27
PAPERS OF MIR.A.BEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
in your own be,a.utiful Texas, which I would not wish to see annexed to this Union, except for the addition of strength to the South. Judg- ing from··the 'signs of the times, the dissolution of the Union is near at hand, or at any rate a revolution.---!The north may not consent for the south to peacibly secede, and then comes a bloody war with all its horrors growing out of our peculiar relations and constitutions; and finally a. grand consolidated Monarchy built upon the ruins of this once happy repu[blic]-such must be the result-there can be no after a [ ] and the weak must succumb to the strong-what a picture for an American patriot to look upon-who would have thought, a few years ago that. such an one could be conjured up by the most distempered immagination: Corruption has come upon us with colossal strides, and we are tottering to ruin. Let Texas remain as She is, least the tree of liberty which you have so successfully aided in transplanting in that bright and sunny land, should be engulphed and swept away by the political earthquake whose loud thunders proclaim our early destruction-least that lone, bright Star struck out from our once bright constellation as a beacon for free and happy Texas, should fall, to rise no more Should the convulsion [ ] so drea[d]ful in its effects-should the greedy an[d env]iQus North perrnit the south to strike off the Texas Star can commingle with its Kindred There is a great barrier to a peaceable withdrawal [of the So] uth, the Capitol is on Southern ground, and the archives [of] our country are there, which each might be loth to give up. The Northern politicians are perhaps, hurrying [to a] crisis faster than they wish-Could they succeed [in a]bolishing Slavery in the dis- trict and driving sla[ve trade]rs out, they might be a little nearer rea,dy for a [ ] up. Pray pardon any error of mine. [I have no lan]guage to express what I fe[el] I hope [to hear from] you soon With much esteem Your friend Henry C. Phelps. P. S. [I think] it not unlikely that [I] shall [ ]. I must begin to look for a [ ] you will greatly oblige me by giving [me a] candid and unbiased opinion of the ind[ ] for a man in my situa- tion to settle in Texas. [.I] know that your opinion, when expressed will be of that character. I only ask for your [ ] Should I go to Texas it will me to mer[chandize] What could I expe·ct in that way and where [wou]ld you advise to settle1 What kind of g[oods sell] best there, Dry goods or Groceries or both. [What is] the price of lands and town lots, prese [nt prices] of Corn, Bacon, Flour, Beef &C. I hope you w [ill not] think me intrusive and give me an early answer
Yours truly
Henry C. Phelps [Endorsed]
[Addressed] Genl M. B. Lamar Houston Texas Care of Texian agent New Orleans La
Chas. C. Phelps Columbus Ga. 21 Jany 1838 respecting the Sale of House & Lot
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