Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1859-06-22
Houston and the Frontier.

v
The opposition are trying to impress upon the
Democracy of the frontier, that Gen. Houston
alone, can give them protection from tho incur
sion of the savages, and oppose barrier to ovo'
ry species Of wrong that tney have suffered Tor
many months This Savior of tho frontier has
but poor record to back these Haunting preten'
sions, and it is good criterion to judge tho iu-
turo by the past, especially since Gen. Houston
has mover recantcd ono .iot or title OF all that
he has done. We all recollect the state OF affairs
on our Western border in 1855, when the entire
line from San Antonio to Now Mexico, was har-
rassed by predatory bands of Indians, robbing
and numbering our citizens as the occasion pre-
scented ITSELF An effort was made in Congress to
remedy these evils, which resulted in bill ad-
ding to the service, two regiments of cavalry and
two of infantry. Sam Houston spoke and voted
against this bill, apologised for the Indians, ac-
cused the white of committing aggressions
upon them, and charged that every instance OF
hostility towards the settler was provoked by
the white man. Knowing that tho opposition
will attempt to rciute these charges, that 10y
al democracy will generally prefer against him,
we will before quoting his words, tell where his
remarks can be found: SEQ Congressional Globe,
page 437, vol. 80. Gen. Houston said, 'the In
tlians have boon charged with an aggressive and
hostile spirit towards the whites but we fnd'
upon inquiry, that every instance OF that sort
which has been imputed to them, has been in
duced and provoked by the ayhite man; either
by acts of direct aggression upon the Indians,
or by his own incaution alluring them to vio-
lation of the security of the whites They have
tempted the cupditv of the Indians. If law
less fellow happens to prove vagrans to his oanu'
throws off all the rules and restrictions imposed
by the chiefs upon the warriors, and chooses to
involve his nation in difficulty by taking the
life of q white man,-if he can do so with I'M
punity, as he supposcs, his action is charged to
his tribe But they should not be held response
Die. Sir, we have seen thrilling accounts oil san
culinary massacres, which alarm us at the 1rst
blush and if are are 10 bclcre The paragraphs dis
seminated through the medium of the newspaper
press, we should suppose in reality, that the In
dian is as barbarous as he has ever been, and
that all the assaults and massacrcs, rs they are
termed, are unprovoked and wantonly inflicted
on the defenseless white man."
The vote on ordering the bill to raise four new
regiments for frontier protection, to third
reading was as follows: The President If no
further amendments be proposed, the question
will be on engrossng the amendments and or
dcring the bill to third reading.
Gen. Houston. On that question 1 call for
the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered, and being TIA
ken, resulted--yeas AZ, nays T. The nays were
as follows: Messrs. Brainerd, Chase, Gillette,
Houston, Seward, Sumner, and Wade.
Thus, every man who voted with Sam Hous'
ton against frontier protection wos either free
soiler, or ab6Htionist
The lamented Rusk voted on tho other side,
with Mason and Hunter, of Va; Jones, of Ten
nessee; Benjamin and Slidell, of La; Shields
and Sebastian.
What can the frontier expect from such re-
cord, since Houston has not repented OF his
sins, and proclaims that ho has no regrets Tor
his past life If the frontier moods protection,
we will not look for it., from one who has dwelt
so long on the Choctaw line