252
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
PHILIP DIMMITT TO AUSTIN
Fort of Goliad, Nov. 14 th 1835
To GEN. S. F. AusTIN,
Com. in ·Ch. of the Army of the People, DEAR SIR, The facts communicated by Dr. Grant, and others, who ac• companied Citizen Viesca to this place, relative to the present state of affairs in the interior of the Country, presents an unexpected, and highly interesting prospect to the people of Texas. From all that I have been able to learn from these Gentlemen, it seems to be expected by our friends beyond the Rio Grande, that Texas should not only sustain herself against the spread of Centralism, but it is also expected that she will send a force to the interior, and give an impulse to a reaction there. But a small a very small portion, of what is called the liberal party, are either under arms, or even making an effort to resist the strides cf the usurper. They do not appear from what I can learn, to be in' a state of readiness to receive or to be actuated by a temper to invite, our interference with an armed force, even were it convenient for Texas to take such a step. An apparently studious, and a prolonged silence of the professed enemies of the military system, concerning the course which Texas ought to take; their forbearance to encourage her, even on paper, in the prosecution of the one she has so nobly, and so fearlessly adopted; their failure to strike there, whilst the enemy is thrilled with dismay here, are symptoms, por· tending·a violent, perhaps a fearful crisis. If no effort is made along the Rio Grande to revive the republic, can we hope for opposition there to the movement of troops from the interior, to reinforce Cos, and recapture Goliad? The population of Texas is mostly of foreign origin. The in- habitants are considered foreigners. May not, and will not this be used as an argument, (and will it not be all powerful as such,) to unite all parties there, for the particular object of crushing Texas? And whilst doing, or trying to do this, time, and opportunity will have been afforded the Dic- tator, effectually to entrench himself behind the bulwarks of centralism. In this way, he may hope to make, and perhaps may make, a complete conquest of the whole country South of the Rio Grande. This done, he might well afford to withdraw from Texas, and leave her to the unmo• lested management of her own affairs. In the meantime, a sanguinary war must rage and bleed Campaign after campaign would have been opened- army after army, would have been arrayed, and the resources of the coun• try greatly impoverished, perhaps entirely exhausted. Thus to divide and conquer, may not be embraced in the plan of the Usurper. But whether it be or not, such a scheme, or something like it, is certainly among possible occurrences, it is even highly probable.
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