Cincinnati 4 Decr 1829
My dear Sir
The return of our worthy friend Genl Fullerton affords me
another opportunity of troubling you with a letter— Well now
I do verily believe that some of my late letters have been a trouble
to you—but I dont see the use of having a friend unless we can
trouble him now and then-—
The principal burden of my last letters (and I have written you
five or six within two months) has been the probable purchase of
Texas by this government— This subject has somewhat died away
here and the excitement produced by its first agitation in the public
papers has measurably subsided— The newspaper discussion of it
was I believe first Started by T. H. Benton whom you know—
Some writer in Nashville rung the second peal, and anon the matter
was taken up by a variety of scribblers, both friends and foes to the
contemplated acquisition— My original opinion, as expressed to you
in my first letter on the subject, has been somewhat modified but
not essentially changed— I still believe the purchase will be made,
but not so speedily as I then apprehended— It seems to me that
Mr Poinsett has rendered himself too much an object of jealousy,
and become too unpopular in Mexico to negocíate a treaty on so
delicate and important a subject as the relinquishment and the
acquisition of so valuable a territory— Rumor says that Mr Hughes,
who was recently superseded as charge d'affairs at the Netherlands
will be appointed to Mexico, and I think the report very likely to
be correct—
Mr Hughes is now in Europe and probably will not arrive in this
country before spring— Should he be sent to Mexico, he could not
reach there until late in the fall, for he would not venture himself
at Vera Cruz during the summer or autumnal months— If then it
shall fall to his lot to negotiate the treaty, it will not be practicable
for him to perfect it until late in the ensuing winter, and hardly in
time to submit it to the senate of 1830-31— It will doubtless be
a part of the policy of the administration to bring it in before the
sages of the land, near the close of their session when the ranks of
the opposition may be a little thinned and those who remain are
pretty well fagged and out of tune for a fierce onset— It is
therefore not probable in my opinion that you will belong to Uncle
Sam before March or April of 1831—and I do really hope that I
shall be able before that time, to have my Colony fully Settled and
so firmly fixed as not to be disturbed by the arch cupidity that has
too often characterised our good Uncle's dealing with large land
claimants— I have but little time to write, but I send you a packet
of news papers from which you will [be] able to glean more of the
late doings in the world than I could give you in a week— I
observed in one of the national Journals which I send you, a letter
from San Felipe touching the advertisment by Dennis A Smith
of 48,000,000 of acres of Texas lands— I was truly rejoiced to see
that publication— They have an agency here and when it was
first established I was detirmined to expose the imposition as I then
considered it by a publication under my own proper name— The
agent here called on me on the subject and I stated to him very
frankly my views concerning it and told him that I should feel com-
pelled if they put out an advertisement, to enlighten the public
mind on the matter— He assured me that no money should be
paid over to the alleged proprietors until they gave entire
satisfaction as to title— I then concluded not to interfere and make
myself many enemies for I have learned from experience that
enemies made in this way have much more zeal, than any friends whom
the doing of Such a service might procure a body— so I even
resolved not to meddle with the matter, but I have freely spoken of
it to many gentlemen in this City and have communicated my views
to two respectable citizens of Baltimore—
Peck, who left here a few days ago for Orleans, tells me that
Willson is selling Texas lands in New York at 2 cents an acre—
Willson told me last summer, that he had a grant in fee for 8,000,000
acres— Is it so qu[i]en sabe, as we Mexicans say— Certain I am
that these things are doing an injury to all of us—- the detection of
one fraud in relation to Texas lands, will entail suspicion upon us
all, and it is outrageous that honest men should suffer for the
misdeeds of a few sharpers—
I have some expectation of forming a company in Baltimore for
the settlement of my Colony— Should it be done we shall
proceed rapidly in the work—a few weeks will determine— I am
exceedingly desirous to get back— Should our friend Padilla be
with you I beg you will mention me to him—- I wrote to him and
also to the Governor some time ago and enclosed my letters to
Williams and I hope they have not miscarried— I have since then
written to the Governor, inclosed to you, and sent a duplicate I
would write to both by this opportunity but have not much time
and am not yet able to speak positively as to my success or my return
to Texas—
I received a nacogdoches paper yesterday containing an obituary
notice of your amiable and lamented brother and I have taken [it]
to the Gazette office to have it published here— It occurred to me
that there might be some friends and relatives who had not heard
of his decease, and besides it would be a gratification to my own
feelings to give currency to that modest tribute of respect for the
memory of a friend whom I much esteemed—
I send a half barrel of buck wheat meal directed to League, to be
divided between Williams and himself— Should you be at
house-keeping you must make a tripartite division of it, for I have sent
it under a presumption that you were not— My Texas friends
are so frugal of their time or their paper that I am left entirely to
presumptions on all matters relating to them— The one letter from
you and one from Williams at Orleans are all the evidence I have
that I am remembered on the Brasos— I have never received one
line from League— I beg you will write to me by the first opportunity as it is probable I shall be here long enough to receive it if
not here, will have it Sent after me— do write any how and give
me all the news, for I am exceedingly in the dark in respect to Texas
affairs— Farewell— May God bless you in all things—
Remember me to all friends—and should you have opportunity remember
me particularly to Mrs. Long— I heard long ago that she had left
San Felipe and was living on the river below and therefore have
not mentioned her in my former letters—in haste.
David G. Burnet [Rubric]
Col. Austin