Monclova 16th April 1833.

Col. S. F. Austin.

San felipe.

Dear Sir. Enclosed I transmit you a Copy of a letter from our mutual friend Gral Jose Anto: Mexia directed to you; original of which I shall keep until I shall have the oportunity of handing to you personally. From this letter you will discover how erroneous an opinion you have formed of my going to Mexico and which upon the bare supposition of the " on dits " from Matamoros you admitted as a full fact, according to the contents of the Post Scriptum to your letter of 4th Oct. 1832 directed to your corresponsal in Mexico, and of which likewise I acompany you a copy with the note in which I received a Copy of said P. S. that you may see in what a miraculous way it came to my hand, and to prove that no thing however secret it may appear or be treated with will remain for ever unrevealed.

I think my dear Colonl that I had reason to expect to be treated by you better than you have done, especially when yourself solicted and I acquiesced in the presence of our Mutual friend Dr Mauricio Hebenstreit in Matamoros, a reconciliation, and burrying into oblivion the past reciprocal acts of recrimination, at whose table we dined on said day. I was expecting and believing that from that moment a new era comenced to exist between us, and that in future a most cordial disposition towards the interest of Texas and the best understanding between us was to commence. But low behold what must have been my feelings at the receipt of the letter of which under No. 2 I send you a copy. ? I ask what would have been yours? and what supposition could you form, upon the investigation that said letter was directed to Mangino. With what view and intention? My dear Sir do not believe that I am of yesterday and that I cannot guess at things if you do, you are sadly mistaken.

It is very well known to you and to you only, that had I been disposed, I could and can yet shake the foundation of your Colony, and your individual welfare, you also know that I had more than sufficient reasons for doing so, for you very well know that you was the Instigated and promoter of all the mobs against me in Tejas, that I should have had no difficulty with no person but lived in perfect peace and quietness in Tejas, with my family. The unjust persecutions put on foot by your associates through your instigation have destroyed that peace, have ruined my interest, have kept me separate 3 Years from my family, and their happiness destroyed, My defenseless and abandoned children cry unto heavens for vengeance for such acts of injustice. I alone possessed more than a comon share of patience and forbearing have said nothing to justify myself of the many foul charges alleged against me, and why ? is it becose it is not in power? No, it is because I would not [s]trew firebrands into your colony altho you charged me with it in your letter directed to Col. Bradburn from Brasoria on the 24th Dbre 1832. You know very well that you have done me infinite injustice and have ruined my and my families happiness and fortune, and yet when I am ready and willing to forbear and to forgive at your own request in presence of our mutual friend, you are still, after agreeing to it, disposed further to persecute me,—Is this just? is it generous? is it noble Do you suppose that you can keep me in that way out of Tejas, upon which country I have as much right and claim as you or any other man has or can have You are mistaken. I never shall give up my claim on Tejas, and not even the assasins dagger will intimidate me to return and live there, in any vocation or under any circumstances.

To injure Tejas and to slander the Caracker of the inhabitants I not need to go to Méjico it is the last place where I would go to— You ought to know that in Matamoras in 1830 and 31. I had the management of the printing press, which I can get again at any time, should I wish it.— What better medium than this to injure Tejas and slander its inhabitants. Did I ever say any thing in that paper injurious to Tejas? Did I ever defend my own cause when I could do it? Why? Because I did not wish to reveal certain things, and persons compromised, But can I forever forbear new persecutions, and torments? You offered to me peace at Matamoras, I accepted, I run a dense vail over the past, you have broched and opened the half healed wound. Will you quit, or will you continue? Will you have peace or war? You can have either, I leave it to your own choice and discression. You have persecuted me, you have ruined me, you can finish your work, and I will mine with subscribing myself.

George Fisher,

[Inclosures]

No. 1.

Sor. Coronel D. Estevan Austin—Méjico Marzo 11. de 1833.—Mi muy querido amigo,—Hoy sale de esta capital D. Geo. Fisher á encargarse nuevamte de su antiguo destino en Galveston por disposición del gobierno. Yo me guardaría bien de recomendarlo á V. si su conducta aqui no hubiera sido la de un celoso partidario de la rebolucion nacional que ha terminado y en la que prestó servicios importantes. De ello tiene documentos y por ellos ha ganado la confianza de los patriotas.—

Con respecto á nuestro querido Tejas su porte ha sido el mejor, pues lejos de calumniar ha defendido á sus habitantes de algunos ataques injustos que les han querido dar los enemigos conocidos de su prosperidad.—

Fisher me ha dado palabra de cultivar la mejor armonia con V. y con todos los colonos y manejarse de modo que por su parte no haya motivo de recordar disgustos pasados. Si fuere asi, como lo espero, me prometo que V. interpondrá su poderoso influjo para que todos esos amigos le guarden las concideraciones á que es acredor, supuesto qe. lo pasado fueron meras equivocaciones y compromisos que produjo la conducta de Terán y Bradburn.

