THE AUSTIN PAPEBS 25.5 I am some what asstonished at the idia of being in circulation a report that there was brewing in this section of Country any project against this Govt for I do assure you that so far as has come under my observation or iriteligence there is not such a thing thought of. As to Col. Piedras there is the strongest oposition among the people both Americans and Mexicans are imbittered against him and he is suspected strongly amongst us for being friendly to the Spanish invasion we are astoniEhed -to see his house crowded with men whose conduct has been censured and who have been ban- ished from the Govt yet not with sta.nding they find here a resi- dence and protection we know him too well to think it proceeds from a phylanthropic or liberal disposition. he is aware of his rtanding and ready to say as frequently he has done tlrnt it 'is an unfriendly feelin·g towards the Govt when in reality it is nothing more than a just contempt for the baseness of his conduct it has been frequently threatened to mob or cane hini if caught from under the immediate protection of the guard and there are many who I think would be gratified for him to declare his sentiments unfriendly to this Govt that they might 'fall upon him and punish him ns he has long since deserved he endeavours to intimiqate persons from oposing him by making examples of some who have had independ- ence to do so. The .A.yish Byou settlers are perfectly _disposed to sustain the present institutions it is true that they have been much decieved as respects their land titles by pompus stories which Bean has told them _relative to his controling po:wers as empresario and Comisioner of the reserve Lands having been thus ·disappointed repeatedly they have perhaps been unmindful some of them that these were imposi- tions of an individual and not of the Govt and expressed themselves in that way. It is a breach of confidence in me as I recieved my in- formation of a confident of Bean and expressedly requested to Keep it a secret but in order to give you an idia of his excessive stupidity and vanity I must inform you that he ha_s obtained permission to visi~ Mexico and the object of his visit is to have texns stricken of iµt.o a teritorial Govt and get to himself the appointment of Gover- nor he also says that his plan is supported by G 1 Terran this I can ~ot bel!cve ho~'ever· I know the Gen• esteemed him as a good but ignorant man such a appointment I think would subject the Govt Justly to censure and Keep the people in disorder _and confusion I here .with inclose you the copy of one of his letters to the Alcalde of Ayish Byon that you may have a distant idia of his presumption and the imposition which he practices upon those people which in my opinion has a great tendency to keep up confusion among them for he never says when a~y enquires are mf\.de of hllll th~t he d.oes :not
Powered by FlippingBook