266
THE .AUSTIN PAPERS
convenient to report your acceptance or refusal to the Governor of the Council, that your commission and the proper instructions be given to you, Your obedient servant, B. T. ARCHER, President. P. B. DEXTER, Sec'ry. B. T. ARCHER, Esq., President of the Convention. SIR,-ln answer to your letter announcing my election by the Conven- tion, as commission~r to the United States, I have to say, that, under exist- ing circumstances, I decline the appointment. The declaration of the Con• vention, and the attitude assumed by that body, appear to me to be too indefinite to induce foreign governments or capitalists to lend us their aid, either of a pecuniary or other nature. Understand me; I do not blame the Convention for their declaration. They were not empowered, as I con- ceive, to make any other. A declaration of independence was not in the contemplation of those who elected them. It was thought, and I, among others thought, that· a declaration in favor of the ·federal Constitution of 1824 would be the most prudent and politic course that could be pursued by the Convention. It was thought that such a course would neutralize, or enlist the sympathies and assistance of the federal party of the Interior in our favor; and also that, under such declaration, we could obtain the requi- site loans e·tc. etc., from the capitalists of the United States. Of late, I have been forced to conclude that both parties of the Interior will unite against us, whatever be our declaration, believing, or pretending to believe it an attack upon the "integrity of the republic." And moreover, I believe, under any declaration short of absolute independence, we will receive no efficient or permanent aid, or pecuniary assistance, from the United States; they believing it an internal domest:c quarrel, about which they fc.el but little interest. So that, situated as we are, we encounter all the evils of a declaration of indeprndencc, without reaping one tenth of the adv:mtages of such declaration. Again, many honestly differ in regard to the power of the late Conven- tion. Some-believe them to have been purely recommendatory Others say that not one fifth of the people voted for representatives, not anticipating the present crisis; and various others find various ot.l11~r _~bjections. We know mankind well enough to know that every cavil, objection, or cause of excitement will be greedily embraced, magnified, and circulated, for the purpose of poisoning and prejudicing the public mind, which would be a result that could not be too much avoided and deprecated, in our present infant and unorganized condition. Those, of course, ac:ting with authority from a body of dubious powers, would necessarily have a delicate and difficult task to perform We truly,
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