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THE AUSTIN PAPERS
subject and produce confidence. I doubt however whether anything can be done untill your guarantee is received here and made known. 9en. Santa Anna has written ·to Gen Urrea expressing his wishes and requesting him to make such an arrangement as before stated and I shall take this letter to the commander of our Army Gen M. B. Lamar, to be used by him as he deems proper- I must however repeat the opinion that nothing will be done definitely untill your· guarantee is received for the reason that I do not believe any thing else will satisfy public opinion here. If Gen Santa Anna is sincere and acting in good faith, this want of confidence which prevents his liberation is unfortunate, as it may be the means of detaining him here, untill his influence in Mexico is lost by the election of Bravo or other causes- If on the other hand he is not sincere and all his promises and professions are hipocritical it would be an act of perfidy and baseness which could not be justified on any pretext and cannot be sup- posed possible, nor do I believe it to be possible- It would justify the people of Texas in any act of violence hereafter, and it would justify the U. S. Govt. in enterposing by force in favor of a people who had been thus deceived, more especially when Santa Anna's letter to you of this date is considered and brought into public view as it would be in the event of his treachery. For these reasons I shall act in this matter on the basis that he is sincere and in good faith, and endeavor to stop the advance of Urrea and procure a cessation of hostilities, altho I have but very little prospect of success without yo11,r guarantee. If Urrea refuses to do as Santa Anna has requested him in his letter, nothing of course will be done- I arrived at Velasco, the present seat of Govt, on the 27th ult. and at this place on the 2d instant. I found this subject very much entangled, as you perceive- Our Army is at Guadalupe near Victoria, The whole country is turning out en masse and I have no doubt the Mexican Army. will be cut to pieces should it advance. It is not any doubts I have on this subject that influences me in wishing to embrace the opportunity of ending the war. But the inhabitants are suffering, they are all in the field or are going and a procrastinated war will greatly injure them.- I have been thus lengthy in order to give you all the information I can in regard to a matter in which you are called upon by both parties to enterpose your mediation, and one which is of deep interest to the people of the U. S. And to the cause of liberty and humanity, and hope that its importance will excuse me for occ~pying so much of your time- s. F. AUSTIN
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