574
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
you feel upon the subject - In spite of his vain glorious bo.asting of the high stand he had maintained in this City so far as I have been able to obtain information the recollection of his residence here is not cherished as he fondly imagines - as a period reflecting much honor upon his country - His diplomatic correspondence. betokens great weakness, not to say folly; (read his argimient? in favor of annexation) - He lived in a style far beyond his means, contracted debts, Tailors & Hotels which he has not even yet dis- charged and ran into many other extravagances which subjected him, as the representative of a new & impoverished country, to remark and severe animadversion He has not even th_e plea that these excesses were of the least service in promoting the object of his mission, for in a country like this the real situation of the Country, its resources &c were too well understood to be in the least affected by the Show ·which the minister might make in the Street the Bar room or the dinner table - I think now, with all these facts before me that his appointment in the Navy department, was the worst one you have made, and was not a little wondered at where he is well known - I had intended to lay all this before you , before I heard of his resignation, feeling confident that you knew me too •well to attribute my bluntness to any other motive, than a strong and ardent desire to promote the usefulness and dignity of your administration How much therefore must I rejoice . that this information cannot embarrass you As to vVatrous resignation, I regret it only on two grounds, one personal to myself and the other the Color which is may give to assertions of your enemies, that your councils are distracted & want unanimity - Even to this apprehension I attribute less im- portance than I formally did. - for from the general tone of the papers in the U States, which will as a general rule, give a fair average of the tone of feeling in the U. S. as well as in Texas. I perceive you have not lost an inch of ground since you came into power, but on the contrary have gained - The nwtives which have prompted your enemies to set so many organs at work against you, are well understood Messrs Gales & Seaton, sent me this morning· a slip from the N. 0. Bulletin of 29th. Ult. and one of the 1st. inst both of which are well written and go to confirm what I have just said Read them - In every other point of view, to return to the subject of vVatrous' resignation I look upon his re- tiring as a matter of no moment _,.. His talents have been vastly over-rated, and as to his, usefulness - he is too constitutionally timid & habitually indolent ever to be of any material service,- ! trust his place will be supplied by some one, not liable to these objections, and from whom you may expect a manly, energetic and above all a liberal support-one who will not be seeking for a cause to be officially offended! but who will rather contrive to smooth over diffieulties without embarrassing the President, with his late learned dogmas of official etiquette- I confess, this is a subject which rouses all my indignation whenever it crosses my mind - and perhaps urges me to the use of intemperate language, which from the personal manner in which I have been affected by
Powered by FlippingBook