Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 19, 1854 Page: 2 of 4
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4
the Pacific road, many senators voted for
the measure, because there was a reser-
vation in it which, if properly guarded,
will make Texas the proudest State in
tins Union. Are you now prepared to
trample it under foot? Arid again, did
not many support it because the three
hundred thousand dollars ir gold or sil-
ver, as a guarantee that fifty or more
miles should be in complete business order
within eighteen months from the date of
the contract, or forfeit their charter ?——
These are our assurances for its immedi-
ate construction, and that is the object of
that clause. Sir, this is freely offered by
the people of Texas, and is highly ap-
proved of by capitalists. No objection
has manifested itself anywhere. Then,
where is the necessity for the passage of
another bill for the same object, but
which has no feature in it that will stimu-
late its commencement sooner than 1857,
and without any guarantee to the State
whatever ? Then, sir, arises the question,
if this bill passes, can any company com-
plete a contract under the Pacific charter ?
Will any one company make a contract
by which they would loose three hundred
thousand dollars, when they have the
choice of engaging in the same cause
without any risk, or without being re-
quired to complete fifty miles in eighteen
months; but can after that region of
•country is fully developed (which will be
in all probability) before thejr will be re-
quired to carry out the undertaking?—
Sir, this is too apparent to admit of a
question: for if you sanction and con-
firm this clog to our road parallel with
Another, then, to avoid the clog in the
former, they must purchase the latter;
and can any one see that, in a contract
between corporations, that the State of
Texas will receive an additional guaran-
tee? This can not be; for in it she
must surrender all that she has. I do
hope, that in this action, our object is for
the interest of the|the State, and for an im-
mediate construction of the road; and
that we will ever be ready to protect the
interest of those who may undertake its
construction, under the Mississippi and
Pacific charter.
Our Savior was betrayed by a
kiss—a legislator was " euchred'' out of
various boxes of sardines, by the hope
of obtaining one-
ftgp Our desires should never outran
our prudence. The Good Book tells us
to watch a3 well as pray. The man
whose heart and eyes are set upon some-
thing beyond his reach, is very liable to
lose what he may have in hand. The
person whose attention is not with the
game is not aplto hold many trumps.
it to you to be disposed of as you think
proper. Very respectfully,
"Your most ob't serv't
LESLIE COMBS.
To Messrs. J. H. Durst, R. Doane,
N. B. Charlton and others.
Mr. Gwinn has published a card
annihilating Mr. Benton's, route by a
aeries of facts in regard to the country
over which the route proposes to pass.
Old Bullion is furious, he promises to
-cut Mr. Gwinn to pieces sir—to pieces
air "
Substance of an address made by
Gen. LESLIE COMBS to tbe Pub-
lic Debt Committee of tbe Texas
Legislature, January 12th, 1854.
Mr. Chairman, and
Gentlemen of the Committee:
Before I proceed to discuss the ques-
tions which I intend to submit to your con-
sideration on the present occasion, allow
me to express my thanks to you for the
opportunity afforded me of making this
public address. I have something to say
which it is more appropriate for me to
urge in Texas than elséwhere;—at the
Seat of Government—in the Capitol and
to you, who will soon be called upon in
your responsible Legislative character to
act. I shall not abuse the privilege jow.
