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THE AUSTIN PAPERS
We have only to ask of your and our friends to use your influence and accustomed diligence in collecting volunteers and spreading the inteligence as rapidly as possible. Dispatch confidential messengers to Velasco, Columbia, Col Halls neighborhood and San Felippi. The last named can join the party at Carrs [James Kerr's], and I am particularly anxious for some of the citizens to have an opportunity of confronting Gen 1• Cos Mercers and Menefee's settlement will also turn out and should not be neg- lected I will attend personally to Matagorda and Bay Prairie and will see that suitable spies and scouts are sent ahead to afford us information upon which we can rely, send copies of this to Archer, Wharton and McKenney and to Hall and Bengham and Johnson, Baker and P. Jack. • J. W. FANNIN JUN 11 • AUSTIN TO P. w. GRAYSON Copy of a letter from Col S. F. Austin to P. W. Grayson, Columbia, dated Sep. 19th 1835 Da SIR. The final answer of Gen Cos has ju.st been recd- It is posith•e that the persons who have been demanded shall be given up-and that the people of Texas must unconditionally submit-to any reforms or altera- tions that Congress has to make in the Constitution- I give you the sub- stance, which is that we have no rights except what the Govt think proper to grant us as a favour. Can or will the people of Texas submit to this! According to the position already taken by them they cannot.- War then is inevitable- It is impossible to avoid it- This is my opinion and I have therefore issued the circular from the committee of this place which goes below by this opportunity I have written to Hall, and advised the raising of a Volunteer Corps, to be ready for immediate opperations- I think he could raise such a corps-- Texas now needs the united councils and cooperation of every man in it- War and peac~ parties are at an end- There is no remedy but to fight- I shall send lo Nacogdoches- A Gentleman writes from Bexar tha:t the country will be invaded whether the obnoxious individuals, (the persons demanded by Ugartechea) are given up or not. and the land business and everything else is to be regulated by the military. and he says the people must make up their minds either to submit or prepare for defence. I place more reliance on what he says because he has made so many exertions to effect an amicable ·reconciliation. He also says that he will stay and see Cos. though he has no hopes of doing any thing- I think he has been faithful to the people here and fear he will get into prison-
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