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 mañana 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