365
PAPEns OF Mrn.AI!EAU BuoNAPARTE hnIAn
No. 2591. EDWARD FONTAINE TO LAl\IAR
Cima Verde. Feb. 22d. 1858.
Genl. MIRABEAU B. LAMAR. DEAR GENERAL:
Your letter of Jan 14th written at Aspinwall, gave me much pleasure, I have just sent, directed to the care of the Secy. of State, to be for- warded with official Documents, two copies of Richardson's "Texas Almanac for 1858." The fool has curtailed the Biographical sketch to one half of it's original length; left out the most important facts, & rearranged & confused all that was written in the defence of your administration; abridged the sentences, destroyed the force & beauty, and spoiled the grammar of all the rest; & added some silly flourishes of his own. It very properly appears without my name; & I very gladly disown the paternity of the production. Like the Ass who pre- fers the thistle to the clover, & carefully crops the most unsightly weeds from the most fragrant flowers, this critic has selected the only sen- tences from my manuscript which were homely or pointless, & which could neither hurt nor help any body's reputation, & which might have been deservedly rejected. I find a few of these retained to link to- gether the chain of his patent-biography all the rest he has omitted to save space, & of course, to save the dimes. The Legislature adjourned on the 16th Feb. after acquitting itself quite creditably in the service of the State. The Bill establishing one . University, with an appropriation of $100.000 & every tenth Section of reserved Vacant lands passed the Senate by an unanimous vote, & the House by a very large majority. A decided majority were in favor of locating it in Austin; but the timid dodged the respcmsibility of act- ing; & they adjourned without making the location. My election as Chaplain of the· Senate gave me a very comfortable support for the winter, & mortified my foes exceedi;ngly. They were also very much Chagrined at my success in getting the University Bill through both Houses. Among the most important acts is one providing for a Geo- logical Survey of the State. The appropriation I think is $30.000. The Salary of the Geologist is $3.000. Raymond & Co, & Pease with them, are all "laid up in or'nary." A Bill authorizing & requiring the Treas- urer to issue U. S. Bonds & Coupons to persons for gold & silver at par, has injured considerably Swenson & Swisher's Exchange business. Having now played the parson among the politicians, helped the Caucus, written bills, briefs of Speeches and promoted the public good in various ways, and at the same time "licked" my enemies handsomely, I can retire from my parish with credit, & leave Austin with flying colors when I choose. And I am really tired of hard work and poor pay. I wish to leave t~e State, until the University goes into oper- ation, without selling my home, & "fillibuster," ecclesiastically, in -a new field, or retire & rest in an old, rich, & well-paying parish. My inclination is to plant the true banner of the Cross, on the Rocky Mountains, the Andes, the Himmalaya or the Isthmus. Peru, Ecuador, Venzuela, Bolivia, New-Mexico the Isthmus & Thibet, are all accessible at this time. If I could get a Congregation any where on the "Transit Route" I would soon fix it where it's folds would flash in the tropical Sunlight banned by the breezes of the two Oceans, & fix it so firmly
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