at Fort Gibson, and intentionally spread reports of intended Indian raids, most of which were unfounded. The result was that after peace was established in Texas, and when the people were organizing a civil government, American troops had been stationed upward of a month among them.[1] A long correspondence passed on this and other subjects connected with Texas, bet ween Gorostiza, the Mexican minister at Washington,[2] and Forsyth, the secretary of state, from March 9th to October 15th, the former chiefly complaining of the measures then in progress for the violation of Mexican territory under the pretence of punishing Indians; and the latter asserting that the advance of the American forces under General Gaines to Nacogdoches was a measure of necessity; that through Mexico's inability to restrain the Indians, it had become imperative on the United States to protect their citizens, and that such a course was in accordance with treaty stipulations.[3] Finally, in consequence of what Gorostiza conceived to be an invasion of Mexican territory by the United States, he on the 15th of October wrote a long letter of remonstrance to the secretary of state, concluding that he considered his mission at an end, and requesting his passports, which were transmitted to him on the 20th.
- ↑ General Gaines, of the United States army, concentrated large bodies of men on the frontier. See his letter from Camp Sabine, Aug. 28, 1826, to the governor of Tennessee, in Niles' Reg., li. 87-8.
- ↑ He had come in February 1836 as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary.
- ↑ Forsyth wrote May 10th that the instructions given to Gaines had not been based on the belief that the United States had claims to the territory beyond Nacogdoches, but simply to prevent consequences that might grow out of the bloody contest begun in Texas. Gaines' instructions were to fulfil its stipulations in reference to the Indians, 'whether belonging to the territory of the United States or Mexico, and especially to maintain a strict neutrality in regard to the contending parties in Texas.' Gaines called on several states for reënforcements to repel Indian attacks. When he found that he had been deceived as to the intentions of the Indians, he recalled his requisitions. Some time after the United States forces abandoned the country. The correspondence on the Texas question may be found in Gaines, Gen., Correspond.; Leg. Extraord., 1-122; Niles' Reg., 1. 207-9, 213-16; li. 113, 129, 409-12; Méx., Contestac. Leg. Extraord., 1-79; Am. St. Pap. — new set — Milit. aff., vi. 412, 416-27; U. S. Govt, Cong. 24, Ses. 1, H. Ex. Doc. 249, 256, vol. vi.; Id., Cong. 24, Ses. 2, H. Ex. Doc. 2, pp. 25-101; Id., Cong, 25,
