1214
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
that his note would be punctually paid-what was the result, my father paid his note, I paid mine, and Groce runaway-and Left his en- dorser to pay that note has fallen in my hands-the individual note of .J E Groce-2 notes of $5000 each which I did expect to have collected thro your assistance as I learned you intended to pursue a course of policy, not calculated to encourage flying renegade debt- ors who contract debts in this country and fly to your colony- I had heard that you as alcalde would enforce c;ontracts-and I accordingly sent my claim to Maj Thomas for that purpose-If it is contrary to your regulations of course I have no course of complaint-If its only justice and truth you wish to arrive at I have ample Means-to establish all I wish by testimony that would outweigh the verbal statements of Groce-The fact is Groce and myself quarrelled But not about our business-at our last meeting to his face I gave him the same character, I now give you of him, which he patiently heard. If I had injured him why not then assert his wrongs he had acted ungentlemanly and I told him so-he felt it-he left this part of the country and the next news I heard he had runaway I remained firm at my post-I have settled up the old business of A• E G & Co-Groce complains of suits-I have been sued too But I hav:e successfully defended those suits-and so might Groce have done. But he chose to fly his country as the safest and most glorious mode of settling matters-he pretends to you and to the world that he thot I had an agency in having him sued he knew better, and now knows better, I have tendered my assistance in defending-How could I suffer him made liable without becoming so-you say My Brotherinlaw was selected as the channel-that is also false-~fr Crawford the partner of my Brotherinlaw Brot the suits, he was selected by the other parties because he is the most eminent Lawyer in that State, and better able to conduct a Bad cause-If Groce had remained at his post he could have easily defeated as I have done the claim- But there is one claim he can not defeat that is his individual notes given to McKenni-Now in the hands of Thomas-those he must and shall pay-or remain exiled from his native Country he can not pretend to have any offsets against this claim. If my eye was upon him be could not have the assurance to deny this to you I ]mow he will tell Some other tale, he will say anything that best suits his purpose; ·and I have myself seen him voluntarily subscribe to an oath-which made me shudder-which I can any day produce-- these thinus are only mentioned to give you more particular infor- mation 0 { his character and standing while in the UStates-and altho you have a much better opportunity of observing his course
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