order commanding his sub
ordinate functionarles to send the State
records to the latter place, which he de-
clafed to be, pro ten1pore, the seat of gov
ernment.
1t is impossible to describe the stormy
excitement which the promulgation of
this fiat raised in Austin. The keepers
of hotels, boardng-houses, groceries and
faro-banks, were thunderstruck, maddened
to frenzy; for the measure would be
death-blow to their prosperity in business;
and, accordingly, they determined at
ouce 20 take the necessary steps to avert
the danger. by opposing the execution
of Houston's mandate. They called
mass meeting of the citizens and farmers
of the circurnj accent country, who were
all more or less interested in the question;
and after many fiery speeches against the
asserted tyranny of the administration, it
was unanimously resolved to prevent the
removal of the archeves by open and
armed resistance To that end they or
ganized company of four hundred men,
one moiety of whom, relieving the other
at regular periods of duty. should keep
constant guard around the state-house un-
til the peril passed by. The commander
of this force was one Col. Morton. who
had achieved considerable renown in the
war for independence, and had still more
recently displayed desperate bravery in
two desperate duels, in Solh of which he
had cut his antagonist nearly to pieces
with the bowie knife. Indeed, from the
notoriety of his character, for revenge, as
we'll as courage, it was thought that Pres
ident Houston would renounce his pur-
pose touching the archieves, so soon as
he should learn who was the leader of
the opposition.
Morton, on his part, whose vanity fully
equalled his personal prowess. encouraged
and justified the prevailing opinion by his
boastful threats. He swore that if the
president did succeed in removing the
records by the march of an overpowering
force, he would then himself hunt him
down like wolf, and shoot him with
little ceremony, or stab him in his bed,
or waylay him in his walks of recreation.
He even wrote the hero of San Jacinto to
that effect. The latter replied in note
of laconic brevity:
eff the people of Austin do not send
the archives, shall certainly come and
take them; and if Col. Morton can kill
me, he is welcome to my ear-cap.
On the reception of this answer, the
guard was doubled around the state-house.
Chosen sentinels were stationed along
the road leading to the capital, the mill
tary paraded the streets from morning till
night, and select caucus held permanent
session in the city hail. In short, every
thing betokened a coming tempest.
One day, while matters were IN this
precarious condition, the caucus at the
city hall was surprised by the sudden ap-
pearance of a stranger, whose mode OF
entering was as extraordinary as his looks
and dress. He did not knock at the
closed door-he did not seek admission
there at all; but climbing unseen small
bushy-topped live oak, which grew beside
the wall, he leaped without sound or
warning through lofty window. He
was clothed altogether in buckskin, car
ned long and very heavy rife in his
hand, wore at the button Of his left sus-
pender large bowie-knife and had in his
eathern belt a couple of pistols half the
length of his gun. He was. tall, straight
as an arrow, active as panther in his
motions. with dark complexion and luxu-
rant letty hair, with severe. iron-like
countenance, that seemed never to have
known smile, and eyes of intense. vivid
ulack, wild and rolling. and piercing as
me point of a dagger. His, strange ad-
vent inspired thrill of involuntary fear,