THE AUSTIN PAPERS 25 few men have been provoked to connive at his attempt from the treatment they have received in this country because that Dayton declared he would commit outrages upon this country would bring down the Indians upon them and other threats to that purport. In December lust there wns a [day] designated for the inhabitants Lto meet for the] purpose of swearing allegiance [to the State Con- stitution 1] Burri! Thompson and Demi ... ed and Burrel mani- fested [some reluctance to] take the necessary oath and ... his hand to assign his name a[nd] ... the day when Piedras who w[as pre- . siding i] . . . snatched the list from his [hand. Piedras ordered9] him and Hase to march for[thwith for the uni-1]ted States without any char[gcs being made] against them, or any oportunity [given them for any] kind of defence it is unnecessary to say to you that such a course was productive of displeasure among the inhabitants and until this day the cause of their banishment is unJmown. The Alcalde who accompanied Picclras for tlrn purpose of cooperating in his measures was applied to in order to ascertain the motives or the crime of which those men were charged his reply was that he was not consulted in the matter nor was the cause made known to him and he himself disapproved of the course. Piedras has persued an arbitrary course during his time here and the civil authorities of the place hn.ve hitherto been no obstacle in his progressions though the extreme weakness of the individuals in whom those authorities are reposed serve in some measure as an apology for his doing so provided he proceeded correctly himself. For some imprudent conduct of the Coles and others to Elisha Roberts and family which conduct amounted to nothing more than hooping and howling as aparcel of blackguards frequently do and killing a dog of Roberts's they were arrested by the Military put in strings conducted to Nacogdoches commited to prison bail refused without a trial for something like ten days when the trial com- menced by the ifilitary and the prisoners asked [for] permission •to interogate the witnesses who replied in [a harsh and i] haughty manner that he would proceed . . . or c~stom of the country and during their [trial] frequently was heard say that it seemed [to him that] americans were accustomed to treat the [officers? with] disrespect though be bad brought [n. guard with?] him and would sustain him self that ... had acted cowardly in consequence of . . . was now in disrepute and many other . . . vincing that he wished to awe or [intimidate the] inhabitants into obedience ... kind were productive of nothing good ... Ahumado 1 is still venerated among us and he could effect more here with his walking staff than Piedras with all his bayonets. It is to be regreted
1 Mateo Ahumada, the milltary commandant who preceded Piedra,. 88370--28---3
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