THE AUSTIN PAPERS 221 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 coWltry and I have kept that object in view much more steadily than the advance- ment 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 advanta- geous 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 Estaclo y contribuira muchissimo al fomento de la pobla.- cion de los desiertos de Texas, en este concepto tomo la libertad de recomendar su solicitud con mucho interes y empeiio-
SAl\IUEL M. WILLIAMS ·ro AusTIN
MY DEAR Sm At Mr Scotts J um, 9th 1829 After much fatigue and some bruising the Eclipse has arrived safely at Rightors point bar. We got into Galveston Bay on Wed- nesday-Came into the Bay by the S. W. Channel-beat in and found
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