Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 4, Ed. 1, Wednesday, January 11, 1843 Page: 1 of 4
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VOL. VI1I.-M). 4--WHOLE NO. 371.
HE CRUGEE, & MOOItE.
HOUST OJN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1843.
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Agent for JSew England, W. .
Hiram' Emerson.
THE SOLDIER'S CHILD.
AN AFFECTING TALE.
I overtook on the road a regiment of Highlanders,
then on their march for Cork, where they were to embark
for the Netherlands. It was a beautiful morning in the
spring'oHB-5. The sun wastshiniag bright, and their
annsand accoutrements were glittering in his rays. The
waving plumes, martial dress, military music, soon dissi-
pated the clouds of despondency from an imagination
young and ardent, and opened a long vista of glory. In
a few moments fancy had glided over the whole career,
and restored me high in rank, and covered with honors,
to ray native village, to my mother, and to my friendsj
The first step to this ideal promotion was easily obtained
In a few minutes I bad the honor of being enrolled a pri-
vate in the 78th Highlanders; and, tefore my arrival at
Cork, was fully equipped in the garb of the warlike
Celts., .
I need not detain you with an account of my dull and
uninteresting life, ater our arrival ifc Belgium, previous
to the memorable fight of Waterloo1. ' The night before
the "battle I was pacing backwards and forwards, a solita-
ry sentinel at one of our out-posts. There was a weight
in the midnight atmosphere that spread an unwonted
2-Ioom over mv -soul. There was ai-Hence throughout
Je-svclesf ocrmjkjvhichjbrmer
to the loud shouts of the enemy"asTnjey passedthe night
in carousing around their Avatcn-hres. l snouiu not, per-
haps, call it silence and yet, it was something like it, but
not the silence of sleep. Thestern and sullen sound with
which the word and countersign were exchanged; the
low"but deep tone in which the necessary orders for the
following day were given, the sigh of contending feelings
m the soul, which xtlraost resemble the groans extorted by
bodily pain from the wounded were allstill more audible
than the distantclang of the armourer, and the snorting
and prancing of the steed, and showed that all around
was waking watchfulness and-anxiety..,
About the middle of the night I received a visit from a
vounar man with whom I had formed an intimate ac
quaintance. He was the only son of a gentleman of
large property in the south of Ireland, but having formed
an attachment to a beautitDl girl in humble life, and mar-
ried her against the will of his father, he had been disin-
herited and tinned out of doors. The youth had soon
rea'son to repent of his rashness His wjfe was beautiful,
virtuous, and affectionate but her wantfof education, an
entire unacquaintance with those polished manners ana
little elegancies of life to which he had been accustomed,
soon dissolved much of the charm which her beauty and
artlessness had at first thrown around him. After strug-
gling for some time with poverty and discontent, he en-
listed in a regiment of heavy dragoons; and, being order-
ed to the continent, left his wife, with an infant daughter,
in a wretched lodging in London. Chance brougut us to-
gether jn-Belgium ; and a similarity or tastes soon produ-"
ced a friendship.
Depressed as I was in spirit myself, I was struck with
the melancholy tone in which he accosted me. He fell
a presentiment, he 3aid, that he would not survive the
battle of the ensuing day. He wished -to bid mo farewell,
and to intrust to my care his portrait, which, with his
farewell blessing, was all he had to bequeath t& his wife
and child. Absence had renewed, or rather doubled, all
the witching loveliness that had won his boyish affection.
He talked of her, while the tears ran down his cheeks,
and conjured me, if ever 1 reached England, to find her
out, and make known her case to his father. In vain,
vhile I pledged my word to the fulfilment of his wishes,
1 endeavoured to cheer him with better hops. He listen-
ed jn mournful silence to all I could suggest; flung his
arras around my neck": wrung my band, and we parted.
