The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume III

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PAPERS OF l\fIRABEAU BUONAP.ARTE LAMAR

whew! no sort of standing as a man worthy to preside over a country! Old Ex-1\fembers of Congress, know him from "A to Izard" In the West, through which I passed, and booked my name "Henry Thompson Houston Texas" I was called on by the restive, eratic's, whose organs of curiosity were well developed, "to know all about Texas" al1 about Genl. Lamar, &c &c here I told but one tale, that the country would have quite as numerous a population as it required for comfort, without much pressing of emigration. That it was all it was represented to be." I shall go home via. So. Ca. and Alabama. the Mississippi rout, I came, is full of peril-and accident. As regards our currency it goes here at 40c slow-little or no operation in it- Our old "victim to Hyson" Judge Woodward, so I am informed by Mr. Geo Barclay (with whom I dined yesterday in company with Hon Joel. R. Poinsett.) is highly re_putab-le in N. Y.- and so far as inu-grity goes he can benefit Texas- but considers the old Genl. (Woodward) "the other side of his prime"- a little of the Fecond childhood- I take pride, and pleasure, always I believe, when I can speak from the heart in answering the various questions concerning the Prest. of Texas-who has the name, as Mr. Poinsett expresses it "of being a 1mfe man at the head of th!' Texian Govt." Gen Hamilton put off in fine sp[i]rit in the Gt West- ern, and the English money market, just now will not warent much hope-for the Loan! I think for a man who always has, before God, designed to be honest, I have had the worst luck with copai-tners of any man extant. I shall lose 3 or 4000 Dollars by Major John H Peters, late my patr. in Ala. who has turned ont to be after a life of much respect for 30 years--a damned scamp. He has sold my Library-collected 2850,00 of the Land Co which I worked for against the Columbm. devils for 2 years, and has sworn that I sold a negro of his, & got him back-when I h'.lve bill of sale etc, & I have to refund the money till Peters returns to S. C.-I shall bring with me only 2 negros-both valuable servants saved from the wreck by my good friend & atty Judge Lawson--who says Peters is an ingrained villian-"but what is this?" you may well say to you? [yourself ?]-yet I cannot help telling you of my luck in life-Doran, is not I fear a jot better-I haYe done with him-tho' he is a cursed bitter political enemy of yours, & old Sam Whitiny I under- stand has "bragged" him out of 2000 of my Texas money-Mr. Doran must account for every debt & dollar when I come, or Ill make sasage meat of him-with one pill; taken externally! Henceforth I shall paddle my own canoe. Hope Rusk will take Bowles, it will knock old Sam, out of the next Presidency with the people if he does-any body but Sam Houston to turn over what you are doing for Texas-He'd have a second chaos in the Gvt., with his Irion, Hockly, and Sheppard!! & Co! !-No wonder Texas stood as i;,he did under such a rum set. Old Henry Smith--of "floating incubus" in memory, also !-compare these men with Gen Johnston-Webb, in the U S. why they never was heard of-but goodbye! If I never see you again-cant tell what ~ay turn up-(tho I come out in Oct) may you have all you merit-is my prayer- Henry Thompson

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