85
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
unfortunate prisoners, .but without tumult, without noise, dealing only even handed justice, to avert the impending danger by a speedy and prompt correction of the origin and moving cause If the people does not act promptly; we will be caught in what gamblers call hock, and dealt out in splits. Hockelty and splits are carefully guarded against by adroit gamblers, and should be by politicians These may be called low and even vulgar comparisons - but so, they speak volumes to the mind Let the alchymist at once be informed, that if he wishes to find the philosophers stone, he must box the compass, - that he is in the wrong latitude; and let me admonish him when he takes his departure, to be very cautious lest he sail out of soundings For if he should, he may never be able in time or eternity to beat up;- and Santana and all his cherokees will never be able to correct his log Let this be done before we become compromitted with other governments; let Texas be awake and depend upon herself, and I pledge my honor she is in no sort of danger Her own bosom enemies are all she has to dread It is them that call these murdering and kidnapping parties in upon us,- it is them that are far more anxious to subjugate us than Santana· himself, he never will cross the Rio Grande again nor do I believe he would ever send another expedition, either by land or water, only in antie:ipation of finding us an easy and willing prey by the aid of his friends here Simply because it is not his interest, nor would it be his policy He would glory i11 taking his revenge on the people that brought him to disgrace, and would be proud to make the acquisition of Texas, as before observed, for the sake of the home effect; but I dare venture to swear he never would attempt it if deprived of his aid here Could I but have my own way Mexico never should be urged to acknowledge our independence, as we did not get it at the right time, I would not now accept of it without heavy boot and the best kind of security for her good behaviour I would let her know she had to behave herself, and shinny her own side, and keep her as Great Brittain does her East india possessions, for our own special use-more of this anon in a sub- sequent chapter under the head of policy The thing now to be con- sidered by the people, is not whether Tom, Dick or Harry be the next President, or who shall be sent to the next Congress, or about thiA that or the other policy, but resolves itself into a much narrower com- pass viz To be, or not to be :-that is the question? If these evils are not promptly corrected let the confiding people be ware of the ides of march? I feel however, assured that so soon as the people find out they have been deceived and their confidence abused that they will use the proper correctives. They need not however, depend on Congress to do anything unless they were specially instructed, or sent for that purpose I have allready given a slight sketch of that body as it has heretofore been found If that picture be considered as too highly col- oured I refer to their acts, the true touch stone, they will warrant the portrait I have now traced our hero through eight years of time and proved that he has at least been consistent in one thing which was to promote what he considered his ~wn interest even to the subvertion of the liberties of his Country. What he may have of dirty work for his Congress of the present year time will shew; or whether that body will legitimate themselves, and endeavor to reclaim and recuperate consti- tutional action, or join the nominal vagrant President (and so far as
Powered by FlippingBook