1556
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
and that you will understand and appreciate the motives which in- fluence me in offering it-- I wish to serve my adopted country, and at the same time to befriend my native countrymen living in your section of Texas, and I flatter myself that both these objects can be effected if you will all listen to reason and take the Law Jus- tice and virtue for your guide which I httve no doubt you will clo- 1 know nothing positive as to the particular nets of oppression or injustice which you complain of against the local authorities of • .Nacogdoches If report is to be believed you have cause to complain against the local authorities, but my Dr Sir the local authorities the Alcalde of Nacogdoches is not tl1e whole Govt. What would you say in the U S. if a party were to rebel against the Govt. because a J us- tice of the peace, had done wrong- You would say they were mad- men I use the word rebel because communications have been sent to this colony by a few misguided persons of Nacogdoches which speak open defiance and rebellion against the whole Mexican Govt. I do not believe that the thinking part of the people of your quarter are fully opprised of the extent which the leaders in these difficulties wish to do for lf they were I think they would unanimously rise and oppose them-for nothing can possible result from such mad proceedings but the total ruin both in character and property of every man engaged who has any of either to loose, and it is a duty that you and every good man owes to himself publically to declare his disapprobation of all attempts at rebellion against the Govt. The letters that have been written here state that you are all United and determined to set up for yourselves and form a New nation to be com- posed of Indians etc. etc-and it is therefore your duty to make a public declaration of your sentiments in order that the Govt. may know how to discriminate. [STEPHEN F. AusT1N.]
AusTrN TO BunnrL J. THOMPSON
San Felipe de Austin January 1. 1827
Da sm, In wishing you a happy new year I regret I cannot ndd my appro- bation of some of your acts in the last months of the past one, tho perhaps I do not understand the motives which Governed you. So far as I do understand them I am compelled to say with all the frankness of an old friend that you are wrong. I l:ope however that you and the majority of the good people in that country have been slander'd and that reports we have in circulation here about you are false, for I cannot believe that you have so far lost your sences as to
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