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TEXAS S_TATE LIBRARY
to give; & that is, I have no idea of runing for the Presidency- I have various reasons for this determination, which I have not time to give you now, but when we meet we will talk them over, & I hope that will be before long. I have heard that Rusk is to be the Admin- istration Candidate ! I have long thought he intended to run, but I had no idea untill lately, that he would identify himself with Houston, & I still hope it is not so; but his sudden determination not to carry out the Western frontier protection bill, after he had said so much upon the subject, looks, to say the least of it, suspicious- Should he run as the Administration Candidate, I fear there would be no possi- bility of preventing his election, as he is personally very popular, & if to that popularity, is added the influence which Houston yet weilds, there would be no resisting it- He would then in all probability come in pledged to carry out the wretched policy of the present Execu- tive, & if so, farewell to Texas. There is another reason why a coalition of this sort may have been formed- Houston is tottering on his throne, but if he can by any means, bring to his aid the popularity & influence of Rusk, he is safe. He may go on for the residue of his term, as he has done thus far, & set the Constitution, laws, & every thing else at defiance, & laugh at those, who oppose his high-handed lawlessness.- Poor Austin has sadly changed since you saw it, as indeed, has all the Western part of the Country- We have now but a small population,-no business,- & are living under great privations- We have however, held on to the "Archives," & will battle for them to the death; but I fear all our exertions will eventually prove unavailing especially if Genl. Rusk has coalesced with Houston. I suppose you have seen the exertions we are making in our little paper, the "Western Advocate"- It gives them some annoyance at least, if it has no other effect- I would like for you to procure a file of it, which I presume you can do in Galveston, & look over all the political articles- I think some of them will meet your approbation- The paper is very popular in the West, but.I expect is but little read in the East, where it is most needed- We circulate however 500 extra copies throughout the Eastern & Northern Counties- that is, if the post masters on the way permit them to go- The "Times" not long since suggested the idea of a Western Convention, & we have taken it up, & have got the ball in motion. Posibly it may take, & if it do, some benefit may be derived from it- . If you do not come up shortly, let me hear from you- WTite fully- I shall be in Washington at the Supreme Court the first of June, & if I should not see you before, ·cannot you meet me there? Your friend truly & sincerely .James Webb f Addressed] Genl. Mirabeau B. Lamar attention of ) Galveston ) Dr. •l f arsden )
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