4
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
cutors-worthy of F. Lombardo. In JanY next I presume there will be a complete change in political matters, and I hope that D. Lucas Alaman will come into power again, it is believed he _will and in that event I shall probably be set at liberty at once- In short this is my pirncipal hope at present Alaman has talents. The main defect in him is that he is too honest and too honorable for the Mexican taste. Santana I believe is fully convinced of Alaman's m~rits and I hope will employ him in the Ministry- I again repeat, that I have confidence in Santana's friendly disposition towards me. I was interrupted in my letter by a Mexican friend, who has just left- he called to inform me that a packet had been recd- from Almonte against me, which was calculated to do me great harm and that I need not be surprised if the rigors of my imprisonment were increased- Whether thi! be a fact or not, I doubt-it has been hinted to me more than once thal a sum of money, say SS0,000, would slop my enemies and set me al liberty-all I have on earth would not bring that sum, nor the half of ii in cash, but it has been reported here that ,I have many millions in tht banks of the U. S.-now all these reports about my enemies may be nothin~ more .than management to try and draw out cash. I cannot think tha· Almonte would try to ruin me You and my other friends can investigat• this matter, and if be is playing an unjust game, you will know how to trea him as he, or any one else in such a case deserves-- Noriega is here an< says publically that I ought to be shot I sent you duplicate powers of attorney to sell any of my land an< settle all my business---<:all on Williams for all notes due me, and d• what you can to save my property, every honest and good man in Texa will assist you in so doing, I have no doubt. My imprisonment has been very severe, it has cost me very dear- have suffered very much, but I now belie,•e it will have a great influenc ~ the transfer of'Texas to the U. S. by treaty, for it has caused an inve! ligation as to the affairs of Texas, that is beginning to convince all me[n of judgment, that what I said to the vice president Gomez Farias, was trui that i[s] that ·if the Govt did not provide for the welfare of Texas, th people there would do it of themselve[s] and were able to do so- I als said in a paper which I wrote to a Mexican friend in this city that it was th duty of Texas to separate from Mexico if there was no other mode c saving _that country from ruin 4 -this paper is now filed as the main ev dence against me, and my letter to the Ayto. of Bexar 5 etc. etc. are brougl in as corroborating testimony Men of sence now say that these opinion of mine are true and well founded, but that I used an imprudent and him frankness that is unknown in Mexico, and would ruin any one who mad 4 See Austin to Rafael Llanos, January 14, 183-1. 11 Austin lo the Ayuntamiento of Bexar, October 2, 1833.
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