Matamoros June 3d 1830
Col. S F Austin
My dear Sir In a letter which I wrote you by Captn John
Austin I expressed a wish that you might be induced to accept
Genl Terans invitation to meet him here rather than at La bahia
or St Antonio— Since writing circumstances have transpired
which cause me to suspect the Genls Views to be somewhat
treacherous
When he came here one of his aids told Col Bradburn who was
then with me that one of the Genls objects in visiting Texas was
to remove you from the Colony, your influence with the colonists
being dangerous to the security of the province—
I paid but little attention to the observation at the time
supposing it to be impossible for the Genl to meditate so rash a
measure—
Today there is great excitement amongst the Americans, on acct
of a declaration last night by the Genl to a Mexican in presence
of an American whom he supposed not to understand Spanish,
that he viewed the foreigners in this part of the country as the
Most dangerous enemies of it particularly the North Americans
whose sole object was to wrest from the Mexicans their property
and so much of their territory as they could get— The American
could not refrain from asking him if it were possible that such were
his real sentiments to which he replied they were— You know
the duplicity of the Mexican character—their general want of
faith in all transactions and the necessity of being guarded against
their villany— It is possible the observation of the Genls Aid to
Col B was with good information of the subject. It may therefore
be wise to keep yourself under cover of your own rifles, which
Genl Teran has not nerve nor power to encounter you must take
good care not to let it transpire that I communicate with you on this
subject as it would probably consign me to the Calabose
I shall be off as soon as I possibly can but have too much property
outstanding to do it immediately
H Austin [Rubric]