Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-05-24
DEAF SMITH,

About two years after the Texas rev.
olution, occurred between the new gov
ernment and portion of the people,
which threatened the mos. serious con-
sequences--even the bloodshed and hor-
rors Of civil war. Briefly, the cause of
this; the constitution had fixed the city
of Austin as the permanent capital,
where public archives were to be kept,
with the reservation, however, of a
power in the president to order their tenn
porary removal in case of danger from
the inroads of foreign enemy, or the
force of sudden insurrection.
Conceiving that the exceptional emer-
gency had arrived. as the Cam anches
frequently committed rayages within
sight of the capital itself, Houston, who
then resided at Washington, on the
Brazos, despatched an order comman-
ding his subordinate fnnc,ionaries to
send the state records TO the latter place,
which he declared to be pro fempore,
the seat Of government.
1t is impossible TO describe the stormy
excitement which the promulgation of
this fiat raised in Austin. The keepers
of hotels, boarding houses, faro-tables
and groceries were thunderstruck, mad
dened to frenzy; for the measure would
be death blow to their prosperity in
business; and, accordingly, they deter
mined at once TO take the necessary
steps to avert the danger, by opposing
the execution of Houston's mandate
They called mass meeting of the cit
liens and farmers Of the circumjacent
country, who were all mere or less in
terested in the question; and after many
fiery speeches against the asserted tyran-
ny of the administration, it was unani-
mously resolved to prevent the removal
of the archives by open and armed
resistance. To that end they organized
a 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
until the peril passed. 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 both of which he
had cut his antagonist nearly to pieces
with the bowie-knifc. Indeed, from the
notoriety of his character for revenge, as
well as courage, It was tho't that Presi-
dent Houston would renounce his pur-
pose touching the archieyes, 50 soon as
he should learn who was the leader of
the opposition.
Morton, on his part, whose vanity
fully equalled his personal prowess, en-
couraged and justified the prevailing O.
pinion by his boasiful threats. He swore
if the president did succeed in removing
the records, by the march Of an over
powering force, he would then himself
hunt him down like wolf, and then
shoot him down 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:
elf tho people Of Austin do not send
the archieves, shall certainly come
down and take them; and if Col. Nor
ton can kill me, he is welcome to my
ear-cap."
On the reception of this answer, the
guard was doubled round 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 per-
manent session in the city hall. In
short, everything betokened coming
tempest.
One day while matters were in this
precarious condition, caucus at the city
hall was surprised by the sudden appear
ance of a stranger, whose mode Of en-
tering 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 be-
side the wall, he leaped without sound
q warning through ! lofty window. -
He was clothed altogether in buckskin.