WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1859
249
Miner is here, and going to San Antonio. I have, most strangely, received no letter yet from Judge Watrous respecting the final settlement with the 'little fellow,' nor the survey and the engagement of Hay, but I expect one daily. Miner's presence will complicate matters, I am afraid. . . . William G. Hale." The expression of this letter "ah! call them not fraudulent" is curious for its flippant irony. It reminds one of the same self-complacency with which, in a formerly quoted letter, he opines his agent, Miner, to be "the cheater, not the seller." To return to the history of the case which Mr. League had taken in hand: at the December term of the Supreme Court of the United States, judgment was rendered, affirming the judg- ment of the supreme court of Texas, declaring the certificate invalid and void. It might have been supposed that after the judgment of the supreme court of Texas, the high court of appeals, and, finally, after the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States, against the validity of the certificate, further efforts on the part of the company would have been hopeless. But what vital- ity, what ramifications, what resources, must they have pos- pessed, when we find ·them daring, at the last, as I shall show, to anticipate exerting an influence on the United States Supreme Court itself! This, certainly, was a fitting climax to audacity and assertion of power. Thus we find this branch of the scheme of the conspirators expiring with an adventurous and desperate effort to retrieve their fortunes by imporper influences with the courts, the last effort still characteristic, and still significant of the comprehensive grasp and connections of this most ex- traordinary combination. As exposing the honest proposition of exerting an influence on the Supreme Court of the United States, I will here read from a letter from Mr. Joseph L. Williams on this subject, to whom, it appears, was and is allotted the Washington branch of the company's operations : "Washington City, Nove1nbe1· 1, 1~51. Dear Sir: . . . Your suggestions as to the proper course for our party to pursue, in respect to the Salt Lake commanded, as they still do, my most earnest attention. Not doubting that you have most thoroughly viewed this triangular title-not hearing from Mr. Rey- nolds on this point, and of course unadvised of his
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