978
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
He has orders to reestablish the custom house and garrisons, and is compelled to do so. The former will be done, the latter, probably not until fall; and I am of opinion not to the extent then that was contemplated a month ago. Geo. Fisher goes back as collector. I assure you that he is now a new man, it is the interest of the co1mtry to sustain him, and I request my friend, that you will unite in support of what I recommended on this, and all other matters in my letter to the Ayuntamientos. The quantity of tobacco that has been smuggled from the ports of Texas, has made a great noise all over the nation, and the violation of the custom house laws in Texas, are made a pretext for similar violations elsewhere. The enemies of Santa Anna are making a great handle of these Texas matters, to injure him and destroy his popularity.· They say he has lost Texas, and is the cause of the de- struction of the public property there, the ruin of the forts, and the insults which it is reported the i\foxicans have received there, etc.; and that he is now unwilling or unable or afraid to punish such acts of outrage, etc. :Much is said by his enemies on the subject. I am told that Santa Anna and his friends are very much enraged at the colonists, and blames them for the Anahuac expedition; says they had some cause to complain, but they went to work in so head- long and passionate a manner to get redress, that they placed them- selves in a worse situation than they were before, because they put weapons in the hands of their enemies, and injured and mortified their friends. Amongst other things, it is reported that there are a numbe~ of American Generals in Texas, who are inflnming the people agamst the Mexicans, and that the common talk is about independence, fight- ing, and abuse of the :Mexicans, etc. It is also reported that the alcalde and the ayuntamientos of Austin treat the State authorities with contempt, and do not even acknowl- edge the receipt of the official correspondence, and never pretend to answer it, or comply with the laws. Amongst so many rumors and lies, it is not to be expected that I should escape. It is reported that I was the author of the Anahuac expedition, and of all John Austin's acts. 1 The Santa Anna party are irritated at that expedition for they say it put the current in motion and was the cause of all that passed. I am told I shall be roughly received by Santa Anna at first. This I do not believe, for nothing could be more unjust than to accuse me of being the author of that expedition. However, all this can be corrected and placed on its true basis by a statement of facts; for I believe the irritation has proceeded more from the handle
1 '.rhe attack on Bradburn at Anahuac ln Junt!, 18J~, leu<li11g to e:i.:1~ulsio11 o{ ull snrrl- aona from the colonies during July and August.
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