l'Arr;ns OF :\lmABEAF BuoNAP.\HTE LA~rAH 87 I entertain the best disposition for arranging matters in such a way that the Colollists might not feel the effects of a disasterous War; but it is.110t my fault that they are presumptions, and are on the point of contending with the whole nation, whose pride is so great that she can 1w,·er yield to the dictation of strangers, and will .fi11ally chastise the guilty. It is perhaps certain that some ~lexicans, whether from pri- vate resentment or from prfrate interest, or because no rule is without exception, wi II eo-opPratc in the revolt of the Colouists; but the nation in general will oppose it with all her force; and that man must indeed be degraded who would not prefer cleath to base compromise. I have not yet given the slightest cause to you, or any one else, to attribute to me ignoble intentions; 011 the contrary, I might be accused or weakness, for having taken too much into consideration, the local interests of those new settlers, who wish to prosper by going beyond the bounds set by nature herself; for iu human affairs to proceed to extremities is to commit excesses to hasten the termination of their existance. The term made use of by your official communication (to which I do not reply) of the "Federal Army of T<>xas" is quite un- known, consider, that in this nation there is no other army than the one to which I belong; that neither has it attacked the form of Gov- ernment previously mentioned, nor has it interfered with the political wars of this Republic. That it is desirous of peace, that army has sufficiently shown; but it does not decline to enter into War, inasmuch as that is its profession; and the fr1dividuals who compose it haYe manifested from the time of our happy Emancipation, their contempt of clangers, their resignation & enthusiasm in the heat of battle itself. You may infer from this that I will not receive a white flag; because that would be to aclmowledge in n certain manner the existance, of your revolted forres _: therefore if the reflections which the perusal of this communicatiou ought to produce should not make a sufficient im- pression on yonr mind, you can from this moment continue to carry on, as before, your operatious. This shall he the last communicn- tion, unless you should subsequently consent to my request of appear- . ing in the character of a peaceable citizen, who ought certainly to be · interested, in prernnting the :Mexicans from making of the Colonies a signal example See what I can personally be of service to you, as I remain your attentive servant, who kisses your hand 1LrnTrn PEnFECTo DE Cos
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No. 247. PHILIP Dil\IITT TO STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 1 r.
Fort of Goliad Oct. 19th. 1835 5 oclock P. M.
To Gen. 8. F. AusTrn
Com. in ch. of the Army of the People, DEAU Sm,
Yours by express of' the "16th. inst. 12. P. ).l." came to hand at 12 last night, mHl it::; rontents are delibernt£>ly ronsidered. By hand of
'"In No. 2-ll.
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