THE AUSTIN PAPERS 209 of slave for years, that I must chain down all the impulses of a temperament naturally hasty and impetuous and sensitive to a fault; that I must patiently submit to toil injury and abuse and slander and misconstruction, sometimes bending and yielding to a degree that laid me liable to the imputation of weakness and at others re- sorting to measures that appeared arbitrary, or partial or whimsical; but to say all in a few words I had an ignorant, whimsical selfish and suspicious set of rulers over me to keep good natured, a perplexed and confused colonization law to execute, and an unruly set of North American frontier republicans to controul who felt that they were sovereigns, for they knew that they were beyond the reach of the arm of Govt or of law, unless it pleased them to be contrould. To 'have been universally popular amongst the settlei·s for the first two or three years would have endangered all, for it would have excited vague jealousies in the point ( ~) alone that I was concillating popu- lar favor in order to wield it in a particular way. To have been uni- versally unpopular endangered all in another way, for it would have totally destroyed that degree of popular confidence and character abroad which was necessary to draw· emigration and it would also have deprived me of the power of controuling the settlers sufficiently to have prevented them from destroying themselves. I could not stoop to associate with the low drunkards and rabble and would not do it under any circumstances but very extreme ones. The reflecting and worthy part of the settlers have always adhered to me firmly. throughout. The former class abused me over their grog and at times have had weight enough to require humoring and manage- ment to keep within bounds, but they effectually removed all sus- picion that I was courting the favor of a rabble for the purpose of wielding it and in this they did me and the colony a service though without knowing or intending it a.ncl I used their abuse of me to ad- vance the public good and establish myself more firmly in the con- fidence of my rulers. Added to all this I was poor, destitute of capital, and never was there an enterprise in which money was more necessary than in this one. I involved myself in pecuniary em- barrassments to raise funds at the outset, but they were in no degree sufficient, and the good of the settlers-in fact the salvation of the whole enterprise-compelled me to raise something out of the set- tlers themselves. This drew down upon me the imputation of being a speculator and curses and abuse followed. I did not suffer it to turn me aside from my duty to the settlers. I used what I rec" for the general good and am still as poor as ever except in land. There were but few men of capital in the country and they were of a cast of intellect better qualified for cent pr cent calcula.tions of pr~ent profit than for liberal and enlarged views for the future.
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