San Felipe de Austin May 1830
Recd, the law of 6 April the 11 Article of which suspends
contracts for colonization in which North Americans were to be
introduced and prohibited the emigration of North Americans to this
country.
Considering this unjust interference with the rights vested in me
by my contracts on colonization. I wrote to the President
Bustamante and to Genl Teran on the 18 May (See copies of said two
letters)—in June I recd Genl Terans explanation of the law of 6
April by which I was informed that it did not in any manner
interfere with my colony—in consequence of this explanation I wrote
to Genl Teran and to the Vice President explaining away the harsh
parts of my letter of 18 May.
During the months of May, June and July considerable and
alarming excitement prevailed amongst the people of Texas and on the
Nacogdoches frontier it was so violent as [to] be on the eve of
breaking out.
Padillas confinement put a stop to the land business and this was
thought to be a part of the plan to break up the new settlers in
Texas, resolutions of an inflamatory nature were entered into on
the Ayish Bayou etc. J. J. C. (?) came to see me— I advised peace
and quietness he coinsided with me— I was of opinion that a
popular commotion amongst the people would totally ruin the whole
country and destroy those who had anything to loose and as it was my
duty to try [to] avert so great an evil from my colony, I resorted to
such measures as I could to offset the object and accordingly caused
Bustamantes letter to me of 20 March to be published in the Texas
Gazette also Teran's official letter, and on the 10 July some general
remarks which were intended to allay public excitement by giving
an explanation of the causes which had produced the law of 6 April
and to shew that those causes were fast disappearing—- I never
believed that this Govt, intended to oppress us or treat us unjustly
in any manner for we had never [given] them any cause to do so and
if such was the intention it would be placing us on higher ground to
do our duty faithfully as Mexican citizens.
[Indorsed:] May 1830 [but evidently written later than July]
Memorandum S. F. Austin