of slaveholders, as well as upon the treasury of Texas. The device of the Cabinet, in per- mitting General Gaines to collect volunteers on the fron- tier of Texas, from no less than five States, at the public expense, obviated the only serious difficulty experienced in raising within the United States a military force for wresting Texas from Mexico. Recruits for Texas might now, under the requisitions of the President, and the plenipo- tentiary discretion of the General, be equipped and trans- ported from the neighboring States to Nacogdoches, in Texas, at the cost of the United States. When once in Texas, they might fight the Mexicans if they pleased, but they were sent there to "protect the frontier ;^' and, in sending them for such a purpose, the President of course, violated none of the obligations of neutrality, and afforded the Mexicans no cause for complaint ! General Gaines had been authorized to advance as far as Nacogdoches ;
but circumstances might occur to render it expedient for him to go still farther, and the administration boldly re- served to themselves the privilege of sending him and his army Avherever they pleased. The Mexican Minister very naturally remonstrated against the invasion of Mexican territory by the American army. Mr. Forsyth very coolly replied (May 10th), "that to iwotect Mexico from Ame- rican Indians, and to protect our frontiers from Mexican Indians, our troops might, if necessary, be sent mto the heart of Mexico It would seem that neither General McCorab, the Com- mander-in-Chief of the army, nor the Governor of Louis- iana, had been admitted into the secrets of the Cabinet, On the 26th of April, the former addressed a letter to the Secretary of War, fi-om New Orleans, informing him that the Governor insists that it is unnecessary " to send to the frontiers of the State any troops, as the country was not invaded, nor likely in his opinion to be invaded ; and further, he was impressed with the belief, that it was a scheme of those interested in the Texan speculations, who had been instrumental in making General Gaines believe that the Mexican authorities were tampering with the Indians within our boundaries ; and