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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
ought to have been, and uot as they were, for fear that my boy may be depraved by the had example of his namesake. I was at the Independence Camp meeting only an hour the last day of it's duration. I saw Doctor Hoxey & his lady. They were ,·cry well, and asked many questions about your welfare. They will expect you certainly as soon as your Official term expires. I will set off for Austin on the 27th ; so as to reach there I)\· the meeting of Congress. · If you meet with a convenient opportunity for sending clown Caro- line and John, Captain Swisher will take goocl care of them until you can settle them to your liking. She will only have to do light work about the house. Dr. Chalmer's little boys are both well, & the· neigh- bourhood is healthy. Alexander Chalmers is about as witty and wicked . as bis father. He went to the Camp-Ground Sunday. When he re- turned, I asked him what sort of a meeting they had. He said that he did not know: "they had rather singular doings; all that I saw were preaching, praying, or shouting, but one old woman, & she had fits !" . . Captain Swisher will not move before Christmas. If I can be suited to my notion in .Austin, I will spend the winter there. Give my respects to the Major. My wife desires me to say that she is anxious to see you that she may show you the finest boy in the Republic- one who will certainly evangelize or liberate all America from the Rio Grande to Cape Horn if he answers our expectations. Your friend Eow. FONTAINE [Addressed:] To His Excellency General Mirabeau B. Lamar, Austin City [Endorsea :] Edw. Fontain Oct 1841 Private No. 2116. PART OF LAMAR'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS [Austin, Texas, November 3, 18-U] I feel it to be my duty also to lay before congress an occurrence in the West which may possibly require some legislative action. During a temporary absence from the seat of Government one of our citizens, capt Dimitt was seized upon at Corpus christa, by a party of the Cen- ·tral Troops of Mexico. and taken to Matamoras as a prisoner. This government not being able at the moment to recapture our fellow citi- zen or to punish the offenders, an order was issued from the '\Var De- partment to seiz upon the :Mexican traders by way of retaliation and to hold them and their property in custody for the redemption of Capt Dimit. Under this order a party of traders was accordingly made prisoners, and their property taken from them. I arrived at the seat of Government about this time; and the matter being laid before me, I felt constrained by a sense of justice to release said Traders, and to repossess them of their property; and an order to this effect was ac- cordingly issued. I was induced to take this course because these traders had come into our country by our own invitation under· a solemn pledge that their persons and property should be protecte_d; and there being no evidence of their having had any connection with
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