(1582] [AUSTIN Lo JOHNSON ET AL]
Quintana, December 22, 1835. [To F. W. Johnson, Daniel Parker, D. C. Barrett, J. W. Robinson, Wyatt Hanks, Phil Sublett, and Asa Hoxey J Dear Sirs: We expect to get off to-morrow in the Wm. Robbins; Archer, the two Whartons and myself and several other passengers. There has been a great deal of low intrigue in the political maneuvering of a party who I am at last forced to believe have their own personal ambition and aggrandizement in view, more than the good of the country. These men have operated on Archer until they have made him almost a political fanatic, preaching a crusade in favor of liberty against the city of Mexico, the only place short of which the army of Texas ought to stop, etc. The Mexicans say that it is rather curious that the people of Texas should fight against military rulers, and at the same Lime try to build up an army that may, in its turn, rule Texas as it pleases. I think it probable there will be some thousands volunteers from the United States in a few months. They nearly all wish to join the regular army on the basis of volunteers. What shall we do with so many? How support them? I fear that the true secret of the efforts to declare independence is, that there must then be a considerable standing army, which, in the hands of a few, would dispose of the old settlers and their interests as they thought proper. The true policy for Texas is to call a convention, amend the declaration of the 7th of November last, by declaring Texas a State of the Mexican Confederacy under the basis laid down in the fifth and other articles of said declaration of the 7th of November, form a constitution and organize a permanent government. Every possible aid should be given to the Federal party in the interior; hut it should be done as auxiliary aid, in conformity with the second article of the declaration. By doing this the war will be kept out of Texas. This country will remain at peace. It will fill up rapidly with families, and there will be no great need of a standing army. I believe that the combinations in the state of Tamaulipas are very extensive to form a new republic by a line from Tampico,
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