I saw' him but once again. It was during the hottest part
of the '.next and terrible day, when, with a noise that
drowned even the roar of the artillery, Sir William Pon-
sonby's brigade of cavalry dashed past our holiow square.
bearing before them, in that tremendous charge, the flower
of Napoleon's chivalry. Far 'ahead even of his national
regiment, 1 saw the manly figure of my friend. It was
butor a moment The next instani he was fighting in
thecentreof the enemy's squadron; and the clouds of
smoke that closed in masses round friend and foe hid him
'from any view. When the battle was over, and all was
hushed hut the groans of the wounded, and the triumphant
shonlsand rolling drums of the victorious Irrnssians, who
continued the pursuit during the entire night, I quit-
ted the shattered remains of the gallant regiment in whose
ranks I had that day the honor of standing! The rnoonj
was wading f hrodgh scattered masses of dntrk and heavy
clouds, When I commenced ray search for my friend. The
light was doubtful and uncertnin, yet it wa6 easy to keep
along the track that marked the last career of Ponsonby.
Shuddering, Jeast in every face I should recognise my
friend j 1 passed "by and sometimes' trod upon ttie cold and
motionless heaps, which now lookedso unlikeV the "fiejy
masses' of living valour" that a Jew hours beforVi h&& com-
mingled with a concussion more dreadful thaA the earth-
quake's shock. Although I at first felt a certain convic-
tion of his fate, I afterwards began to hope, tha the object
of my search had contrary to his prediction, siJjrvh'ed the
trrible encounter. T was about to retire whenj a heap of
slain, in a ploughed field, on which the moohl was now
shining clearly, attracted ray notice. Literally piled on
eich other, were the hod ies of five cuirassiers i-4and lying
beneath his horse was the dead body of ray frfiehd. You
may form some idta of my astonishment, on finding by a
nearer inspection, thai his head was supported and his
jipck entwined by ihe arms of a female, from whom also
the spirit had talen its departure; but you can form no
conception of th- horror I H-lt at beholding;, in this scene
of carnage and desolation in the very arms of death, and
on the bosom of a corpse, aliting infant, sleeping calmly
with the moon beams resting on us lovety features, and a
smile playing on its lips, as if angt Is were guarding its
slumbers and inspiring its dreams! And who knows but
perhaps they werp.
The convirtion now flashed on my mind, lbt these
were the wife and child of my unfortunate fi if nd; and the
letters we found on the person of the former, provtd that I
was right in my i onjpcturev Driven aside by the gale of
pleasure or ambition, or bv the storms of life, the aflictions
of man may veer : but unchangeable and unchanging is a
true heart in woman "She loves and loves for ever. Ihis
faithful wife had followed her husband through a land of
strangers, and over the pathless sea ; through the crowded
city and the bustling camp, still she found him stretched
on the battle field. Perhaps she came in time to receive
his parting sigh, and her spirit, quitting its worn out tene-
ment of clay winged its way with haste to Him who gave
them being. With the assistance of some of my comrades,
1 consigned the hapless pair to the earth, wrapped in the
same military cloak : and envelopingthe infant, this dear
child o" my adoption.'in my plaid, I returned to the spot
where our regiment lay.
Extract from an Address delivered at Hamilton, Ohio,
by B. Macdill, D. D.
Liberty! a word in every body's mouth; but what
does it mean ? This is the question, what docs it mean?
Some have made liberty consist in the privilege of being
governed, or rather, oppressed, by their own native tyrant,
instpad of a foreign tyrant; and oceans of blood have been
shtd for this kind of liberty. Some again have made liberty
consist in the privilege of bearing arms, and of fighting
with all who would fight with them. A whole nation is
said once to have made liberty consist in the privilege of
wearing a long beard. The Pasha, who found his servant
more refractory after the visit of the French to Algiers,
exclaimed, "I will go to England, for I have understood
that is a free country" With him, liberty meant the
power of making his inferiors submit lo him. And this
is a pretty common notion of liberty. It was the idea at-
tached to the word at Sparta, at Athens, at Rome.
Not a few mpan by liberty the power of doing as they
please the privilege of getting drunk and blaspheming,
and breaking hea'ds, just when they please. This liberty-
man shouts, "1 havfa right to do as I please" Have
you indeed? Then every other man has thesame right;
aud if one knocks you down, when you are trying to
knock him down, what if you should not be able to rise
when you please?
A more sober definition of the word liberty, is "the
power of doing whatever the laws permit." Well ; but
in Turkey, Russia, China, and under the most despo-
lical governments on earth, if they are administered by
any rule at all, the people have the power of doing what-
ever the laws permit Baron Trenck had the power of
doing what the laws permitted, while confined in his dun-
geon ; that is, he had the power of amusing himself by
watching a spider weaving its web to entangle a fly, by
means of a ray of light which stole its way into his cell.
