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THE AUSTIN PAPERS
dread another civil war and will be more likely to unite upon Santa Anna, than to split up into factions under a dozen or more local or party leaders Under these circumstances suppose that Santa Anna should go to Wash- ington city and have an interview with the President of the U. S. come to a definitive conclusion as to the Texas question on the basis of recognition of our independence or on that of annexation to the U. S. (as he is willing to bind himself to do) and should from there go to Vera Cruz, or· operate in Mexico as circumstances may require lo terminate the Texas war and all other matters He distinctly and positively declares that the basis on which he will act, is to terminate the Texas war, because this country is lost to Mexico and consequently the true interests of the latter requires that the dispute. should end without more delay or more sacrifices That the mode of terminating the matter is greatly facilitated by the recent declara- tion of the people of Texas, of their desire to be annexed to the U. S. in as much as it removes allembarrassments, so far as the people of Texas are concerned to an arrangement between Mexico and the U. S. relative to an- nexation etc. Santa Anna is useless to Texas so long as he is detained as a prisoner here, and may possibly be of service if permitted to go to Wash- ington- both parties in Mexico would be well satisfied if he were to be _ shot and either would make hostile demonstrations against Texas, if by so doing his life would be jeopardized- This I believe to be prelly nearly the state of things in regard to this subject-the best interests of Mexico, and of the U. S. as well as of Texas demand a termination of the war and the annexation of Texas to the U. S.- Protracted hostilities will inevitably ruin all the eastern parts of the Mexican states or provinces of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, etc, for this Govt. will be compelled to send her army, which is accumulating, to the other side of the Rio Bravo to keep them employed- The indians will go, of their own accord to plunder-- such a war ·will also place the S. W. frontier of the U. S. in such a situation as regards the Indians that it will be a source of trouble and expense-- The opening of the Mexican ports to Spain, is another reason why the U. S. should interpose to stop this war in order to counter- act the Spanish influence amongst the people of Mexico against all Amer- icans and American commerce- The Rip Bravo ought to be the line- If that cannot be obtained it cer- tainly should be a sine qua non to include all the valley of the Nueces river up to its head thence westwardly along the hills or mountains to the rio Puerco or Pecos (I believe it is called by the latter name high up, and by the former lower down, tho some are of opinion that they are two dis- tinct rivers, I believe however from good information that it is all one and the same river) which enters the Bravo some 60 or 80 miles above the old Precidio of Rio Grande situated at the crossing of the upper road from Bexar to Monclova- The line should then run up this river Puerco or
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