Mexico Nov. 7th 1827
Stephen F Austin Esqr
My Dear Sir It is with heartfelt pleasure I now acknowledge
receipt of your much esteemed favour of the 22nd ulto — As it is
presumable Mr Almy may have given you some of the most
remarkable occurrences with me of late. I shall proceed without ceremony
to your many preguntas Much excitement has and still exists
among more properly speaking the Patriots and anti republicans
than between the masonic brethren for what, we call Yorkoino is
strictly speaking whig, with us and escoseses Tory — Some name
of distinction was necessary and as the parties became better known
about the time we established the York writ — and as every true
american flocked to our standard we were in a short time able to
outweigh the anti-republicans or Scotch party and they began
immediately to make a bug bar of yorkism and to charge Mr Poinsett
with the crime of introducing a system or machine by which he
intended to carry on all his intrigues a thousand ugly things have
been said and his answer to the congress of Veracruz which I now
hand you will give you some Idia of what they wished to make him
appear before the public So much for the Scotch and yorkism
If you have a wish to forward a petition to the grand lodge, I
will see that you have your charter, to this effect you will form
a lodge in your settlement and extend a petition to the grand lodge
of Mexico signed by all the members and provisional officers; The
charter will cost you perhaps 50$ though I recollect of having paid
30$ for the charter of a lodge in Saltillo. Please see Jesus Ma Ybarra
of that place from whom you can get all necessary information and
to whom please present my best respects — Fear not but the
Yorkinos will gain the day. the poor Scotch are making their last
struggle I have no doubt but the true object of masonry has been
in some measure perverted with us; but at the time when the
salvation of the country perhaps — depended, upon such a measure
and when it became necessary to try their strength which
manifested itself in the last elections Much to the mortification of the
Scotch Gentry and fortunately about that time the plan of Padre
Arenas was discovered in which some of their Chieftains were
complicated, I am so far from believing that the establishment of a
lodge by the americans in Texas would prove injurious that I would
give my vote, and whole influence to carry into effect such a
laudable purpose, and would prove to be another spoke in our wheel of
transcendent importance for your settlers are spoken of in the
highest terms and it has been made public and generally believed
that your settlers put a stop to Edwards Fields etc —
We have had for some time a state of things heretofore unknown
with us owing to the intrigue of the Scotch to get possession of the
reins of Government but they have so completely failed that I am
convinced they will have to give over their point, at least for the
moment and the great outcry seem to be in all parts, Expulsion of
the old Spaniard. In Michoacan Durango to the south and other
parts parties of considerable force have taken up arms against them
and have committed some excesses. The States of Xalisco and
Mexico have passed laws expelling certain classes from their
territories and particularly Mexico for having published its decree on the
16th ulto. expelling all Spaniard friars—so far so good—I have
just had a private interview with the President. He assures me
all will go well he is a true Patriot but slack of energy—which by
the bye turn out with the maņana folks to be often preferable at
least in the present case I have no doubt of the fact We had formed
a grand lodge and 5 symbolic lodges when Mr Poinsett arrived in
the country he became a member and through his agency we
received our charters from New York. We are somewhat in your
case respecting the abolition of slavery though not to the same
extent; they propose an indemnification to slave holders and in
cases where a state is not able to make indemnition; the right of
property is certainly attacked in the most flagrant manner. I hope
you will have it repealed or the same principle of indemnity adopted
by which we have been blessed-
It is difficult to guess who will be the next President I have no
doubt but he will be an american and Patriot some speak of
Guerrero, Pedraza etc etc I admire the decided character of the former
but the latter possess[es] more qualifications than any other man
in the Republic this is my opinion, The Scotch will try to get
in Bravo—or some other Scotch brother The System of government
for the territory is something like ours—The President is their
executive, a representative or Delegate in the House of
Representatives, a judiciary something like our territorial governments and
as respects interior economy, they have a governor etc etc
In short I am convinced that differences must arise from the union
of two states composed of different materials like coahuila and
Texas—and that a better plan might be to separate the practicability
of which you should better know than myself. The only material
inconvenience which strikes me at this time is the delay of the
dispatch of affairs Subject to the executive, department for the rest
your situation might be bettered,
It was my intention to be more concise but have been led astray by
a [desire] to satisfy your many enquiries] [some] of which requires
a more expert [hand] than mine to do them justice I have always
avoided political correspondence from motives, which have in some
measure subsided, and will now with pleasure do all I can to Quench
your thirst—
I shall leave Mexico for the U. S. in the month of February next,
it would have been sooner but for the unexpected delay of My
copartner Willson in the U. S. he will be out in the packet for this
month. Hoping to hear from you often, I remain sincerely your
friend obt. and humb servt
W. S. Parrott [Rubric]
I have a file of New York papers on the road and if they arrive
in time for the mail [will] hand you a few
[Addressed:] Sor Don. Estevan F. Austin Saltillo