have kindly granted me, by saying any-
thing intentionally, to wound tne feelings
of any one, however he may differ with
me in opinion on the grave and important
question of your Public Debt. I well
know that denunciation and tfouse never
convince—epithets prove nothing. The
Father of us all, governs the world by
love and not by violence. To those of
you, of my own age, I shall speak as I
would to brothers: to the young men, as
my children,—for I am an old Texian in
sympathy, if not by actual residence, and
have a right thus to address you. I ask
your patient attention and candid consid-
eration of what I may advance. And
first,—before I present my views, upon
the law of the case, I hope I may be par-
doned for giving a brief history of my
connection with the Texan revolution and
her Public Debt incurred thereby. I shall
"a plain unvarnished tale relate," with-
out any effort at display by set phrases or
studied words. I have no prepared ora-
tion. When the news reached the United
States of the first great military event of
the war between Mexico and Texas—the
capture of Gen. Coss and his army at
San Antonio, in December 1835,—there
was universal excitement, and the deepest
sympathy felt for those engaged in the
glorious but then almost hopeless strug-
gle for religious and political freedom.—
And when the particulars of that wonder-
ful event reached us,—unparalleled as it
is in history—Kentucky especially, was
roused in every quarter. Col. Benjamin
R. Milam, the heroic leader in that con-
flict was a son of Kentucky. He had
just escaped from a Mexican prison, and
through many perils and life-trying hard-
ships reached the brave little Texan ar-
my in the vicinity of the place, under the
command of Gen. Burleson, whose many
vcitorious battles have since rendered his
name immortal in history. With only
two hundred and seventeen volunteers
hastily enrolled, under the guidance of
the fearless Maverick, on the night of the
i 5th of December, he entered the city,
i He had but a single field-peice; a nine
pounder, which proved of little service.
All were armed with rifles and other small-
er weapons. With crow-bars and pick-
axes they broke their way into and through
the stone houses surrounding the public
square—in the centre of which General
Coss was fortified, under the protection
of twenty-one pieces of cannon, with an
army of nearly two thousand men. For
five days and nights the terrible conflict
was kept up, the Texans fighting and rest-
ing bv turns. Xo Moxioun nrmld sLw
Austin, January 13th, 1853.
To Gen'l Leslie Combs—
Dear Sir: The undersigned, members
of the Legislature, and citizens of Texas,
respectfully solicit for publication your
address on the subject of the Public Debt
of the late Republic of Te.xas, made last lums. mel
evening before the committee on this im-! hims¿]f witUout fcelin„ a bll]let th h
portant subject; as we are satisfied it will h¡3 hea(1 or hea,.¡ , whMo ° ,
have a salu ary effect on he public min<l. h¡s ear A few T^aI1, wer¿ kiUed an|1
Very respectfully, ; some wounded. Just as a glorious victory
Y„„r nh t asrvt . | ab?ut to crmv„ the¡r Effort*, the ¿al-
l lant Milam fell mortally wounded, and
; immediately expired. His " blood cried to
i us from the ground for vengeance.'' Gen.
CoSS and his armv- sfill TtiiTTiHnrmrr Aver
JAMES H. DURST,
R. DOANE,
N. B. CHARLTON,
JESSEE BILLINGSLEY,
FRANCIS M. WHITE,
JAMES REILY.
WILLIAM MENEFEE,
STEPHEN H. DARDEN,
JOHN H. FOWLER,
SAMUEL A. MAVERICK,
G. W. WRIGHT,
JAMES WILSON,
D. M. STAtP,
S. G. NORVELL.
Austin, January 14th, 1854.
Gentlemen : I have received your po-
lite note requesting for publication my
adtlremftn the subject of the Public Debt
of Texas. It was entirely extemporane-
ous, but having numbered the documents
as I read them, I will endeavor to write
Aiif fVio (iiinatnnAo aPtitVi* * T aci /l onH hnnn
J 7
sixteen hundred, soon afterwards surren-
dered themselves prisoners of war and
were allowed to return to Mexico unharm-
ed. And now I ask you gentlemen, where
in all the annals of recorded history can
you find a parallel to this ? Certainly, I
remember none. If the people of'the
U. States generally were excited, as you
¡ know they were, can you wonder thaUhe
sons of the old hunters of Kentucky
should feel the deepest emotions. My
own father had fought under Washington
at Yorktown, and helped Daniel Boone
afterwards to whip the Indians out of
Kentucky. And may I not add, without
indelicacy, that in the second war of in-
dependence in 1812, my own blood had
flowed freely on the battle field, and my
whole heart was with vou.