Was this liberty? Yes, according to the definition.
This, like most other definitions, therefore needs to be
further defined.
If liberty be worth the name, the laws must be framed
in accordance with the moral law of our nature, so as to
allow and secure to us all those rights which we have
from our Creator, and which are necpssary that we may
seek our own true happiness, and fulfil our various obli-
gations as moral and accountable creatures; restraining
us only from such a course of action, as, while it could
not really.promote our own true interest, would interfere
with the rights of others or diminish their security. If
such be the laws, then the power of doing whatever the
laws permit is .liberty.' We have now arrived at regula-
ted liberty liberty duly limited and restrained by law.
Regulated liberty, therefote, implies the idea of res-
traint; a limit, set to the action of each individual; a
boundary, which he must not pass in the exercise of what
he may deem his natural liberty. The laws, such laws
as we have described, define this limit, this boundary.
Hence we have another, and in the present state of our
country, a most important definition of liberty. Liberty
consists in a cheerful compliance with just and salutary
laws, or in a free, and voluntary, and conscientious obe-
dience to such laws.
The man who would substitute his own will in the place
of the laws, is an enemy lo liberty, no matter how or-
thodox his political creed.
Differing as we do about a thousand other things, and
notwithstanding all the diseased and irregular action in
the social body, all agree in this the laws must be obeyed.
But now, there are only two ways in which this obedience
can be secured. The first and by far the best is, to havo
the laws, so to spuak, written in the hearts of the people,
to have the people'so well instructed in the principles
of moral truth, and their hearts so fully under the domin-
ion of thoseyftinciples, that they will do by nature, that
is, by the pfmnptings of their own moral convictions, the
things which are contained in the law. In other words,
that they will do all that is right, and abstain from all that
is wrong, from a sense of duty to God and their fellow-
men. Only those who thus live, enjoy true liberty. We
may borrow an illustration here from the condition of
man under the moral government of God. "I will walk
at liberty, for I seek thy precept," says the Psalmist.
He consented to the law of God that it was good. He
felt himself under no disagreeable restraint from the law.
His conscience and all his feelings, went with the law.
OfcStlience was his choice. And hence the apostle James,
speaking of the moral law as it bears upon the renewed
man, calls it "the Jaw of liberty." It allows the good
man all the liberty he desires. Other liberty, he would
esteem the vilest bondage the bondage of sin.
Now, those who in their hearts stand thus affected to-
wards good and salutary laws, are a law themselves. In
other words, they are self governed. Seldom have they
occasion to inquire what the law forbids or what it per-
mits. They are not compelled by it to do right. They
walk voluntarily according to it. And at least the great
majority of the individuals composing a nation, must be
capable of this self-government, if the nation is capable
of self-government. It is on such, under God, that a na-
tion enjoying freedom must rely in the hour of trial
Here is the true conservative principle of society. With-
out this, all checks and balances, and bonds, and securities
will he as so many cob-webs, which the political spider
may busy himself in weaving, but which the passions or1
men will buist through at pleasure. If a people have
nothing on which they can lean for the preservation 01!
law and ordeT, but the laws which are written or printed
on paper, dark are their prospects. Such a nation must
soon have a master, or it will commit suicide. For
2. The second method of securing obedience to the
laws is by force. Hence, our criminal codes, our sheriffs,
our jails, our penitentiaries. But these are all bastd on
the assumption that the great body of the people are sound
are friends to the law. This apparatus of coercion i.
intended only for some lawless members of the political
body A nation never yet thought of keeping itself obe1
dient to the laws bj this array of terror. A people nevei
vet prepared this system of coercion for themselves ; and
the moment the great body of the people need it, the law
become powerless. A wild maniac liberty may exist fo
a time, but must soon expire in convulsions. The nation
is undone.
But the question may be asked : A'ny a people, undf 1
no circumstances resist the laws or refuse obedience, with.
out '-receiving to themselves damnation?" Would you
inculcate the slavish doctrine of ' passive obedience" on
free and independent republicans? No, my friends, I am
speaking of just, and equitable and salutary laws laws
which are in accordance with the moral law of our nature.
