aspect of affairs began lo undergo a change; and perhaps there was no time when the people were more easily provoked by the mere mention of any thing lending lo precipitate Texas in lo a war with the nation, than when the letter was written, viz: on the 25th of July, with the people, 1 though it was allempling lo wheedle us with fancied clangers, - l put confidence i11 the protestations of the Government, solemnly and repeatedly made to us in all forms and through different channels. When I say, with the people, 1 say what I mean, for I heard hundreds of persons and in all parts of the country, say, that if they took their rifles into hand, at all, it would be to go and take the agitators of the public peace (some confined themselves to the speculators) and deliver them to the Government, - and I may safely appeal lo the generous-minded people of all Texas, whether al that lime nine-tenths of them did not at least feel if they did not speak this. This will more especially apply to the upper Jurisdictions. The facts are well known. And ] repeal, 1 felt at that time as all (by which I mean a great majority) fell, and as I felt, I spoke, wrote, and acted. It is told to me that certain individuals who were advising and approving of the measure of seizing the popu.lar feeling al the lime, and of procuring an order for and the arrest of the agitators, are among the foremost in decrying me for having written, - to such men I can say, that al present, I shall call no names nor associate any other individual with me in the act, - il will he left with themselves to allow the fact --:- yet I assuredly will have justice. But ] will say at this time, that there were several persons, public, & private who approved of the step, and who knew that the order was lo [illegible] and also were arrangements made beforehand for carrying it into effect when it should arrive. But for the present let that matter rest. I am told that the public believe] wish to keep up a state of .Military suroeillance in the country, and accordingly advised that few were to be called for al a time which they are made to conceive implies that there were many, altogether, to be removed. Fellow citizens, this construction does me manifest injustice, as it is immediately opposed lo the true one, which was simply that instead of many, I wished that hut few should be called for, I had good reason for believing that the Government was marking for arrest all those persons who were actively engaged in exciting to disaffection, and these comprise a considerable number, and wishing to see brought about a pacification on the easiest terms and with the loss of as few as possible of our leading men, I had recourse to that mode of expression, and after enumerating three whom the Government had already called for, and naming three
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