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THE AUSTIN PAPERS
AUSTIN TO PRESIDENT JACKSON1
Columbia Texas July 4-1836 (On the Brazos river 12 miles above Brazoria-)
PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON DEAR SIR
The President of Mexico Genl Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, at present a prisoner of war at this place, has expressed to the President and Cabinet of Texas, and to Genis Samuel Houston and Thos J. Rusk, his full convic- tion that the true interest of Mexico requires an immediate termination of the war between Texas and Mexico, on the basis of a recognition of the Independence of the former by the latter- He .has also expressed the same to me in the various conversations I have had with him since my arrival here, The only difficulty is the mode of effecting this desirable object. Genl Santa Anna has written to you on this subject under this date, soliciting your mediation, and I have the honor to Enclo5e to you his letter2 Presuming that Messrs Grayson and Collinsworth have explained all the previous Transactions had with Genl Santa Anna, and the events connected therewith-The public and private Treaty of 14 May last, copies of which are enclosed to you by Genl Santa Anna-the impediments which public opinion interposed to the release of Genl Santa Anna etc etc- I deem it unnecessary to occupy your time by a recapitulation of them The grounds taken by Genl Santa Anna for his immediate release and return to Mexico, are that without his presence and influence there, the independence of Texas will not be recognised, and the war will be renewed and prosecuted with redoubled vigor and acrimony; for the reasons that . neither the Govt or people of Mexico are sufficiently i~formed of the Geo- graphical situation and resources of Texas- The Character of her in- habitants, and many other things, to Enable them to come to the conclusion that·Mexico cannot retain Texas, and ~ven if she could, that it would be al a sacrifice which no good that could be reasonably calculated on would justify making. He says he is fully convinced of these facts, and conse- quently, that it is his duty as a Mexican citizen and patriot, and as the head of that nation to say so frankly and avert farther evils from his country, by terminating an expensive and useless war. But that nothing could have convinced him but Experience and personal observation, and that nothing but his own statements and influence in the IFor the movement to obtain the intervention of the United States, see Barker, The Life of Stephen F. Austin, 505-509. 2Santa Anna's leller to Jackson may be found conveniently in Richardson, Messaies end Papers of the Presidents, III, 274; and in Garrison, Dip. Cor. Texas, as cited, I, 106-107.
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