But if such be not the laws, what then ? Why, then, it
will be time enough lo have an ansu or ready for your
question. I however reply; .
1. Should an individual find himself required by the
law of the land, to do something which the law of God
forbids, or omit some duty which the law of God requires,
as was the case with Daniel, when he was forbidden to
pray, and with the caily christians, when they were com
manded to sacrifice to the heathen deities, the rule of duty
is plain "We must obey God rather than men." Suffer-
ing is to be prtfn red to sinning. But in this country,
neither we nor our fathers have had much cause to com-
plain of such laws, and we may hope in God that we
never shall.
2. If rulers abuse their powers, and the laws become
intolerably oppressive, and the constitutional methods of
reform prove unavailing. then, it must be admitted that, as
a last resort, tlie proplr (not every individual at his dis
cretion ) nave tne nnt 01 resistance, diu mis is tne rigiu
of revolution a remi-.ly for extreme cases, which should
never be thought of or named, while evils are tolerable,
and while, under the regular administration of govern-
ment, the people are enjoying numerous bhssings. And
those school boy declamations to which we' are sometimes
compelled to listtn, on the virtues of revolution, resolu-
tion! as if the main businrss of lire were to revolution-
ize as if our fathers had left us little or nothing but needs
change as if a man cannot deserve well of his age, un-
less he has been the author of revolution in chuich or
state such school-boy declamations, we say, whether
fiom Sophomores or from learned professors of moral
science in our colleges, are to be reprobated, not only
as out of season, but calculated to impart a restless,
daring, mischievous, character, to the forming minds of
our youth.
In all other casps, though a law may in some respects
be defective, and defective too in point of pure morality,
yet if it does not require uslo sin, we are by no means to
resist it in any illegal nay, and for this plain reason
laws must and will partake more or less of the imperfec-
tion of those who make them, and of those for whom they
are made; but the authority from which they flow is sa-
cred. If a law contains some objectionable features, you
may be passive under it, that is, you need not volunteer
your services to have it executed, you may even speak
and write against it, provided always, you treat the con-
stitutional authorities of your country with respect, and
you may use all other constitutional methods to have it
amended or repealed but here you must slop. Your
conscience may be at rest, unless it be somewhat diseased,
or the law be indeed a superlatively wicked one. Nevpr
touch the constitution or laws of your country, except as
the constitution permits, is a rule of duty binding on us,
as well from the word of God, as from our solemn en-
gagements to society.
On the whole then we may see, that moral principle
must rule in our country, or the laws will soon cease to
rule.
The following description of the grand Saline "near the
Arkansas, is copied from a letter written by Mr. Sebley,
United States factor in the Osage nation, several years
since:
"I hasten to give you a description of this celebrated
curiosity. The Grand Saline is situated about 280 miles
south-west of Fort Osage, between two forks of a small
branch of the Arkansas, one of which washes its southern
extremity, and the other the principal one, runs nearly
parallel within a mile of its opposite side. It is a hard
level plain of a reddish colored sand, and of an irregular
or mixed figure; its greatest length is from north-west to
south-east, and its circumference full 30 miles from the
appearance of drift wood that is scattered over, it would
seem that the whole plain is at times inundated by the
overflowing of the streams that pass near it. This plain
is entirely co ered in dry hot. weather, from two to six
inches deep, with a crust of beautiful clean white salt, of
a quality rather superior lo the imported blown salt; it
bears, a striking resemblance to a field of brilliant snow
after a rain, with a light crust on its top. On a brigi t
sunny morning, the appearance of this natural curiosity
is highly picturesque. It possesses the quality of loom-
ing or magnifying objects, and this in a very striking de-
gree, making the small billets of wood appear as formi-
dable as trees. Numbers of buffaloes were on the plain.
The Saline is environed by a strip of marshy prairie with
a few scattering trees, mostly of cotton wood. Behind,
there is a range orsand hills, some of which are perfect-
ly naked, others thinly clothed with verdure, and dwarf
plum bushes, not more than thirty inches in height, from
which we procured abundance of the most delicious plums
I ever tasted. The distance to a navigable branch of the
Arkansas, about 80 miles, the country tolerably level,
and the water courses easily passed.
