The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-11


who has been appointed by the Recommendation
of General Jackson, and whom, presume, you
Will have met with upon your arrival at the agen
cy."
was then, sir, in discharge Of my duties wher
Governor McMinn arrived. Gov. McMinn re-
NAMED for some time as superintendent of Indian
affairs within the limits of Tennessee, which ofic,
he held &c e6iciO. In writing 10 the Secretary Of
War, Mr.. Calhoun, on the 29th of December
1917, he says, in speaking of the resistance tina
was made to the policy of the Government in re
lation TO the subject of emigration;
1.-The first device was that the Cherokee ligh
horse should wrest the property from the emf
grants, which was given to them by the United
States, and apply it as consideration of the debts
contracted by the emigrants in the year past. Sc
soon as this project was communicated, | issued
an order forbldding all such attempts, and de-
clared that would view it in the light Of hostility
against the United States, and would punish the
perpetrators. Accordingly, Mr.. Houston carried
TINS order into effect, with promptltude not less
characteristic Of his integrity and zeal than zeal
Tor his country, by arresting. the first offender,
VINO returned the property without moments
hesitation. The course taken upon this occasion
had the happy effect Of dispensing band of legal
robbers"
This, sir, is an evidence that those under whom
acted had particular confidence in me. But
will show you from the records that there was no
act of nlaitsisGnce connected with my service.
"',' slo" mat resigned my OIiCe DIS suD-dSeHt,
ana afterwards returned to civil life, so that
moval could have taken place. And though my
resignation cannot be found in the War Depart
ment-forl am told that that is the case, though
certainly II was there--l have the testimony OF
Col. Meigs, and there are yet living witnesses to
that fact. know not why the resignation has dis.
appeared from the records ofthe War Department
hope the charge against me that | was reno we'd
from office will not be considered as cOrrobo-
rated by the fact of the disappearance of my re-
slgnation.
General Jackson, at the time went to the ma
ton, IN writing to Col. Meigs-knowing that he
was feeble and had many difficulties to encounter,
and after adverng to various reasons why it was
| proper he should have an assstant-says:
"For this reason | have recommended Lieut.
Houston OF the first regiment Of United States in
antry, as fit person. In him | have full conf
dence, and in him you will have friend, clear OF
design or deceit, on whom you can rely under all
and every circumstance, competent to aid you i'll
! every respect"
Five years Of my life had passed under the eye
| OF Gen. Jackson, a subordinate officer, and at
the time was appointed to the sub-lndian agency
was dlscharging the duties Of clerk, detailed
for extra duty in the Office of the Adiutant Gene
| raj OF the southern division, still acting under the
| eye Of Gen. Jackson. Do you believe he would
have pledged himself for man as young as
| then was--as obscure as | had been-a man who
had neither wealth, power, nor influence to back
htnl-who had climbed up the steep from subor-
dlnate position-who was then but in the dawn of
| life-can you believe Gen. Jackson would thus
| have pledged himself that was without guile and
deceit, unless he had believed that the five years
| probations in service was n good guarantee for
my future conduct? Why, sir, these recent
emanatlons that we have seen charge me with ev-
cry thlng-charge me with design to assassnate
| whether it is the person or character, know
not. ! have never threatened or thought Of such
| "a l hoy al do 81, ha, ,I,o
one or the other and all ask Of my adversaries
IN life is, not to assassinate when my back is
turned. ! have met all my adversaries that have
arrnyed themselves against me. have Wanted
nothing, nor do vaun,. 1t is only discharging a
duty devolvIng upon me, and in an unsoughfor
| necessity.
Well sir, retired from this as will show, to
private life. 1t did not SUIT Col. Meigs and Gov
ernor McMinn, when resigned for after left
here, Congress introduced and enacted Il law re-
ducng the number Of agents, and the salaries Of
sub-agents, and gave Col. Meigs notice Of il and
through HIM was apprZed of it, rs this tract Of
letter from Mr.. Calhoun will show. lie says
to Col Meigs, under date of April D. 1918:
"You requested to inform all sub-agents"
| Il was the only one) "attached to your agency,
| that their compensation is fixed at five hundred
dollars year from the 2Oth instant, and that they
will continue to perform al the duties heretofore
assigned them'
Upon this inma,ion quit. My salary, which
| had formerly been equal to thirteen hundred dol.
! lars per annum, was reduced to five hundred dol
lars. Col. Megs, ia writing to Mr.. Pleasanton,
the Auditor, says, when speaking of me:
"When he received the information Of the al
teration Of the salaries Of Indian agents, lie re-
| signed bis appointment as sub-agent, and went to
West Tennessee"
1t appears, Mr.. President, that after had re-
tired to private life, WAS not exempt from annoy
ances, either lanced real. The Government,
owed me salary as first lieutenant, from October
to the first Of March My accounts had not been
settled. 1t appeared in the account Of the Indian
! agency, that the quarter | had drawn in advance
in Washington had not expired, and that bal
ance of some sixty -seven dollars remained I'M
| paid to that departmental balance, it appear
| ed, Of sixtyseven dollars and some cents against
me. However, the Government gave notice Of
| that, as soon as my whereabout was learned
and my location was not in corncr-and direc-
ton was g ven to sue me for the siXty-scl en- dol
| lars. The Secretary, at the same time, was APP
priced by my forwarding my accoans, that the
| Government owed me balance ofseveral months
pay lieutenant. The account was rejected
| and the suit ordered to be instituted against
me forthwith, and remained for years under the
charge Of being a defaulter, when the Govern
| ment, as ] will show, owed me two hundred and
seventy-odd dollars ] suppose this was done
upon the principle, though know not why, that
1t Is easier To crush the egg than IL Is to destroy
the adder. 1t might be that some day, if permit
ted in country us prosperous and as well adapted
to enterprise and energy as this, might make
some little mark the times; but the youth, un-
frended by gratuilous offering Of manly friend
ship, unbought, unbribed, and uncommandcd,
might easily be ruined by the brand of de-
R,ulter.
But, sir it was unavai!ing. In 1921, when my
accounts had been repeatedly sent on for adjust
ment, and when had debited myself upon the
face Of them with $67, without investigating the
item at all, an order was issu ed for the apparent
balance, in which the Second Auditor says:
" You will please to institute suit without de-
lay. Mr.. Houston's place Of residence is said to
be in the western district Of Tennessee"
We'll, sir, the suit was instituted; and what was
the result; In the mean time became man of
note was Ma or General of two-thirds Of the
militia Of the State Of Tennessee. My name was
canvassed before the people, without opposition,
to a seat in Congress. The people were kind to
me- They were generous. had associated with
them in hours Of peril and days Of trial. We had
formed wall of fire along the frontier against the
savage enemy, and | was not forgotten in my