The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-08
The Omcers Of the Late Texas Navy-Defenee
Commodore Moore,
NATIONAL Horn, WASHINGTON D. CT
March -, 1853.

Commodore Moore,
NATIONAL Horn, WASHINGTON, D. CT
March -, 1858. !
Hon j. A. PKARCE q. 8. Senate
Sm-It is with regret that feel myself called on
to address ysu Of duty and self respect prompts
me; and would have done ct earlier day. but
did not get until last Saturday evening" the published
debate that took place in the Senate the Sd inst
the amendment offered by the Hon. Thos. J. Rusk 'pro
posing to authorize President of the United States to
incorporate the surviving officers of the late Texas navy
the navy the United States" during which you
mentioned me by name, in q manner that hope you
would have done had you been of all the facts
and circumstances connected with the subject which
you spoke.
wish to be distinctly understood and will therefore
here make the avowa that am fully Of the rights
and privileges of honorable Senator's while debating any
question that may be before the honorable body which
they members On those rights privileges 1t is not
my design to atemps to infringe, by any expression
may in this letter. But when statements made
sustain them not founded in law or facts hold i to be
right to correct those statements and then expect
him who made them to render handed Justice.
Ofyour construction OF the joint resolutions Of
ton have nothing to say except to express my regret
that differs from that Of the convention that formed
the State constitution Of Texas The frat Legislature
the State that met in 1885, the second in 1913 and
fourth in 1852 each of which bodies passed. unanimously
resolutions the subject which you have doubtless
published them in two pamphlets which replies
to pdyte statements published In two pamphlets by
members of both houses Of mine we're aIao
Il herewith enclose them to you again. and request that
in justice myself you will read them-I feel confident
had read them would have been saved the necessity
Of writing this letter.
You are reported in the Congressional Gloos as saying
ed in Is4O directing that her ships should be laid up in
ordinary Practically, her navy mad bsen abandoned At
the time of the passage Of the resolutions Of
This resolution conditional and the President Of
Texas authorized to employ the whole Of the navy
active service, in his Judgment he At In April,
1S40 the President of Mexico issued proclamation OF
blockade of the ports Of Texas sailed from Galveston
in June $780, for the coast Of Mexico having under my
command ship Of twenty guns steamer Of eight guns
of eighteen guns each in Galveston harbor of them
ready to fail in two hours to keep in check any Mexican
although was off the Mexican coast until the next April
For upwards of three years from June 1840 not in
any part Of Texas ninety days with all the Texas vessels
vessels Of of coast. Not Of them made
her appearance off the coast Of Texas after the early part
In june 1s4s, while was opposed off Campeachy-
which is in the Mexican State Of YucAtan-to the whole
Of the Mexican navy consisting Of three large steamers
hard fought battles and driven them before with but
two Of the Texas ship and one brgin the
either killed wounded The whole Mexican force ran
Of the night after We had been in sight Of each other
fifty seven consecutive day.; repeatedly tried to bring
they could easily do with the aid Of their steamer The
Mexican government finding their whole naval force routed
concluded an armistce for SIX months with the President
Just before this was DONE the then President Of Texas
Sam MISUNDERSTANDING would certainly be captured by
the overwhelming force to which opposed issued
rather caused to be published in the Newspaper ct
Washington the Braxos the temporary seat of govern
commander Of the navy q our common country-in de-
fence of which at that moment risking my life in
keeping of our coast the naval force of the enemy
than ten times my SUPERIOR both numerically and In the
weight Of metal carried by the respective vessels Not
whstandDg these facts three Of the United
States navy repubhed this extraordinary document in
Of their pamphlets to which have already alluded.
The armistse was renewed through the Intervention Of
the United States England and France Texas Vas and
one Of the means was by her ships ordinary
but not you say in reply to Mr. Halloy-"Prior TO
as directing that her ships should be laid up in ordinary
and that her policy seemed TO be to abandon her navy
stogethe7that is she passed the act in February
second remarks made by you during the debate Another
strong for Texas keeping her ships laid up in
tendency of the treaty for annexation the United States
guaranteed the protection OF the coast Of
Texas from q. and sent squad
force It. ''' : ''''''' 0' en-
Now can any one infer that the mere laying ships up
in ordinary TO abandon her navy altogether
in the face of the following law of the Congress Of Texas
fixing permanent naval establshment-
Be enacted &c. That the naval establishment Of this
shall p Of
+;
n and two
CoDa1ess, page 10e, section a.
This law was full force and effect on the day that an
nexation consunmated Again The act " dire sting
that her ships should be laid in ordinary, passed but
short time prior to annexation" instead Of Indicating
you say that her policy seemed to be to abandon her
her policy That act authorizes the Secretary ito re-
eeve proposals for keeping in ordinary the vessels Of
the navy Of the repubc' and directs IS follows, in
M iuto fork he ~o%
said vessels ordinary shall continue for year
sseordns contract tie time
ss'S Gansr.. psss Us Can s ss %
Amost every vessel of the United States navy after
turning from long cruize, is laid up in ordinary the
absence The vessel being laid up in ordinary is no In
dcation that the officers attached to her
By their The first
ment Of the navy Of the United States the laws for the
government Of the navy of Texas" If the officers Of the
up in ordinary then there is scarcely officer in the
United States navy who under the construction
now holds his commission legally.
You say that "you doubt very much, from the evil
dence you have that they we're far regarded on
GERS in the service as to be receiving pay
In this statement you entirely In The facts
are directly the reverse The officers continued drawing
their pay, part of it, there was money in the
treasury to out what Congress had appropriated for
pay due all the officers Of the Texas navy at the
neaaton was The first Legislature Of the
State paid part te of hem the second Legislature
paid me part of what due the last Legislature
paid than forty eight thousand dollars Of the back
pay due the officers Of her late navy
The very Congress that passed act that her ships
should be laid in ordinary also passed another act,
the first section Of which is
Be enacted &e That the sum Of nftsen thousand dol
the hereby appropriated for the
of the csrs Of the navy ee laws of Texas 9Th Congress-
page 1862 -
appropriated in the fourth section Of the act directing
that the ships be laid up in ordinary" and which
prations certainly very far from being indications
that Texas had abandoned her navy.
The officers duty board the vessels from the time
they laid up in ordinary under the act Of Feb
1874 drew their pay, much Of 1t as the appropra
tons would justify up to the day the Texas flag
of the Union substituted was done under ma
topal salute from her battery about the first
March 1916 For about three months from that date