from Mr. Catlett, Secretary of Legation, dated Washington City, May the 25th. 1837, was received, with regard to which I have to observe that the President left yesterday for Nacogdoches, on business connected with the indian expedition, and I do not feell competent to authorise the modification of the instructions alluded to; but I am confident, should there be any objection to our admission as a State that it will be satisfactory to go in as a Territory; and that this modification will be authorised when the President returns. I am clearly of opinion that the true interests of Texas would be promoted to a greater extent by being annexed to the U. States as a Territory than as a sovereign State. Independently of treaty stipulations the liberality, wisdom and justice of the Judiciary of that country will afford a strong guarantee for the protection of all rights acquired under laws existing anteriorly to such admission. Under every aspect of the case it is necessary that a speedy decision of the U. S's Government on this subject should be known. One of the most striking reasons, is, that our condition imperiously demands that we must be intimately associated with some strong power, to whom in forming an advantageous treaty, important concessions of privileges will have to be granted. Our Agent, Gen. Henderson has gone to Europe whose instructions will depend much upon the course adopted by the U. States. The solicitude thus expressed does not originate from any particular apprehension of the Enemy's efforts against us; but is owing to the difficulties consequent upon a small population scattered over an immense territory, sustaining a separate Government without means, credit, or even harmony among themselves. Such candor and my duty, as the official organ of the Government, require me to inform you is our situation. Visionary schemes of a glorious Republic are less calculated to advance the true interests of our Country than the practical common sense proposition to become a part of a great nation firmly established; and participate in common with their security, prosperity and happiness. I forward you herewith a copy of the instructions mentioned as having been misplaced at Washington." Respectfully Yr. Obt. Servant. R. A. IRION Sec'y of State Hon. M. HUNT Minister Plenipotentiary of R. Texas, Washington City D. C. This must refer to what was said in Catlett to Henderson, May 25, 1837, in that part of the letter under the date May 27. HUNT TO FORSYTH." DAYTON TO HUNT." HUNT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Despatch No. 23. SIR, [IRION]. TEXIAN LEGATION, July 11th. 1837. I have the honor to inform you that I reached this city on the 26th. ultimo, after a fatiguing journey from Vicksburg. I found Mr. Secretary Catlett absent on a visit to his parents, but I have the pleasure of stating that he is now with me and in excellent health. On the 1st. instant, I addressed a note to the Secretary of State, of which the following is a copy. TEXIAN LEGATION, SIR, I have the honor to inform you that, in compliance with the desire of His Excellency the President of the United States communicated in your note of the 13th. of March, I made immediate application to my Government for letters credential in the proper form, the receipt of which I have the pleasure to communicate, and herewith transmit a copy of, and request that you will do me the honor to take the orders of his Excellency the President as to the delivery of the original and communicate the same as early as may be convenient. I have the honor to renew the expressions of my most distinguished consideration and esteem. Honorable JOHN FORSYTH MEMUCAN HUNT. Secretary of State of the United States. a July 1, 1837. July 3, 1837. e L. S. See Hunt to Secretary of State, Republic of Texas, July 11, 1837. Hunt's three despatches from Vicksburg were numbered at Washington, respectively, 21, 22, and 23. Reply. SIR, DEPARTMENT OF STATE Washington [City,] 3d. July '37. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 1st. instant, enclosing a copy of your letter of credence as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Texas to the United States, and requesting the appointment of a time for the delivery of the original. In reply, I have the honor, by the President's direction to state, that he will be happy to receive you for that purpose at 12 o'clock on thursday next, the 6th. instant. If, therefore, you will call at this Department at a quarter before 12 on that day, I will do myself the honor to accompany you to the President's. At the appointed time, I was introduced as the accredited Minister of the Republic of Texas, and I will now proceed to lay before you a statement of what transpired between the President, the acting Secretary of State, and myself, during the interesting ceremony of my presentation. Mr. Forsyth, the Secretary of State, being absent, the courtesies of the Department devolved upon his Chief Clerk, who, according to previous arrangements, accompanied me to the house of the President at twelve o clock on thursday the 6th. We found his Excellency alone, and I was immediately presented. He received me with the usual salutation of shaking hands, and after a momentary pause, I addressed him as follows. ["] Mr. President, I have the honor to present to your Excellency a letter from the President of the Republic of Texas, appointing me Minister near this Government. I am particularly instructed by President Houston to express the high personal regard he entertains for you, and the deep solicitude, which he feels for your health and happiness, and to assure you of the warm and devoted attachment of the President and the people of Texas for the Government and citizens of the United