En fin amigo, Fisher hablará con V. y en la calma yo jusgo qe. todo se arreglará como se lo pido á V.

El dia 20. debo empesar en mis funciones de Senador y tanto en el Senado como en cualquiera otra parte puede V. disponer de la buena voluntad qe. le profesa su afmo. amigo.—J. Antonio Mejia.

No. 2.

Sor. D. Jorge Fisher.—Casa de V. Enero 15. de 1832. [1833]— Estimado amigo—Seria faltar á los vinculos de la amistad si no copiara á V. á continuación aqui, una carta del Sor. W. Keene dirijida al Sor. D. Rafael Mangino, la que por una casualidad vino á mis manos. Y impuesto V. de su contenido conocerá quienes sus amigos y hará el uso qe. á sus fines particulares le convenga.—" Méjico á 27. de Novre de 1832—Muy Sor. mió y amigo. Refiriéndome á la conversación qe. yo tube con V. el otro dia, respecto a Jorge Fisher, de Tejas, lo considero justo remitirle á V. la adjunta copia del P. D. de la carta del Coronel Austin, del propio país dirijida á su corresponsal en esta capital, á fin de que V. vea en su traducion; que se pueda sacar por medio de algún confidencial de V.; lo fundado de mi vituperación del carácter de Fisher, pues mirando el buen nombre de un hombre con su mas sagrada propiedad, no puedo consentir en bulnerarlo, sin hallarme apoyado en los fuertes indicios, á lo menos de su Criminalidad.—Disponga V. de su antiguo amigo y S. S. q. b. s. m.—R Keene___________

P. S. extracted from a letter of S. F. Austin to a Gentleman in Mexico under date of Oct: 4, 1832.—

"I understand from Matamoros that Geo: Fisher has gone to Mexico to slander Tejas. That man does not merit the confidence of the Government nor of any one. On his first arrival here he said more to create a bad impression on my mind against Alaman, Fagoaga, Tagle, and others, whom he called Escoceses, than I ever heard from any other source. He has been a Guerrero man, a Zavala man, and an acordada man etc a Jalapa, etc a Bustamante and other sorts of man; as the case required. I fear he is a bad man. At Matamoros he told me that General Terán was to blame for all the difficulties about the Custom House, that he only obeyed orders. To others he said diferently. Such a man can do nothing but harm in this or any other country where he is listened to."

Aunque firmó el mismo Keene esta post data la tachó toda su firma después.— Quedo de V. como smpe su affo. amigo y segó. Servr. Q. B. S. M.-—M. M. Zires,

NOTE BY THE SUBSCRIBER

On my arrival in Tejas I never mentioned the name of Alaman Fagoaga and Tagle, to Col: Austin as bad men or to create bad impressions, and the last one I do not even know and much less could I say any thing against him. I always was and will be a Guerrero man, or of that party, because they are the Democrats of this country.— I never was a Jalapa nor Bustamante man, other- wise Gral Teran would not have applied the 4th. Art° of the plan of Jalapa against me, suspending me from my office barely because my appointment was made by Guerrero.— At Matamoros I never told other wise and never will, but that I acted under the orders of Gral Terán, and the difficulties arrising from the Custom house affairs were through Col: Bradburn, Col Austin and others who interpreted the law in a different mode, and wanted the people to believe that I had discressionary powers granted to me, and that I was abusing of them and only acted by caprice, malice or revenge.— Let these charges against me be substantiated before the competent tribunals and then it will be seen how I acted and in virtue of what orders.—altho I could have done great deal of harm, had I been malicious enough or revengefull yet I never have done any nor will do it to the people of Texas.— A mans character may be slandered he may be persecuted and ruined, and sacrificed yet time will reveal the truth and the instigators and promoters, what will ultimately gain by such proceedings?

Monclova, 16th. April 1833.

Jorge Fisher. [Rubric]