John S. Wills to Stephen F. Austin, 03-22-1825
Summary: Inquiries about opportunities for professional men. Rumors of assimilation of Mexico by the United States.
State of Ohio Brown County Ripley
Sir
By Mr. Wm Cummings I take the liberty of addressing you, tho:
a perfect stranger, this however I hope will not be considered
intrusive, in as much as I am very desirous of leming the general
character of your province, as to general Laws and municipal
regulations by profession I am a lawyer, and have been in the
profession for upwards of twenty five years, and have connected with me a
Son in Law of the same profession, a young man of finished
education, and in general opinion of much promise. I have also Nephew
a phisician, regularly bread, these gentlemen have strong
inclination to settle in some New Country, opening to them, prospects, more
flattering to their views, than any thing in this section of the
United States. By News paper information we here are informed,
that the Government of Mexeco, will be partially organized and
assimelated to the Government of these United States so far as
circumstances will permit, should your government, be organized
with a Judiciary likened to that of any [of] our states it is
presumable some field would be opened for a young [man] of legal
acquirements, of which you will be pleased to inform me.
It is not improbable but that upon satisfactory information, of the character of your government, should it be as I have had reason to calculate, I would with some few others become citizens thereof, for myself I could not from age (fifty) expect much, but my object is the promotion of my connections, we could not bring much wealth, with us, but I can say with some confidence, we could, bring that, that would be no loss to your infant establishment, character etc.
At some leisure moment, will you be pleased to devote, a little time in answering this letter, and have it, forwarded to some post office in the United States,
NB I believe I knew your father, when he resided in Richmond, Virginia I was then studying Law in that place, I saw him afterwards at Cincennati Ohio, on his way to the lower Country