THE AUSTIN PAPERS 1001 well-and think that I am cholera proof. I hope they may be fever proof this year, but I tremble for them after the overflow-they ought to go to chocolate bayou. No one writes to me. I know not whether you are all dead or alive. I got one letter from John late in June-this is the only one-how is little Stephen and Henry Austins family and my sister and how is Perry getting on at peach point and a thousand things that someone might write me. I hope Sarah and children are all well and allgoes on harmoniously. I shall spare no labor on this trip, for it is my last-others are desirous to take the lend and I am quite anxious they should. I confess that I am tired of abuse which I never have merrited, and do what I may I expect nothing else from one set in Texas, tho they are poor devils, unprincipled, brutal and ungenerous and un- grateful-with all the errors and infernal spanish prejudices and ignorance of these people, I cannot help but feel a great anxiety for their welfare and prosperity-they wish to be free and to be like the rest of the civilized world and I think it is more noble to try and aid them and encourage, than to abuse and ridicule. Do try and soften some of our rough b011s as to the Bexar people. I assure you that all Texas is greatly in debt to Bexar for the remonstro.nce of 19 Deer last-that paper was reprinted here and has had more weight in favor of Texas, than all that has been done or said. I doubt much whether the memorial of the convention would have been even looked at, bad not the minds of Govt. been prepared by the Bexar representation. It came from natives and is believed. I was fully aware of a.11 this-an therefore wasted so much time and pains to effect that object for which some of our boys abused m: vaya. I hope soon to be once far in beyond their reach-two trips to Bexar in the dead of winter exposed to rain and indians, and a trip to Mexico all on my own expense, a.nd get brutal slander for pay-none but a fool, a poor devil would continue to ser.ve peo~le who treated him in that way, or would suffer others to_ do it.. I will however do my duty and serve them faithfully, at the :1sk of hfe and all I am worth. I have undertaken to do it and I will do it-but for the future I will try and look to my own comfort a little more and keep myself free from such enormous responsibilities which none but an honest and liberal man can comprehend or appreciate. I ought to despise my slanderers and do despise the~, but it sours me • with human nature. I am too apt to run into extremes. I followed conciliation to a great extreme from a sense of duty to the settlers- and I am not in danger of falling into its opposite extremes. [STEPHEN F. AusTIN.] 88370-28---64
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