The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913 Page: 209
464 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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British. Corresp-ondence Concerning Texas
It is certainly in no great spirit of disparagement of the peo-
ple of Texas. In many respects, on the contrary I think them
worthy of high admiration, for example in the spirit of daring
adventure, and disregard of every kind of difficulty and hard-
ship, I know not by whom they can be surpassed. It is certainly,
then, I would repeat in no spirit of general disrespect, but purely
of dispassionate observation of their variable and excitable politi-
cal humour that I would remark I have never lived amongst any
people more likely to abandon their solemn declaration of separa-
tion to any plausible exhibition of what was best for their imme-
diate interests. Joined to this expansiveness of political consist-
ency, you will scarcely need to be reminded of their actually
pressed condition, and of the absence of those impulses which pro-
duce what we understand by patriotism; not to be looked for in-
deed amongst a people strange to the soil, and compounded for the
most part of wandering and restless Emigrants. from the S. W.
States of the neighbouring Union.
Speaking then of things as they actually are here, and of the
people now living in this Country it would certainly not surprize
me to find this project, temporarily favored, and perhaps it would
not be hard for its advocates to shew them that General Santa
Afia's scheme would be as profitable an arrangement for Texas
and the United States as I am sure it would be a mischeivous one
for Mexico.
The President, I confidently believe, will act only upon large
and honorable views of what is due to his Country and to him-
self. But whilst He is sincerely and wisely averse to aggressive
War in Mexico, I am persuaded that He is steadily anxious to
secure the Independence of the Country, and I do not doubt that
He is secretly preparing to resort to that course as vigorously as
He can if the interference of Foreign powers shall not otherwise
and promptly close this combat. There seems good reason to be-
lieve that He will succeed in establishing treaties with most of the
Border Indians and when that is accomplished He will be in a
better situation to turn to other projects.
General Santa Afia will be greatly mistaken indeed if He
thought that Houston's real influence in this Country is weaken-
ing, or wished that it should, for He is very moderately disposed
towards Mexico, and will strive hard to reach some safe and209
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913, periodical, 1913; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101058/m1/217/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.