About 60 miles south-west from this, I came to the Sa-
line, the whole of this distance lying over a country re-
markably rugged and broken, affording the most roman-
tic and picturesque views imaginable. It is a tract of
about 75 miles, in which nature has displayed a great va-
riety of the most strange and whimsical vagaries. It is
an assemblage of beautiful meadows, verdant ridges, and
rude misshaped piles of red clay thrown together in the
utmost apparent confusion, yet, affording the most pleas-
ing harmonies, and presenting in every direction an end-
less variety of curious and interesting objects- After
winding along for a few miles on the high ridges, you
suddenly descend an almost perpendicular declivity of
rocks and clay, into a series of level fertile meadows,
watered by some beautiful rivulets, and here and there
adorned with shrubby cotton trees, elms and cedars
These meadows are divided by chains formed of red clay,
and huge masses of gypsum, with here and there a pyra-
mid of gravel. One might imagine himself surrounded
by the ruins of some ancient city, and that the plains had
sunk by some convulsion of nature, more than 100 feet
below its former level; for some of the huce columns of
ted clay rise to the height of 200 feet perpendicular, cap-
ped with rocks of gypsum, which the hand of time is ever
crumbling off, and strewing in beautiful transparent flakes
along the declivities of the hill, glitteriug like so many
mirrors in ihe sun."
Upshur of Duelling Mr. Secretary Upshur, in a
letter in relation to the late duel at Burlington, between
two midshipmen of the U S. Navy, uses the following
language:
"I look with as much abhorrence as any one upon the
practice of duelling, and shall be pleased to know that the
civil power has acted on the offenders in question. As a
military offence, it has engaged my serious attention, and
I trust that it may be ultimately suppressed in the Navy.'
Oregon Territory A public meeting was held at
Alton (III )on the 8th ult, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the settlement of Oregon territory: Resolu-
tions were adopted calling the early attention of Congress
to the subject. The occupation of this territory by the
United States is highly important, in order to obtain the
command of the fur trade in that region.
Sally Riley Gen. Mirabeau B Limar, Ex-Presi
dent of the Republic of Texas, following the eAanipIe of
a distinguished ex-chief magistrate of our own union, has
just published a poem under the odd title of "Sally Riley."
From the introductory stanzas we surmise that it may
more properly be called a continuation of a poem com-
menced some twenty years aeo. Wc find it in a number
of the "Family Companion, published-' 'Xcop, Ga.
The Coal Mines of Lancashire. It has been calcula-
ted that the available coal-beds in Lancashire amount, in
weight, to the enormous sum of 8,400,000,000 tons; the
total annual consumption of this coal, it has been estimat-
ed, amounts lo 3,400,120 tons. Hence it is inferred that
the coal field of Lancashire, at the present rale of con-
sumption, will last 2,470 years Preston Chronicle.
From the American Eagle.
The following table, showing the average yearly prices
of cotton in ihe United States and England, for the period
of forty-five years, is compiled-from a report made to the
United States' Congress in 1836, by the Hon. Levi Wood-
bury, Secretary of the Treasury:
FEARS. XT. S. ENGLAND. YEARS. U. S. ENGLAND.
Cents. Pence. Cents. Pence.
1789 12 to 22 1813 12 16 to 56
1790 14 12 to 21 1814 15 28 aver.
1791 26 13 to 20 1815 21 20$ "
1792 29 20 to 30 1816 29 18 "
1793 32 13 to 22 1817 26 20 "
1794 33 12 to 18 1818 34 20 '
1795 36$ 15 to 27 1819 24 13$ "
1796 36$ 12 to 29 1820 17 11$ "
1797 34 12 to 37 1821 16 9$ '
1798 39 22 to 45 1822 16$ 8 ,:
1799 44 17 to 60 1823 10&12 8$ "
1800 28 16lo36 1824 15&li
1801 44 17 to 38 1825 21 TY$
1802 19 12 to 38 1826 11 "6f m
1803 19 8 to 15 1827 9$ 6$ "
1804 20 10 to 18 1828 10 6 "
1805 23 14 to 19 1829 10 5l "
1806 22 12 to 15 1830 10 6 "
1807 2U 10 to 14 1831 9 5f "
1808 19 9lo30 1832 10 6 "
1809 16 10 to 18 1833 11 7 '
1810 16 10 to 19 1834 13 8 "
1811 15$ 7 to 14 1835 16$ 12$
1812 10$ ,11 to 14
The average prices in the United States for the seven
yeais up to the present time, commencing where Secre-
tary Woodbury's report ends, is estimated as follows:
YEARS. CENTS. YEARS. CENTS.
