7
THE AUSTIN PAPERS
Texas in my favor would have set me at liberty long since and would do it now-The President Gen 1 Santana is friendly to me. So is the Judge but what can they do against a host of bitter enemies which I made by op• posing a territory, and others because I am a foreigner and hundreds be- cause I have been active and successfull in settling, and others from envy and others because they think I am wealthy and others because I am in misfortune, what can the president and judge do against all this host with the Minister Lombardo at their head, and especially when Texas is silent as to me, or worse than silent for I am told that every thing that comes from there is against me- My situation is desolate-almost destitute of friends and money, in a prison amidst foes who are active to destroy me and forgotten at home by those I have faithfully labored to serve- I have been true and faithful to this Govt- and nation-have served them labori- ously-have tryed to do all the good I could to individuals and to the country-have been a philanthropist, and I am now meeting my reward- I expect to die in this prison- I have no reason to make any other calcu- lation- It is hard and unjust and cruel-when I am dead justice will be done me- I have performed my duty and my conscience is at rest- Even the things that my enemies say were errors, were evidently intended to benefit the public interest and advance the country and not to benefit myself- But so be it- I have been the means of distributing many millions of acres to make the fortunes of others, and I now doubt whether I shall not have to depend on Charity for six feet of ground to sleep in at rest- This is man and mankind-a picture of human life- 1 send this by Cap. H. J. Offutt. I recommend him to you as an honest man and a friend give him what information you can about the country. he wishes to settle -there- I again repeat, close all my affairs save my property for sisters children and for my brothers little boy This is your duty as a friend, and I know that you will faithfully comply with it If I had eight or ten thousand dolls. I might get my liberty I think-but where or how can I get that sum- I shall draw on Beeres & ?t John for another thousand as you wrote me 31 July I could do-you and Perry can make the arrangement to meet it- Colonel Butler 1 has refused to give me up one of my notes, the last one and the largest one you can see by his receipt its amount-he says that Whitesides had no authority to draw on me for the whole amount- Whitesides recept is in my desk, call on him to pay the deficit or show authority to draw and settle that business. Butler gave me up one note and Whitesides gave me up one-there were three in all, and Butler still has one which he h9lds me accountable for altho I have paid it to Whitesides Try and settle all my affairs- I wish 1 Colonel Anthony Butler, United States Minister to Mexico, 1829-1835. For Austin's relations with him, see Barker, The Life of Stephen F. Austin, 286-287 and index.
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