Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/579

 of attorney; would they not naturally and immediately have sought the archives for information and evidence, where the original must be, if any such existed? This would have shown an honesty of purpose. It is now to be seen what course they do adopt, other than that which was natural for innocent men to take; and I beg the especial attention of honorable Senators to this point, that they may determine whether the course of the parties evidenced or not an honest desire to arrive at the truth. League goes to see the Alabama gentlemen, at the suggestion of Judge Watrous. He sees Lapsley at Selma; tells him of the discovery made in the depositions taken at Saltillo; and the consequence is, that Lapsley gives him $2,500 to enable him to go to Mexico and "procure" testimony to sustain the alleged power of attorney.

Now, it is in evidence that Lapsley, who professes to be very careful in his negotiations, had exacted from League a warranty of title against the particular risk of the validity of this power. League was reputed to be worth some seventy-five or one hundred thousand dollars; and his warranty was the only security the parties had by which to save themselves. He goes to Lapsley, and tells him, in substance, " News has reached us that I am liable to you on the warranty." What does Lapsley say? Does he say: "I entered into the transaction believing that everything was bona fide. I will have nothing more to do with it; and must look to your warranty? No such thing. He says: " I release you from your warranty." He gives up and renounces the only chance which he and the parties he was to represent had to save themselves; but not only this, he gives to League $2,500 to pay his mileage to Mexico!

One other circumstance, too, is suggestive, in relation to this warranty against the power of attorney, the link in the title from La Vega. In Mr. Lapsley 's testimony, it appears that it had been greatly urged by Judge Watrous, at the time of the conveyance, that League had hesitated to sign the warranty, and that Judge Watrous had encouraged and pressed him to do it, saying: "You can sign it with perfect safety, Mr. League, because I am satisfied myself that the title is good." Yet the warranty, when so urged, and about which so much was then manifested, is found to be released at the very time that the validity of the link of title for which it was given, is called in question! and without which, Lapsley said, the bargain would fall through.

I will observe here, that in all that I have stated of the circumstances surrounding the alleged power of attorney from La Vega to Williams, to sell the land in controversy, I have not designed making any attempt to prove this document a forgery. That, I think, is indubitable. But my object has been to show the part taken by Judge Watrous and his agents to foist a forgery upon the poor settlers they were seeking to defraud. To accomplish this object, I now proceed to a continuation of the narrative, resuming at the point where League returns to Galveston, having been furnished by the Alabama parties with means to prosecute their designs in Mexico.

From the printed testimony in the Watrous case, it appears that the judge was fully acquainted by League with the communications and results of his interview with the Alabama associates. It was the judge who suggested