States. Speaking, Sir, the same language, with the same peculiar domestic relations, being the same in blood, and indeed in every thing calculated to unite two people-I am instructed to express an ardent hope, that nearer relations than those of harmonious diplomatic intercourse will ere long exist. I embrace this occasion to express to your Excellency my profound thanks for the kindness. and consideration, with which you have been pleased to honor me, since my arrival here last winter." The President replied to me with great dignity, and much at length, warmly reciprocating the feelings I had expressed, and concluded by inviting me to an interchange with the Secretary of State upon the business of my mission, assuring me, in the last few words, "that such negotiations as might be entered into by Texas and the United States, he had no doubt would be accompanied with the highest satisfaction to both countries, so long as one like myself represented the Government of Texas." I was exceedingly gratified with the ceremony, and really more embarrassed by the plain republican simplicity of the President of the United States, than, I could possibly have been by all the pomp and pride of the oldest monarchy in the world. We enjoyed some moments of conversation as to the affairs of Texas; after which I arose and departed, feeling, I trust, justly proud of having been the humble instrument of this, the formal recognition of the sovereignty of my country. I wrote you from Vicksburg three despatches, numbered 1. 2. 3., which, in the archives of this office, will be numbered 20, 21, 22.;which I forwarded by Mr. Rudder. The zeal of that gentleman for whatever is of interest to Texas, added to his industry and energy, I have no doubt caused their delivery at as early a period as was practicable. Mr. Secretary Catlett, in the mean time, has communicated to you every thing of importance in relation to the transactions with this Government. In compliance with your instructions. of the 12th of May, I will defer making any committal to this Government upon the subject of Treaty stipulations, until I shall receive farther instructions thereupon from you. I found Genl. Arbuckle here on my arrival, and as he is commander of the forces of the United States, stationed on our North-Eastern frontier, I sought to converse with him upon the subject of the Indians and their depredations. He computes the whole number of warriors in the following tribes on the Red River at no more than five or six hundred-The Caddoes, Runaway, Cherokees, Kickapoos, Shawnees and Delawares. He assured me that the strictest watch should be kept over them and every thing within his power done to prevent their depredations. He says that the Caddoes do not count more than from 130 to 150 warriors. The Cherokee Chiefs of the main Tribe have very friendly feelings, but the Creeks, he thinks, are disposed to be turbulent and to effect a settlement between the Brasos and Red River. He states that when the latter Tribe left the East side of the Mississippi, some of the Chiefs were heard to say, that they would go for the present to Arkansas, but that their arms should, at an early day, procure for them a home in Texas. Owing however to a want of concert among themselves and the strict watch, which is and will continue to be kept over them, General Arbuckle thinks, that no apprehensions of injury need be entertained by the people of Texas. I now beg leave to call your attention to a somewhat extended view of the question of our annexation. The causes likely to operate both for and against us, I will endeavor to state frankly to you, and trust that the great importance of the matters in issue will be an ample excuse for any prolixity I may commit. Although in my dispatch (No 1. Vicksburg, No 20. here) I urged a secret mission to Great Britain, I am now convinced that the appointment on our part of a minister to England is the most fortunate movement we could possibly have made: The mere announcement of the fact in the papers of this country has already produced a most favorable effect, especially in the Southern States, where the people are and ever have been unanimously in favour of a speedy annexation of Texas. In that section of the Union, indeed, so strong is the feeling in our favour, that I venture to predict an open rupture against the Government, if the Northern enemies of Texas should gain the ascendency in Congress. This appointment of a minister to England on our part is a plain intimation, that we do not look upon annexation as a matter of course, and the South, thus perceiving that there is some danger of our loss, will, I confidently believe, present an unbroken line of resistance against any administration which may be anti-Texian in its policy. From every thing I have seen and heard, I believe that were the alternatives presented of the dissolution of the Union or the loss of Texas, the people, south of the Potomac, would be nearly unanimous for the first. They are united to us by the strongest ties of a common interest, a common origin, and a common history, and in this age of fanaticism on the subject of slavery, they will force their Government to adopt us, or they will create a new order of things. I am sanguine in the opinion, that the administration will be compelled to make the annexation of Texas a leading measure. You will readily perceive that the increasing difficulties between this country and Mexico will continue to produce the most favorable results. The United States and Texas, already united by a thousand sympathies, now find themselves still more closely bound together by the conviction, that they are the common objects of the bitter hatred and threatened revenge of the people and government of Mexico, |