State of Alabama
Town of Tuscumbia
3rd Jany. 1828
D. Colo
I beg leave to introduce to your aquantence and notice Mr Silus,
Ephram and Benjmn Fuqua and Mr Job Ingram and Kye Ingram,
these Gentlemen have emigrated to your Coloney to become
permanent settlers—The Mr Fuquas are Mechanics, two of them of the
best kind; they are honest and respectable men and are determined
to suport the Government to which they go, I have had much
conversation with Mr Silus Fuqua, on the present and future
prospects of your coloney; and tho he has never seen it, he has a most
corect idea of its great advantages, you will find him an inteligent
man and I have no doubt will be an acquisition to your Setlement, I
have known these gentlemen twelve years, the Mr Ingrains I have
not known personaly but from their universal good character and
the Gentlemen they go with, I feel no hesitation to recomend them
to your attention;
On my arival in the U. S. I found Agriculture fast declining in
all the Middle and Southern region of our country, oppressed with
heavey duties on imports from a broad and taxes at home, and the
people burthened with debts, many of which were no doubt
contracted in more prosperous times that I could not help runing a
parallel in my mind between the happy condition of the adopted
citizens of your country and the people of this; indeed frankness
and candure impels me not to withold from you the expressions of
the opinions and thoughts that have so repetedly obtruded
themselves on my mind; (that is) that every family ought to bless his
happy star that conduced them to a country blessed with the finest
soil in North Amarica, with plenty, health, peace and happiness—
and if they act wisely (as I hope and trust they will) they will
foster and cherish the Government they live in, which will be the
certain means of preserving their estamible rights unimpaired; and
a sure protection of their property—while on the contrary in this
country there are hundreds and thousands of familes who do not
own a foot of land nor have they any hope of ever doing so (I mean
of any real value) who are barely able to sustain themselves with
the most common coarse food and raiment—In the short time since
my arival at home I have assertained beyond question that 40 or 50
families would emigrate with me next fall to your country if they
could introduce their slaves, many of them are large holders of that
description of property; and I consider it a duty I owe myself as
well as you, to assure you that I shall moove to your country next
fall if I can with safety bring mine; for I find I have not one slave that is willing to be sold from me;
I feel a deep interest in the prosperity of your country and hope
you will do me the favour (for I shall prise it highly) to write to me
by the first safe hand after the receipt of this letter; let me know if
we will be alowed to bring in Slaves under any circumstances, if not
what are the future prospects—what has been done with my
petition, can I locate the Heseandar [hacienda] on the west bank of the
colorado River
If I can bring in fifty families, I believe I can get $50. a League
from them, and I should give you one half if you will reserve good
land for them as I have always thought that compensation not
enough for the founder of a colony in adition to his premium lands—
but this will depend on the Slave Question can fifty good Leagues
be got between the colorado and auroyo lavaca—that is now vacant—
I know when you reach home how much you will be provoked and
how much you will (on many acounts) regret the deception and
fraud played off on me and many respectable citizens of your colony
by William Pettus—for he even sold my boddy servant and did not
take (perhaps) a dollar with him to the Rio Grande to purchase
Mules for me, for his wife said in my presens she allways blamed
him for not carring the money with him; nor have I received one
cent for the fine mar I caried to that country for all he paid me
dos not even pay the interest upon the debt—I paid for him as an
inocent security Such an abuse of confidence, and once I admit
friendship; proves beyond the most remote possibility of a doubt, a
dereliction of all honourable principal and a depravity of hart that
can never be reclaimed nor reformed, I believe I might use the same
language to you Sir John Falstaff did to prince Henry (of Poins)
"he is the most omnipotent villain that ever cried stand to a true
man's what he has done with all the property, goods and money,
he had
[Richard Ellis.]