The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume II

173

PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR

thrown upon my first entrance into this Country-Since then I have seen a great many people and heard from various parts of the coun- try and there is but little doubt that you will get four-fifths of the votes-John Durst who lives near the Naches told me Grayson would beat you in the Red Lands two or three to one-He is one of that gang of speculators about Houston & Galveston and belongs soul & body to Saml. Houston and Thomas McKinney. He told me he could not be induced to support any man they opposed. All the leading & influential men are supporting your claims and they are beginning to grow a little warm-I asked Durst how Rust [Rusk] would vote and he replied that he ·was on the fence-I got .l\IcLec<l to repeat the remark to Rusk who replied that Durst was a d-d liar-for he was warmly & decidedly your friend, a,nd if nothing else would make him so, the opposition of these men would induce him to support your claims warmly. I did not venture to hav~ any conversation with him my- self-Kaufman is a zealous friend & is a candidate for Congress-He will probably be elected-He said as every body seemed to be for you he had made no exertions, but would do so, should it be ren- dered necessary-I am quite pleased with him-He is va,in th[o] a man of some talents-Genl. Douglas is decidedly your friend and in truth every man of any influence will vote for you. Under siich cfr- c1tmstances you, can not be beat. But your friends should not know or believe this, as exertions ought to be made at any rate...'.....I have written favorable accounts to the Banner but endeavor to stimulate to activity and zeal at the same time-There is now no absolute necessity for your coming to this place, but it would be better to do so, if you can not dispose of your time to greater advantage-I have written five or six short but pointed articles for the next paper to be issued from the Chronicle office-Up to this time or rather the last paper which had in two or three little hints I gave the Editor, it ha,d done nothing to aid your election. I have given him a spur and he will be idle no longer. I shall remain here two weeks & longer if necessary-I have some idea of going from here to San Antonio-'fhis however is prob- lematical. I have written to several of my friends in the Red River counties, so that they may be prepared [fo] r the operations of the enemy-I sent a letter to Col. ,vyatt, by a young gentleman from his neighborhood, who says you will scarcely loose a vote in Red River county-I find the people in the country do not know Grayson-never having heard of him before- Give my kindest regards to Mr. Wilkins and all other friends and believe me to be sincerely your friend

In haste

\V. ,Jefferson Jones.

f Addressed) Hon. Mirabeau B. Lamar Houston Texas J. D. Clarey Esq

[Endorsed]

T. J. Jones

Nacogdoches

26th June 1838

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