What agency I had at that time, in
getting up public meetings in Kentucky,
to raise men and means—material aid—
to help you, it is needless for me to re-
late. There are living witnesses yet among
you to testify for me. A full Battallion
of four or five hundred men was soon en-
rolled in Lexington and sent to your assis- j
tance, besides many chivalrous young
men from other portions of the State,
who, armed and equipped themselves and
singly or in pairs repaired to the scene of
action. I venture to affirm that not a
battle was fought from the commence-
ment to the close of your heroic contest,
in which Kentucky blood did not freely
flow.
Something more than two months after
the death of Milam and surrender of the
Alamo, by Gen. Coss, another event oc-
curred on the same holy ground, where
the standard of liberty had first waved in
triumph. I hold in my hand the original
letter of Col. Travis sent out after the
seige commenced, for it is to that bloody
affair I now allude.
With your permission, I will read one
or two remarkable passages from it, wor-
thy of the old heroic ages—(Several
members of the Committee—read it all.)
As you desire it, I will read every wrord
of it, as well as the notes or postscripts
on it, written by his messengers :
commandancy of the alamo, \
Bejar, February 24th, 1836. j
To the people of Texas, and all Ameri-
cans in the World.
Fellow-Citizens and Compatriots :
I am beseiged by a thousand or more
of the Mexicans under Sania Anna. I
have sustained a continual bombardment
,and cannonade for 24 hours, and have not
lost a man. The enemy has demanded a
surrender at discretion, otherwise the gar-
rison are to be put to the sword if the
fort is taken. I have answered the de-
mand with a cannon shot, and our flag still
waves proudly from the walls. I shall
never surrender or retreat. Then I call
on you in the name of liberty, of patriot-
ism, and every thing dear to the Ameri-
can character to come to our aid with all
despatch. The enemy is receiving rein-
forcements and will, no doubt, increase to
three or four thousand in four or five
days. If this call is neglected, I am de-
termined to sustain myself as long as pos-
sible, and die like a soldier who never for-
gets what is due to his own honor and that
of his country. Victory or Death !
WILLIAM BAIIRET TRAVIS.
P. S.—The Lord is on our side—when
the enemy appeared in sight we had not
three bushels of corn; we have since
found in deserted houses eighty or ninety
bushels, and got into the walls twenty or
thirty head of beeves. Travis.
Send this to San Felipe by express,
night and day.
(The following is writen in pencil.)
Since the above was written I heard a
very heavy cannonade during the whole
day—think there must have been an at-
tack isnide upon the Alamo. We were
short of amunition when I left. Hurry
on all the men you can in haste.
When I left there was but 150—deter-
mined to do or die. To-morrow I leave
for Bejar with what men I can raise, and
Ave will f#rce our way in at all events.
ALBERT MARTIN.
N. B.—I hope that every one will ren-
dezvous at Gonzales as soon as possible,
as the brave soldiers are suffering. Do
not neglect—the powder is very scarce.
We should not be delaved one moment.
L. SMITHER.
This letter and these postscripts ought
to be printed in letters of gold ami hung
up in the" house of every true hearted
Texan. How solemn, how eloquent—
how impressive!
" / shall never surrender or retreat."
"Victory or Death."
u The Lord is with us. "
The gallant Martin and his brave com-
panions—over twenty in number, did
force their way into the fort and died in
its defence. Smither was unable to add
to the number of the garrison or furnish
them supplies.
In all my readings of history, I remem-
ber but one event to compare with this,
in heroic self-devotion. When Xerxes
with his millions of Eastern slaves, having
passed the Hellespont, was falling down
on ancient Greece, like a resistless ava-
lanche, Leónidas with three hundred
brother soldiers volunteered to defend the
narrow passes of the mountains at Ther-
mopylae. From that desperate rencoun-
tre, one solitary messenger escaped to
bear the evil tidinns to his eountrvmon.
then fast assembling on the plains of Mar-
athon. From the Alamo there ivas noner
no—not one 11 A helpless female—an
infant and a slave alone survived the
slaughter. From the 23rd of February
till the 6th of March, for thirteen days
and nights, this little band maintained1
themselves against Santa Anna and his-
host, numbering over eight thousand men :
more than one thousand of whom are sup-
j posed to have been killed. At last worn
down with continued fighting and watcli-
ing—their amunition exhausted—the few
survivors of the half-starved garrison were
rushed upon and taken and every one of
them barbarously butchered. Oh ! gen-
tlemen " the blood of the martyrs has al-
ways been the seed of the Saints," and
ever will be.
