_My dear Sir_—The conversation I had with you last evening left upon my
mind the impression that you entertained a belief that I would oppose
you and your friends, politically, should your choice for the
Legislature in the coming contest fall upon some other person than
myself, and that I would endeavor to secure to my support cliques and
factions of our party, in this county, that are antagonistic to you, and
that to do so, I would be compelled to give pledges which, if carried
out, would result to your prejudice. If I am correct in my impression
(and I hope I am not), I regret very much that our years of intimate
acquaintance has made you know me only to doubt me.
I, therefore, desire to enter upon a full explanation of my feelings
towards you, not for the purpose of trying to secure your support or
influence in my behalf, but to disabuse your mind of any impression that
you may have that under any circumstances, whatever, I would place
myself in opposition to you. It is unnecessary for me to recapitulate
the circumstances under which we first became associated as friends. I
received from you a lucrative appointment, which I held some two years.
It is not on account of pecuniary obligations that I feel myself in
honor bound to stand your supporter to the last extremity. The year
previous to my coming to El Paso to live I had been engaged in an
enterprise which promised, if successful, a fortune. I had partners who
advanced a small portion of the original capital invested, and who, when
I was confined to my bed suffering for months from wounds received while
risking my life to advance their interest as well as my own, not only
robbed me of all I had, but slandered me to my friends to excuse their
conduct. Weak and poor as I was, I made them such a fight that they were
compelled to use the most despicable means to defeat me, and I
endeavored to find employment to support my children; they, having the
aid of men of influence who still were my friends and desired to assist
me, poisoned them against me by villainous lies and slanderous
misrepresentations of my conduct. They acknowledged that they endeavored
to poison _your_ mind against me when I had a prospect of again rising,
and that if you had not stood my friend they would have succeeded in
their threats of driving me from the country. It was then through your
interposition that these parties failed, and that I have had the
satisfaction of receiving humble apologies from some of them for the
wrong they did me. I was taught in my youth never to allow an insult to
pass unresented, never to forgive an enemy who deliberately injured me,
never to be ungrateful to one who befriended me. I believe that you were
my friend when I most needed one, you _shall never have cause to regret
that act_, and I would consider myself as great a villain as the world
contains, if _under any circumstances whatever_, I arraigned myself
among the number of your enemies, personal or political; or if I should
passively witness any attack upon your private or political character,
and not strike a blow in your defense. Whatever bad qualities I may
possess (and I know I have many faults) I am no _ingrate_. I consider
myself bound to support you whenever you require that support, and will
give you all the assistance in my power to enable you to accomplish any
object you have in view, and if you are not entirely satisfied that all
I do in this connection is to show my gratitude, I am indeed unfortunate
and can only wait patiently for time to prove my sincerity.
Very respectfully,