Mirabeau Lamar address on frontier defense, February 28, 1839

The President’s Address  

Calling for Volunteers for the
protection of the Frontiers.    

Executive Department
Houston February 28^th 1839.  

Fellow Citizens  

            I am forced by the suf-
fering conditions of our North Western
frontiers to make an appeal to your
valor and patriotism, which have never
been appealed to in vain. The fierce and
perfidious savages are waging upon our
exposed and defenseless inhabitants, an un-
provoked and cruel warfare, masacreing [sic]
the women and children, and threatening
the whole line of our unprotected borders
with speedy desolation. All that a brave
and energetic people could achieve for their
own safety has been nobly done. They
have met their enemies with unflinching
hearts and have borne their trials and
reverses with a fortitude equalled [sic] only
by their heroism. But their population,
thinned by repeated and continued losses,
are now no longer able to sustain themselves