166
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
No. 746
1838 June 16, J\1. B. LAMAR, [NEAR HOUSTON], TO S. WHITING AND J. W. J. NILES', HOUSTON 85 Reply.
Oak Grove June 16, 1838.
Gentlemen I am not a little surprised that any of my fellow citizens should at this late period, have found it necessary to question my eligibility to the Presidency; and I am induced to notice the accusation only from the respect I bear to such of my friends as may be really ignor- ant of the date of my arrival in this Country. After having filled several important stations in the Government-both in the army ,rnd the cabinet; and now occupying the Second place in the gift oi the people, it would be mortifying indeed if any large or respectable por- tion of my fellow citizens could seriously entertain the belief t.hat I ,vould at any time, or under any circumstances accept an office which I was not constitutionally qualified to fill. Believing that a brief outline of the events connected with my residence in Texas will be the best response to your letter, I beg leave to begin by stating, that I came into this country in the month of July 1835, and have continued here from that date up to the present' period, with the exception of two visits to my native State, on private business which could not without great injury to myself be longer delayed or neglected. I arrived at Nacogdoches at the date above specified, and proceeded thence to Coles'. Settlement, where I made known to many gentlemen of the first standing in the Community, my determination to become a citizen of Texas; and in accordance with this determination I µad Capt. Chrisman a lawful surveyor of the Colony, a fee of forty r:r fifty dollars to run me off my head right lands; his receipt for which I hold at the present moment. Besides this I made a public declara- tion before the people in their primary assembly at ·washing-ton when the war question was first agitated, that this country was not only to be my future home, but that I was resolved in the event of a revolu- tionary struggle, to make her destiny mine for good or ill; a declara- tion which I doubt not is still fresh in the memory of ma_ny, if not all, who were present at the meeting. - . From Washington I came to San Felippe. The Lana office wa;,. closed before I had an opportunity of procuring an order for my head-right; but I was distinctly told by the Empresario, Col Austin, that I could go to the United States, and return without forfeiting any of my rights by the visit. -4-t Brazoria I reiterated my intention to Rrttle in the country-contributed my mite toward erecting a fort at Velasco; and if I were permitted to transgress the rul'es of etiquette by introducing a name without first obtaining permission to do so, 1 might refer to a distinguished friend whose name is identified with the history of this Country, not only for the views and sentiments
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