If I remember right, over one hundred
^housand Persians, soon after the martyr-
dom of Leónidas, fell at Marathon, op-
posed only by ten thousand freeborn
Greeks, and the liberty of Greece secured.
Forty-six days only, after the fall of
the Alamo, the glorious battle of San Ja-
cinto was fought and won, and Santa An-
na and his fellow-murderers killed or cap-
tured by Gen. Houston and his little
army.
Thus Texas became a free Republic—
' one among the nations of the earth.
If the people of the United States were
deeply excited by the great and glorious
events to which I have briefly called your
attention, the Government was not inat-
tentive to its own duty of self-defence, or
hee dless of the calls of humanity in ref-
erence to Texas. On the 23rd of January,
j 1836, Major Gen. Gaines was ordered to
j the Sabine frontier with a portion of our
j army. On the 8th of April he called for
j help from several adjacent States " to
cause their neutrality to be respected,
: peaceably if practicable ; forcibly if nec-
\ essary," and to drive back the Indians
who were being excited by Mexican agents
" to join Santa Anna in his war of exter-
" mination, then raging in Texas.
On the 4th of May, before the slow-
paced mail could carry the news of the
victory at San Jacinto to the City of Wash-
ington, Gen. Cass, Secretary of War, au-
thorized Gen. Gaines to call on the Gov-
ernors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Ken-
tucky, Tennessee and Alabama for such
force as might be necessary to carry into
j effect his instructions previously given.
All Kentucky was instantly in a blaze.
I The Governor issued his proclamation
for ten full companies of mounted gun-
men, and over forty were raised, and of-
fered for service. He did me the honor
! to give me the command. Believe me,
j gentlemen, that no ambitious hopes of
! personal promotion, no military mania,
I could have tempted me, on that occa-
! sion, to abandon my profession, to leave
my wife and children, and prepare to
j march, in mid-summer, to the sickly
j south—nothing but such a call as Travis
: had addressed to "all Americans," to aid
j in the holy cause of liberty and humani-
ty, could have moved me.
After the signal discomfiture and dis-
grace of the self-styled. "Napoleon of
America," on the memorable field of San
Jacinto, the left wing of his army, under
Gen. Filisola, which was advancing upon
the terror-stricken towns on the Sabine
frontier, suddenly wheeled to the right-
about, and fled to the Rio Grande, as if
the Angel of destruction was at their
heels. The frontier savages, who had
been preparing their tomahawks and
scalping knives to fall upon your women
and children were intimidated and dis-
persed ; and the troops called for by Gen
Gaines disbanded, as being no longer
necessary in the field. Peace and safetv
reigned in Texas, for several successive
years after the events thus hastily
sketched.
In November or December, 1838, I
paid my first visit to Texas, the Seat of
Government being then at Houston. You
all remember the great depression at that
time prevailing in the money market of
the world, but especially in the United
States : banks were breaking everywhere,
and merchants failing. Pennsvlvania
six per cent, bonds, now above par, had
fallen as low in Philadelphia, I think, as
thirty-five cents on the dollar ; Indiana
19, and Illinois 15. I found many old
friends at Galveston and Houston, Con-
gress being in session, and Gen. Lamar's
administration just getting under way.
I was received and treated as an old and
firm friend of Texan liberty, by all par-
ties, and a seat even assigned me in the
Senate by the side of the Vice-President.
It was known that I had a large sum
of money then in the hands of an agent
in Texas, and I was urered to invest it in
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Ford, John S. Tri-Weekly State Times. (Austin, Tex.), Vol. 1, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 19, 1854, newspaper, January 19, 1854; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth181731/m1/2/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.