Dr. Brother
I am anxious to hear how you are. the last accounts you were getting
better I shall be at Brazoria at the Ball and from there go down— I am
gaining strength so slowly that it is difficult to perseive much improvement
in my strength—
I think that matters will go on well and smoothly in both the Executive
and Legislative departments— There evidently is a disposition to
harmonise in all persons.
I have been solicited to go into the new cabinet as Secretary of State—
or to go to the U. S. as minister— I have declined— I have all the land
office business to close— Who can I trust it with in my absence? If S. M.
Williams failed me while I was in prison in the city of Mexico, who can I
hope will not fail me?
Besides all this my health is gone, and I must have rest to nurse my
constitution and try and restore my strength— The land office will be as
much as I can attend to in the present state of my health.
I think I shall effect a sale of some tracts of land, tho, at a great
sacrifice; which will supply me with something to live on, for the present untill
I raise means to settle a farm.
I send you by Simon two slips of Roses which I brought yesterday from
Dr Phelps' place, The largest slip is monthly, white, exceedingly
fragrant, as much so as damask rose—it forms a tree—it is very rare in the
U. S. and was procured from abroad by a botanist in N. Orleans who gave
a slip to Phelps—
The other slip blooms daily the year round is red and fragrant—
Do take care of them—water them every night untill they take root
I also send you black walnuts to plant They are from a tree that Bell
planted in his yard after he settled where he now is— They ought to be
planted in January Do not neglect them, nor let the children eat them—
If I am here in the winter I will go to Mrs Allsburys and get some slips and
roots for you
Have you saved any more of the crow foot Grass seed— A small patch
in Bells yard has supported about a dozen Horses and kept them fat— He
says he never has seen any grass half so valuable for a pasture— Do not
neglect this—set Austin and Joel or the children to gathering the seed
Gen Jackson has answered Santanna's letter of 4 July in a very friendly
manner—he has made it the basis of an offer of mediation with Mexico and
open.d a correspondence with the Mexican Minister at Washington Those
who cursed and were for hanging me for going to see Santana at all, or
getting him to write to Jackson, now say that I was right,—that measure
then so bad, is now looked to as one of the best modes of bringing about a
peace Gen. Houston's ideas as to santana agree very much with mine.
I have full confidence that all will go right—and that by next March we
shall belong to the U. S. I wish to take the trip to Washington—but who
can I trust to close the land business? If Williams and McKinney failed
me in my absence and forgeting their duty to their country became wild
and gambling land jobbers—who can I trust? I know of no one but Gail
Borden He can be trusted, for he is conscienciously an honest man, but
if he refused to chime in with the views of speculators they would seek
some way to ruin him— My confidence in mankind is so destroyed by
W. and McK. in whom I had unbounded confidence that I am fast falling
or have fallen into the opposite extreme to the principle that always
governed me— I once believed all men honest untill the reverse appeared—
I now think all the reverse untill I see them tryed— Love to Emily
and all
S. F. Austin
Columbia July [October] 25. 1836—
[Addressed:] Mr James F. Perry Peach point Simon