1836 16 1840 8
1837 14 1841 8
1838 12 1842 7
1839 9
. CONGRESS.
From the Washington con espondence of ihe Houston
Morning Star :
Washington, December 31st, 1842.
There are questions now before both House of Congress
of the greatest moment to the country, and the great mea-
sures so long deferred from various causes, have at length
been brought finally before the combined wisdom and
talent of the Representatives of the people. The tariff,
as a question, near and dear to the Representatives from.
the eastern section of the country ; the location of the Seat
of Government Washington, a favorite scheme of the Ex-
ecutive and many of his friends; the protection of the
western frontier, a subject all feel deeply interested in ;
together with many other bills and resolutions of less im-
portance, have, during these holli-days, successively under-
gone lengthy and able discussions. The bill to abolish
the impost duties carae up in the House on Wednesday
was sustained with all the energy and force that could be
brought to bear, and was also opposed with equal ability,
and the ground disputed inch by inch ; many were the
learned discussions upon political economy, national
finance, -'K.ree trade and Sailors rights," &c; but the gen-
tlemen did not succeed in convincing each other, and the
bill was finally laid upon the table, as were also all the
bills touching the matter. Yesterday, Mr. Sherman
chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs, reported
a bill for the protection of the frontier, read a first time,
and to-day the House went into committee of the whole
on the same; when the House adjourned this evening,
they had progressed to about the 6th section of the bill,
which were adopted with but slight alteration. This bill
provides that a Major-General be elected by joint ballot
of Congress, to hold his office until the 1st of January,
1844, his successor to be elected at the, next election for
mpmbers of Congress, by the people. The Major-General
to have the power of appointing his slaffand all the
officers, save the company officers, who are to be elected
by their respective companies; 6 companies are to be
stationed along the line of our frontier at different pcysts;
the 1st six to be drawn from the 3d and 4th Brigade, and
to serve 6 months, &c; the entire control of the troops
and the service to rest with the Major-General, who shall
be responsible to Congress ; the sum of 850,000 is propo-
sed in ihe bill to carry out its provisions. The same com-
mittee also report a bill to lay a poll tax of $2 on all vo-
ters, to be appropriated expressly for this purpose. There
is no doubt of this bill passing the House by a large ma-
jority, and I think, also, it will pass the Senate. Some
entertain an opinion that it will not meet the approbation
of the President; I think it is doubtful: in the House
they will be apt to pass it by two-thirds, at any rate. Al-
though there is a large majority in favor of the bill, yet,
so far as it has progressed, its friends have had to contend
with many obstacles, and have met with no small opposi-
tion even from gentlemen who seemed to be very earn-
est in their solicitations for the preservation of the West
and quite lavish in their promises and assurances of aid
and assistance when the time arrived, that it was proper
to entertain the subject. There has been several attempts
made to bring up the bills relating to the tariff, but they
were unsuccessful.' The House finally rejected the reso-
lution to adjourn sine die on the 2d January. The gen-
eral appropriation bill passed the House, and was sent to
the Senate on Friday.
The Senate has also been the theatre of legislative ac-
tion, big with consequences, for weal or wo, to Texas, and
the actors doubtless were deeply impressed with Ihe re-
sponsibility that rests with them, as acting in ihe capacity
of sponsors for 100 of individuals whose all was perilled
in the result of theirdeliberations, their councils were char-
acterized by calmness and deliberation ; and whatever
may be their consequences, one must invariably come lo"
the conclusion that the good of the country, generally,
was the polar star to which every effort pointed. The '
general appropriation bill passtd to its 3d reading with-
out amendment, or but little discussion. A bill to amend
the law in relation to Post Offices, &c, occupied a con-
siderable time. This reduces the franking privilege to
Post Masters and the officers of government, and mem-
bers of Congress. One innovation after another was
made in the original bill, until a restless disposition was
manifested, and then at one time the President and Vice-
President were excluded, then the members of Congress,
then Post Masters, after which some of the votes were re-
considered, and the bill engrossed as it originally stood.
