The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 239

Notes and Documents

W. H. Ashley member Congress knows me. I should like if you
would write to W. C. Carr-St Louis I can form no idea when I
shall leave here or be at liberty to do so. Persecuted by the rep-
resentative of my native country, and entangled in the endless
labyrinth of a mexican political prosecution in a place where
persons of foreign birth, &8 north americans in particular are
hated, there appears to be but a faint hope of getting away soon
if ever-The main Substance of the charge against me is founded
on a paragraph in a letter of mine to a mexican in which I say
"This Govt ought to regulate the weal Govt of Texas or Sell that
country to the United States before they loose it." The words
underscored have been combined with my letter to the Ayunta-
miento of Bexar of 2 October," so as to make out a charge that
my object was to add Texas to the U. S.-If Such a thing could
be done I confess I Should be very well Satisfied, and had the
charge been worded in this way "Austin has paved the way for
adding Texas to the U. S. by contributing to Settle that country"
it would not have been without good foundation as the future
will Show, for whatever may be my fate, what I have done in
Texas cannot be undone. That country belongs to civilization,
and to the english language, and to freedom.
I have Said nothing to any one about Butler's conduct except
to Mr Leggett and Mr W. S. Parrottl2-It will add nothing to the
north american character to have such conduct made public-I
have considered it to be my duty to inform you of these things,
for Should he carry into execution his threat of making a publi-
cation about me, my friends then will of course desire to have
information from me so as to know how to meet it-I therefore
leave it to you to do in the matter as may be deemed most prudent
-I dislike very much to have my name in the news papers if it
can be avoided, on any subject, and especially Such a one as this-
Tho' I have no doubt that he will never publish any thing, for
his letters to me would injure him more than any one else, but he
may try to injure me at Washington by private Statements with
Mr Forsythe and the President, in order to excuse himself for
not interfering in my favor-
11Barker (ed.), Austin Papers, II, 1oo7-ioo8.
12An American merchant in Mexico City.

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