, THE AUSTIN PAPERS
434
My health was somewhat improved when I left Lexington but the Missis- sippi water has reduced me very much and I have some fever today which makes me very feeble- H AUSTIN [Rubric] [Addressed:] To Genl. S. F Austin Columbia Texas Pr. Urchin
HENRY AUSTIN TO AUSTIN
New Orleans 10 th Oct /36 .
GENL s F AUSTIN MY DEAR SIR
I wrote you on Friday since then I have .had a sitting with Breedlove and D Mieux agents for the contractors- I apprised them distinctly that I had nothing to do with the Govt-but ·,vould take and deliver to you any distinct proposition which they might think proper to make, defining in ·terms not to be misunderstood what they understood the compromise to en- title them to, and that they would consider the compromise binding if the govt Acceeded to those terms to pay the 180.000$ Dr Mieux stated that the issue of Scrip in conformity with the compro- mise without the proviso introduced by the Cabinet, that is to say with lib- erty to locate at their own expense when they please, would be satisfactory but as few of the parties were here they could only make the proposition binding on those here and give an assurance of their belief that the others would concur- Dr Mieux will prepare the paper and address it to you, by me. As I have been denounced as a cracked brained old citizen, for apprising Burnet as an individual acquai..utance of th; impending danger of a total prostration of public credit, it is not proper for my name to appear in any public matter, but the fact that not a dollar can now be had either on public or private credit of Texas will enable any one to judge whether I was or·not cracked brained when I anticipated this result from the course pursued and did what as a Ctiizen I was bound to do; all in my power to avert it? Nothing can resuscitate the public credit but redeeming the public faith by compliance with contract as compromised, The bonds of the new loan _will not command money until confidence in the Moral integr:ty of Govt shall be restored by sound legislation. I have offered my best land at 2S pr Acre with bond to repay the Money and 20 pr Ct if the party sh!3.1l be disatisfied with his purchase al the end of 12 months I cannot get a dollar neither up country or here, and have my family unprovided Cracked brained or not I have taken measures to counteract the impres- sion made in England by the debate on Texas in Parliament, by sending to Mr. Gordon and the Editor of the London Atheneum each a copy of Mrs
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