Our friend Douai is in a corner again, the muster of the Sierra Nevada filibusters at San Antonio having been taken advantage of to overawe his party. [362] His subscribers neglect to pay up, believing that his paper will be interrupted by Lynch law process. His advertizing patrons have been forced to discontinue their important assistance to his financial position.

Vexatious law suits and other contrivances for embarrassing him have been instituted. He would undoubtedly have been lynched if he was not too brave & too well prepared for them. For fourteen days a strong armed guard was maintained at his printing office, & he sleeps in it well armed every night.

He is unable in consequence to meet his note for type & ink, due here this week for $150. I have given my honor that it shall be paid & shall prevent legal proceedings against him, if entirely out of my own pocket.

He writes as if overpowered & despairing—expects to quit & come North. I want to encourage him to stay & maintain the position he has gained & if he will, he must be sustained.

I suppose you will be helping them to arm in Kansas, which is a better thing & I don’t want to divert anything from it. So I won’t ask you to assist me now with this, but I want, if you have it, that letter from Douai which I gave you. I am going to try to tax the peace people, whose consciences won’t let them contribute for arms—& want that letter to send to Gerrit Smith.

I want mightily to go to Kansas myself this fall or next winter: if I find it possible to leave my business so long as will be necessary, perhaps I may—particularly if it comes to fight. I should like to know what you anticipate there.

I can’t well write a word to you without much emotion even now, but I am anything but a miserable or even a dissatisfied man & most sincerely.