St Felepe
Your esteemed favr of the 10 April came by the last mail and I
rece'd it yesterday at this place together with the copy of your
memorial to the President on the subject of a grant for seteling a
colony in Texas, and meeting with Cap Pettet here in the Schooner
Santana I improve the oppertunity to reply.
I will enclose the memorial to the Govr of the State by the next
mail accompanied with a letter strongly recommending your
application, and and I think there will be no difficulty provided the
memorial to the President is granted so far as he has the power to grant
it, I also recommend that you procure a letter from L. Z. [Lorenzo
de Zavala] to the Govr and Lieut Govr of this State, I have
understood, indirectly, that Z. once had an idea of applying himself for
the same section of country, wheither the information was correct
or not I am unable to say, I believe that his standing with the
authorities of this State is very good— a private or unofficial letter
from Guerrero if such a thing could be procured would effectually
secure the matter— The Senater Agustin viesca is a brother of the
Govr Also the Deputy from this State vicente Campos stands very
well with the Govr. it perhaps might be well to cultivate their
acquaintance etc.
It will be necessary for you to examine the colonization law of this
State passed 25. March 1825 in order to comprehend the nature of
the system which this Govt have adopted in regard to the
colonization of the vacant lands in the State, and as you can easily procure
that in Mexico by applying to Z. I do not now explain it at length—
the law was published in the Águila about two years ago
Agreeably to the law and the system which the Govt have pursued your
memorial ought to have stated the number of families you offered
to introduce and settle within the limits applied for the law allows
to the Empresario five Leagues and three labors for each 100 families
not exceeding 800.
Should it be practicable for you [to] visit this country and
examine it particularly yourself before commencing the settlement of the
colony I think it would be advantageous Capital can be profitably
employed here, and perhaps a company might be formed which
could command capital, and tend greatly to the advancemt of the
country as well as being profitable to those concerned—
The colonizing business has been in the highest degree laborious
perplexing and harrassing to me and not profitable but I commenced
in an entire wilderness and have had difficulties to work through
which do not now exist— My object was to settle the country and I
have kept that object in view much more steadily than the
advancement of my own fortune, I think that a sufficient foundation is now
laid for the profitable investment of capital in various ways
The Govt may easily make Texas a very flourishing and
advantageous member of the confederation it is now a dead weight— Texas
once settled and the whole of the frontier of the Rio Grande from
New Mexico to Matamoros would be effectually protected from the
indians which would be an incalcutable advantage, The revenue
which the commerce of this country could yield in ten years would
be a very great object to the nation—
There are some leading points of policy necessary for Texas.— Such
as the admission of slavery and such a system of revenue and
commercial regulations as will leave our trade free of duty for five
years after 1830 when the present law of exemption expires. Should
the restrictive system be continued in the U. S. England will no doubt
receive Mexican cotton on advantagious terms
Much might be said on this subject-— I think it is the true policy
of this nation to have the most of their work shops in Europe for
some years to come, and in the mean time give existence to the
agricultural and planting interest for as yet it can scarely be said
to exist except so far as is necessary for domestic use—
[Stephen F. Austin.]
8 june 1829
[Austin to Governor Viesca:] Tengo el honor de elevar a V. E.
la solicitud del comodoro Daniel [David] Porter en qe solicita se
le concede una colonia en Texas, El Sor Porter es bien conocido y no
cabe duda que adquirirle por ciudadano Cuahuiltejano sera de mucha
ventaja al Estado y contribuirá touchissimo al fomento de la
población de los desiertos de Texas, en este concepto tomo la libertad de
recomendar su solicitud con mucho interés y empeño—