The bill to locate the seat of government at Washing-
ton came up on its 2d reading, with the amendments of
the select committee, Mr. Jack chairman, to whom it was
referred. This amendment proposed that the Supreme
Court should be held in Galveston on the 1st Mondays in
June, &c, which was adopted. Several other amend-
ments were successively offered by Mr. Jack, Mr. Greer
Mr. Muse and Mr. Webb. One "of Mr. Greer's amend-
1 s 'h-irjivj the m. tip r.f"Wn?!iirfon" to that of "San
1 " o - iti tier :o mow ih-' -ictiirs frr.rn Austin
".. A" II;, Mr, Tone- Mr .Ves- M Greer. Mr. ijaf-
. -i and Mr Jack, entered frIv anj at length intothedis-
iii jn ft".p quittin , 'I itj ltd rings Mr Webb
r. vni io- iriucd, endemn'-ui to ? ti e consideration of
5- liU po-ou.i ii-jjtl Mondj,o rtabicJjim.io investi
gate the matter more fully. Mr. Greer said that the qaes
lion had been postponed for several times, to give time for
the vacant seats to be filled, and that he should oppose a
further postponement. Mr. Webb moved to strike out
"Washington" and insert "San Felipe" lost. He then
moved to insert "Nacogdoches" also lost. The bill was
ordered to be engrossed.
So that if this bill passes as it now is, we shall have the
Supreme Court in Galveston, the Archives in Austin, (I
reckon,) and the President and Cabinet and the city of "San
Jacinto" here! '
The French Charge arrived in town to day. '
Judge Webb and CoL Caldwell have again taken their
seats as members of Congress. The members from San
Antonio have not yet arrived, when they do, the bill to
locate the seat of government at this place Will be safe
enough. It is currently reported at this place, that orders
had been given to the troops in IVIilam and Robertson
counties to muster into the field, ostensibly for the purpose
of meeting the Indians, or to act as an escort on that occa-
sion, but in reality to proceed to Austin and bring from
thence the Archives of the nation; on learning the pur-
pose for which they were intended, the troops, with tbcex-
ception of some 30, refused to march. This rumor was
so preposterous, that I have been a long time in giving it
the least credence; but finding it emanatecPfrom highly
respectable sources, and isihanded from one lo another at
this time, as a commonplace thingvImusttakeitfor grant-
ed that there mustbesometbintpnlt. By tbe"way, the
Holliday fights" operfed yesterday inrjither a summary
manner: the parties first fn the lists were an Hon, mem-
ber of Congress, and an Hon. Chief Justice (county court)
As they progress I will report accordingly.
I have since learned further in relation to this Archive
expedition. There can be no doubt of the fact, that the
troops alluded to were ordered to-proceed to Austin with
some 15 wagons they were to concentrate at Caldwell's,
and be in Austin on the 1st of January, 1843. What
will be the result of this maneuver God only knows; but
those who know any thing of the nature of affairs in rela-
tion to this matter, have reasons to tremble forthe conse-
quences. Whether the expt-dition hasrealfy set out, is
not yet ascertained; but that attempts to that effect have
some time since been made, is confidently believed. In-
telligence has been senttothat place, informingthecitizens
of such ap attempt; but whether it will reach in time I do
not know. , -
Washington,
4.
(alias San Jacinto,) Jan. 2d, 1843,
The bill for the protection of the frontier, hasoccupied
the House, in committee of the whole, to-day. Several
slight amendments were made, one, gives the elections of
the field officers to the soldiers in the field, instead of be-
ing appointed by the Major General ; another only au-
thorises the Major General to take the field when the for-
ces ordered out amount to 1000 men This bill has crea-
ted much interest in the Housp, and its provisions, with all
their bearings'have undergone the most scrutinizing in-
vestigation. The bill asamtnded, was ordered to be en-
grossed, and passed to its third reading.
In the Senate, the general appropriation bill came up,
read third time. Several motions were madetp get it re-
ferred to the committee on Finance, for the purpose of in-
troducing amendments, but the majority were in favor of
passing it as it was, and then, if necessary introducea sup-
plement, making sure of what they had got so far and
consequently the bill finally passed without amendments.
