THE AUSTIN PAPERS 1035 the honest laboring class think of their families and their domestic concerns, and are therefore easily mislead by demagogues and de- signing or envious men, who only think how to destroy and involve others to build up themselves. It is well !mown that I have always been opposed to violent measures in Tejas and that I have always been the friend and a sincere one of the Mexicans. Party spirit has trycd to make this a crime in me. I wished to smother this spirit because history shows that the most dangerous enemy to new col- onies and infant communities is division and discord amongst them- selves, and I resorted to conciliating, yielding and passive means to keep down party spirit, when perhaps I ought to have adopted the reverse. Up to 1830 my sistem was not interfered with, and all went well, but since then, all has been confusion-and my enemies have succeeded to their utmost wish in involving me in difficulty-had I been as vindictive against tliem,. as they have against me, and called the old settlers and sound part of the people to rally a-round me. I could have easily C1'Uslied my enemies-but they [would] have been totally ruined, and I did not wish to ruin even the worst enemy I had on earth. They have tryed violent measures and gained noth- ing but trouble, let them now try peace and harmony awhile and let the country advance in population and resourses. The most favour- able reforms and cha.no-es are takino- place in the :Mexican govern- o t-:, ment and people, and a little time will put all right-there will be toleration of religion-Texas will be a state and all will go right-- but above all things the colonists must harmonize with Bexar and Goliad. In the beginning of October I lost patience I recd a letter then from Texas that irritated me, also some things occured in l\Iexico that soured and discourao-ed me and I wrote to the Avun- . b l J tam1entos a letter which is the cause of my arrest-since then favourable changes have taken place. There is no sort of doubt of the right of the people of Texas to take care of themselves, if there be no other remedy-this is very clear-it is more than a right-it is a duty-:--but evil may be done by precipitation. The evil in these mat- ters 1s that ambitious and bad men wish for revolution, and they take advantage of a fevered state of public opinion, to hurry the pe?ple into it, when it is not necessary-in such cases the actors gam, and the instruments loose. As I before said, when I return I will make my home at your house. I will not have anything more to do with public business if I can honorably and consistantly avoid it I am told that Sterling Robinson has made charges to the state Govt. against me. I think it unkind that such a man as that should be made use of as an instrument by others, to try and ruin me-but all this is in the regular course of things with envy and party spirit.
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