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AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
All were greedy to sow largely under the expectation of reaping 1000 fold in a few years, but none were willing to contribute any- thing for the seed. It was considered that I must furnish all and do all and risk all. Thus it is that I had Scylla or Charybdis con- stantly in view for the first three or four years of my labor, and I have actually labored hard and dreadfully to build up the fortunes of men, many of whom were heaping abuse upon me. I have no ambition of a political military or avaricious character. 1\1:y ambi- tion has been to succeed in redeeming Texas from its wilderness state by means of the plough alone, in spreading over it North American population enterprise and intelligence, in doing this I hoped to make the fortune of thousands ancl my own amongst the rest. My success so far has fully equalled my expectation, and I think that I derived more satisfaction from the view of flourishing farms springing up in this wilderness than military or political chieftains do from the retrospect of their victorious campains. My ambition is to build up, for the present as well as for future genera- tions, to do it silently without ostentation or display. I deemed the object laudable and honorable and worthy the attention of honorable men. The country is now sufficiently advanced to offer inducements for emigrants of capital to flock to it. The allusions I have made as to the difficulties which have been surmounted added to your own observations while here, will enable you to form a pretty accurate estimate for the future and I think you will agree with me that we are leaving both Scylla and Charybdis far astern and that there is nothing but plain sailing ahead. As I before said all we need is men of intelligence and capital who can harmonize with each other, and a plenty of them, the more the better. Should such men in reply to your arguments in favor of their removal here say that they cannot bring their slaves, you may safely tell them that they can bring them without any fears of being troubled{1). The men now in power in this state wish to tolerate slavery, and whether they wish it or not if Texas firmly and de- cidedly and prudently wills it so it will be for the voice of Texas ,vill not be disregarded. Should they say that our laws and constitu- tion are defective, tell them that both can be amended and that the people of Texas if united can and will amend them. Should they say that Mexico is in n state of revolution and its Govt crumbling to pieces, tell them that we are 1000 miles from the sen.t of revolution and separated from any adjoining state by an uninhabited and almost uninhabitable wilderness of 200 miles and that all the adjoin- in u states are thinly pop·ulated poor and nearly destitute of resources. Should they object to living under the Mexican Govt tell them that they will find it to be to the_ir interes~s to be inhabi~ants of _Te~ns ns Mexican citizens. The policy of this Govt to emigrants 1s liberal
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