92
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
ASA BRIGHAM TO J. A. WHARTON ET AL.1
Columbia July 19 th ·1835
To THE COMl\UTTEE FRO?II THE JURISDICTION OF COLUMBIA GENTLEMEN, I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your esteemed favor of the 15 th Inst. together, with the important documents annexed; They have been published and circulated in this jurisdiction, the copies re• quired will be forwarded to you to day by Mr. Eaton; They are printed in hand bill form, with a part of the late proceedings of the Ayuntamiento of Columbia annexed, the circular which was addressed to different Ayuntos of the Deptmt of Brazos was through mistake omited. I am highly Gratified to learn that the minds of the citizens and public Meeting at San Filipe, so completely accord with the resolutions of this Jurisdiction, in fact my most sanguine expectations have been more than realized I discover the Planters are again in good cheer, when informed that the present prospect is good for them to gether their present crops, and enjoy the rewards of their Labour, in place of taking up arms, and marching against the mexicari Troops, for the only purpose of protecting a few un• principled Land speculators, and resqueing, one of the most depraved State Legislatures, that ever assembled on the continent of North America.- Gentlemen, You are now placed upon the watch Tower, dont be caught naping in time of calm, I hope your zeal and determination will not abate in effecting if possible our first projected plan, that of calling the delegation we will want advice in General Council, ere long important maters will _arrise between Texas and the Centeral Go,·ernment, which will require all the intellectual faculties of Texas to be concentrated, in order to be prepared to assert our rites as freemen with a full -determination to defend them. In my humble opinion, there is questions nearly ripe, and will soon be • agitated; when once commenced, will flud in upon us in rapied succession, do let us be prepared to answer them promptly and wisely without hesi- tation, The first may be, will Texas pay duties, I am under the impresion the planter cannot be found among us, but would say that he would sooner pay 40 pr. ct. higher for his goods than to take up arms, and run the risque of embarking in a seven years war with the Mexican Nation; perhaps the next 1 A collection of documents showing public opinion in Texas preceding the revolution was published in Publications of the Southern History Association., Volumes VII-IX. These documents were collected by the present editor but their arrangement and the editorial comments, neither of which he approves, were the work of the editor of the Publications.
Powered by FlippingBook