372
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
of victory with a prison.er- An immediate and rapid advance after that -victory would have distroyed the whole of the Mexican army- But that is passed and ought only to be alluded to now, to draw lessons from expe- rience and not for vituperation-, experience tells us all, stand your ground, fight it out, and trust lo no armistice except one of two kinds-a fina.l peace -or deatk-- Farewell Love lo cousin Mary and the children Yours most affectionately and truly s. F. AUSTIN
AUSTIN TO M. B. LAMAR 1
Velasco Monday 27 June 36
DR SIR, After rolling at anchor nearly all day I have just landed-My head still has the sea sick motion, so I can say but a few words in reply to your re- quest, in your note to the president, to give you the news from the U.S. There i~ a general and pritty universal and ardent interest all over the U.S. in favor of Texas--This feeling pervades both houses of Congress and the cabinet. I believe that nothing was wanting to procure a recognition of our inde- pendence but official manuscript accounts of the battle of San Jacinto and the actual state of things in Texas--Some proof of our capacity to sustain ourselves etc. Nothing of the kind was ·rec'd-nothing but newspaper ac- counts had reached there when I left. Grayson and Collingsworth took accounts to N. Orleans that no more volunteers were needed. This will do great harm and must be immediately counteracted if we expect any more aid from there. The reports about treating with Santa Anna etc have injured the cause -·of Texas beyond anything you can conceive of. Our course now appears to be a plain one. The country must rally en masse and meet the enemy. It seems that their creed is extermination. If so,.ought we to have faith in such an enemy or to extend mercy or favors? A great error (as I think) has been committed in not commun_icating with the agents of Texas in Washington City. I recommend that a report or an account in an official form be sent to them by every opportunity of every important event that transpires. 80 men ·ought to be at Galveston tomorrow in the schooner San Jacinto from Orleans--the men are from Cincinnati commanded by Capt. Allen, a fine fellow. 300 more are on the way from Lexington and Louisville-- 1000 more would have been on-but the report that "the war is ended" will stop them. lFrom the Lamar Papers, Texas State Library. For the significance of this and the following letter, see Barker, The Life of Stephen F. Austin, 505-506.
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