The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-09

maze Does ne NOT III inc ufst Pihces ma tnat
that latter was not written before the General
had command of the Texan troops? Docs he
not find that, instead of reluctalce to exercise
the authority conferred upon him, he ordered
Texan troops to be mustered into service before
he had received the authority from the War De.
partment? Does he not find, further, that he
c1Ied upon Texas at the same time that he
called upon Louisianan, and that about month
interviewed between the arrival of the troops OF
those States? Then | ask him, in the face OF
all these facts whether he will still persist in his
assertion that the opinion quoted by him was
unfounded, that it was a reflection upon Texan
troops, and that the Texans were waiting to
Join at moments warning the Generals stand
ard, and to punish the Mexicans! The senator,
who we'll knows that the statement in the letter
pointed to a fact which subsequent events esab-
lished most fully, vet converted it into stigma
upon the people of Texas. Sir, it required
Ingenuity of the highest order to find any reilec-
ton in this upon the people of Texas 1t re-
required proneness to censure to see IN 1t any
thing else than a simple declaration Of fact
which the world knew then, and which subse-
quent events have established, if it was then I'M
known, that Texas was sparsely settled, her bor-
ders constantly .vaded by savage foes and that
she was occupied in the defence of her northern
and western frontiers when the army of the
United States was ordered to Texas to protect
her from invasion by Mexico But out OF this
simple extract from letter which was supported
by facts such as | have mentioned, he not only
draws the constructions of a stigma upon the
people of Texas, but he makes it a basis for
glorification Of hisconstituents OF Texas which
am sure the people would never have applied
to themselves Who are they? Are they not
emigrants from States of this Union? Did not
the revolution of Texas spring from the energy,
the courage, and The free principles which emf
grants from the United States had carried into
Texas? And if they differed in any respect
from the peoI 1, of the United States, it must be
BY the infusion of that blood which the Senator
from Texas seems so much himself to dispse--
that of the original Mexican inhabitants. In
this alone can they differ from other people of
the United States 1t is strange to me that a
senator who himself was at the head of the
revolution, had the glory to have been leader of
that last great battle which terminated so Clio
riously for the flag of Texas-that he, who can
not fail to remember that his ranks were filled
by emgrants who came to aid their brethren In
their struggle, and who had never been residents
in Texas strange that he should attempt to
make invidious distinctions between the people
of Texas and other citizens Of the United States I!
But, sir, if these four regiments which have
stated did not arrive until after the Louisiana
regiments, there is another fact somewhat in
dicative which comes in as supplementary to
the arguments of the senator. But three OF
these regiments never arrived-t of mounted
troops and one of infantry the fourth regiment
never came. Let no one suppose say this with
any view to east reflection upon the people OF
Texas. Far otherwise. / refer to it but to
establish the fact which the General knew be-
fore, that they were not in condition to furnish
large quotas to his army; it was sparsely
settled country, filled by persons who had not
yet put their houses in order" it would be at
great personal sacrifice, and would require more
than ordinary time to raise and organize troops
and, under such circumstances, to detach large
.odies of men from the demands whchrheir
condition creates, for the purpose of war, it is
that the inducement should be strong,
and the term of service short.
The senator from Texas said that the Texans
were kept at Point Isabel, the most unhealthy
that they occupied it for weeks without
tents, and that tents were lying at Fort Brown,
&c. 1t would have been very hard for the
senator to have condensed in a sentence OF the
same length a greater number OF errors. Point
Isabel was a high point, the highest point in the
neighborhood, the only one exempt from drift
ing sand. 1t was selected MS site for the gen.
eral hospital, and remained such till the conclu-
sion of operations in that quarter. An arm OF
the sea swept its base, and it was the only high
hill in the neighborhood that was covered with
grass. 1t was very desirable position, as far
as health and comfort were concerned. Then
he says they were kept without tents. Perhaps
that is the point that makes it so grave an accu-
IL ,nf hn fha IN,
the senator but short time ago was describing
to us the great importance of Point Isabel, its
superiority over other positions in the neighbor-
hood of the mouth of the Rio Grande. Then,
however, he was arguing for a garrison to be
sent there, to guard the custom house. When
it was to be described as the encampment of
the Texan troops, it was at once converted into
the most unhealthy position in the neighbor-
hood. Now, sir, for the statement about the
tents. He selects Fort Brown rs depot from
which tents might have been drawn. My opinion
is, that from Nova Scotia to the isthmus of Pa
mama, he could not have selected place to
which he might not as well have gone for tents
as to Fort Brown The gallant and obstinate
defence that the garrison had made deprived it
of its camp equipage They cut up their tents
to make sand bags to form ramparts against the
enemy. They were without tents themselves
instead of being the storehouse from which tents
were to be drawn, the brave defenders were
themselves unsheltered In this letter of May
20, nearly month after the call upon Texas
for troops, the General, writing from Matamoras,
says in relation to the volunteers from Texas
sa "HEApoUARTERs, MATAMoRAs,
.#. ...s May 20, 1916.
an my communication to the Governor, the
organization was very exactly prescribed-bei2g
that indicated from your office on the 25th OF
August, lS45 find, however, that this organi-
cation has been exceeded; and, moreover, that
General Gaines has called for more volunteers
than deemed necessary, extending the call to
other States besides Louisiana. 1t will of course
be for the Government to decide whether the
future operations in this quarter will require the
amount of force (entirely unknowD which is
coming hither y y y y X I fear that the
volunteers have exhausted the supply of tents
deposited in New Orleans for the supply of this
army. We are greatly in want of them, and
must request that immediate measures be taken
to send direct to Brazos Santiago, say 1000 tents
for the use of the army in the field. The tents