A bill "establishing friendly relations and intercourse
wilh the Indians" came up on second reading, it under-
went sundry amendments and was finally laid on the table
for the present.
This provides that five trading houses shall be estab-
lished along the frontiers, defines ihe line, beyongwhichf
no person shall travef unless by leave ol the .resident,
nor any Indians be allowed to pass, without the consent of"
the Indian Agents, (who are to be four in number, ap-
pointed by the President,) regulates the mode in which
tradeshall be carried on with the Indians, and creates a
Bureau to be called (the originil bill allowed a
chief clerk a salary of $750, but by amendments, the chief
clerk of the War Department is to discharge that duty
without any additional comp nsution )
A bill locating the Seat of Governmental Washington,
&c., was then taken up on its 3J reading, which occupied
the time until adjournment,
Mr Webb moved to re-commit the bill to the Select
Committee,, with instructions to report a'substitute, to au-
thorise the President to remove the Archives to any point
which he deemed would be for the inter sts of the country
and their safely, until such time as the countly became
more settled, or a vole of the people could be had .upon the
subject. Mr. Jones, thought this unnecessary, as in all
probability the archives were under a safe escort of 150
men and some 15 wagons ere this, ani on their road
down the country the motion was lost, M ssrs. Jonps,
Muse, Shaw, Smith and Webb voting in favor, and Messrs.
Barneit, Greer, Jack, Liwrence, Patillo, Randall and
Titus voting against. A lengthy discussion was enter-
tained on the subject, in which were comprised hypothe-
ses and schemes for the best method in which a Govern-
ment could speculate upon the credulity of a community
and induce people to come forward and subscribe stock
and interest themseives deeply in the location, whereverit
might be. Gentlemen were of the opinion, that as it had
been heretofore made a matter of speculation and profit, of
the Government, it would be proper and just to carry out
the principles, U3e every precaution, and be sure to light
upon a spot that afforded the greatest latitude of operation
in this particular, for this Teason they were opposed to
Washington, for here, individuals, contrary to an estab-
lished usage, would be the sole beneficiaries, and the poor
Government would perhaps get a few lots worth $15 a
piece, and some 60 acres of land, worth about the same,
whereas, San Felipe held out a more alluring prospect.
There, the righfof jjulling the people would revert to its
own proper channel and a 21 Austin could be reared even
more magnificent than the first AH would not do, and
ihe bill finally passed 8 to 4, Judge Smith voting in the
affirmative, as I understand for the purpose of reconsider-
ation. The hollidays have quietly passed over, and found us
entering upon the verge of a new era; and I hope, the
close of which will find usa more united, more virtuous,
and a happier people.
The Gin House belonging to Judge Lockheart filled
with cotton, took fire this evening and burned' level with
the ground. Nothing was saved. Some forty bales of
cotton were consumed. It took fire from the friction of
some of its works.
January 3d, 1843.
The bills repealing and modifying the tariff were at
lentrth r.nllwi un the whole moraine was ennsnmwf nn
-"0-" r -- o .... wt wu
the bill to repeal vole on the final passage stood 18 and
lo, consequeuuy iusi. . tuuuuu wus inaue 10 xe-consia-pr.
This evening the bill from the Sennia pvprnntinrr
certain articles from unjust duties was called up, and the
House wound tnemseives up in a perfect labarynth of
votes and reconsiderations, and motinns tn ra rnn?Hpi--rp.
considerations, motions to adjourn, &c , &c, and finally
left the bill as they found it, and adjourned to call off and
take a new start in the morning.
The "Indian Relation" bill, and the bill to locale the
seat of government at Washington, was uner discussion
in the Senate as I anticin.iti'd. Mr. Smith mnvpI n re
consideration of the vote finally passing the bill. Mr.
Webb then moved it be referred to the select committee
carried. The committee, Mr. Jack chairman, reported
back by way of substitute, a '-bi!! to remove the archives,"
which wis adopted and rules s-ispcndtd and bill passed
the vote stood 6 to 6-in ftvor of adontinr. and thechn-fr
decided in the affirmative. Tnis bill authorizes the Presi
dent lo move the Archives to a place of safety any where
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Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 4, Ed. 1, Wednesday, January 11, 1843, newspaper, January 11, 1843; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth48216/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.