San Felipe de Austin March 31.1829
Dr Sir,
your letters of 31 Janry came to hand yesterday and I hasten to
answer the enquires you make relative to this country—
You express great solicitude as to the discription of population
that will inhabit Texas— On this subject a mistaken idea has
prevailed in most parts of the United States, particularly as to this
colony— In 1822-3 when I returned from Mexico to go on with the
colony I found that some bad men had entered this section of
country and I immediately adopted measures to drive them away which
were effectual, but which drew down upon me the full force of the
Malice and enmity of All that class, and they were not idle in
fabricating and circulating every species of falsehoods and evil reports
about this colony which ingenuity and baseness could invent—they
denounced me as the tyranical agent of a despotic government and
endeavourd to blacken the characters of the settlers here generally—
The most of those who were expelled by me from here, stoped on the
Sabine frontier or passed over into Louisiana, Many others of the
same class who intended to have removed to this colony and were
thus prevented, united with those who were expelled, to blow the
clamor about this Govt and to blacken every thing appertaining to
this colony, and in this way good men have been deceived and even
detered from removing here. I lay it down as a rule that has never
yet had an exception, that whoever is governed by common rumor or
report about this colony, will form erronious opinions and be
deceived—
I have not been understood in every instance by the people here as
I ought to have been, they have growled and grumbled and
muttered, without knowing why, or without being able to explain why—
but it has not arisen from moral depravity or because the people are
bad, on the contrary it arose from a principle which is common to
all north Americans, a feeling which is the natural offspring of
the unbounded republican liberty enjoyed by all classes in the
United States; that is, jealoucy of those in office, jealoucy of undue
encroachments of personal rights, and a general repugnance to
every thing that wore even the semblance of a stretch of power.
This feeling is correct when properly guided by an enlightened
judgement, capable of discriminating between a necessary and
rigorous discharge of official duty and an abuse of it— And here
I confess the people are somewhat defective, tho not more so than
the mass of the people—" the multitude " are in the United States,
Ninety nine times out of one hundred, an officer who discharges
his duty rigorously and firmly in the U. S. is denounced by the
multitude as a tyrant, and he generally sinks under the
denunciation, unless shielded by the accidental or substantial brilliancy of
his acts, or by the amiable suavity of his manners, or by a talent to
concilliate popular favor at the expence of candor and truth
The Settlers of this colony taken en masse are greatly superior
to any new country or frontier I have ever seen, and would loose
nothing by a comparison with some of the oldest counties of Many
of the Southern and western States—this I state as a positive and
incontrovertable fact-—true it is that some of them have " growled "
at me for expelling or rejecting bad men, and they have gone,so far
as to clamor because bad men have been rigorously handled—
It arose from a defect of judgement, and not of the heart—there is
a much greater want of men of sound and enlightened and
experianced judgement—than of sound and pure materials to form a happy
community in this colony—tho I will always contend that in this
particular we are not behind the great mass of the people of the
United States—in proportion to our numbers, we are as enlightened,
as moral, as good, and as " law biding" men, as can be found in any
part of the United States, and greatly more so than ever settled a
frontier—
The policy which the Mexican Govt has uniformly pursued
towards the settlers of this colony, has been that of a kind and liberal
and indulgent parent—favors and privileges have been showered
upon us, to an extent that has even caused some to doubt their
reality; and hence have arisen many vague and unmeaning suspicions
as to the validity of oar land titles etc-— All such suspicions are
vague and unmeaning and groundless.
In the month of may and perhaps in next month the whole of
the country bordering on the coast from Galveston bay to La Baca
river on Matagorda bay will be open for settlement—no grants can
be made nor even promises of grants, untiil the person who applies
has first removed his family and has actually become a settler—he
cannot first pick out a place, and get a promise that it will be
retained for him and then go back and bring out his family—and
no one can be admitted without producing the certificates and proof
of character required by law— The person you speak of called
William Knight came to this colony some time ago, and the
treatment he met with affords a pretty fair specimen of public sentiment
here—he came here in very great apparent distress—stated that he
had been shipwrecked and lost his all etc,—he was taken by the hand
a subscription was made up for his relief—he was clothed and fed
and attended to in sickness— Our cabbin doors were thrown open,
and the hand of liberal and generous hospitality was extended to
him, as it is to all strangers and travellers— Accident discovered
the gross imposture he had practiced, and nothing but a precipitate
night saved him from severe punishment.
The fears you have of being robbed etc are all groundless— I
will only make the remark that when you come here, you will be
astonished to see all our houses with no other fastening than a
wooden pin or door latch, even stores are left in this State—there
is no such thing in the colony as a stable to lock up horses nor pens
to guard them in, they roam in the prairies—the "Mustangs" or
wild horses, are the only robbers that are feared—
I thank you for the caution you give me as to the men of bad
character who have started to this country, My intentions are to
admit none but good men, but I have been frequently deceived, and
no doubt shall be so very often in future—tho shall try to guard
against it—
This colony is very flourishing, and now is the best time for
emigration— I have certain assurances of an increase of 3 or 400
families next fall, and the sooner you and your friends get on the
better chance you will have of making a good selection of land—
Stock is high and you would do well to bring out a large stock of
Cows in particular—or heiffer calves and yearlins
The disturbances in Mexico do not affect us here—we have nothing
to do with them—all that is necessary here is to keep harmony
amongst ourselves—and to work hard—
Stephen F. Austin [Rubric]
To Mr Thomas White
[Addressed:] Mr Thomas White San Martinville Attakapas
Louisiana