THE AUSTIN PAPERS 385 [emig]rants to my colony. in order [to avo]icl this I must beg that Y. E. will take this matter into consideration and procure from his E. the vice president the necessary instruction to the Comt Gen 1 of this section not to stop the emigrants to my colony- The most of the contracts on colonization will expire in Ap.ril next, my colony and Dewitts are the only ones that have progressed and mine is the only one that can be said to be " established " None of the [other] colonies are in the situation that mine is for none of them have progressed Dewitts has been commenced and he has over one. hundred settlers- • with regard to the admission of slavery in Texas, I have to say that I have alway·s been opposed from principle to slavery and that I am well satisfied with the prohibi'tory laws on that subject. I have advocated the toleration of slavery here in the infancy of settle- ment because I at one time totally dispaired of getting emigrants without allowing them to bring slaves The country is now suffi- ciently advanced and as far as my infiuence extends I shall forever oppose slavery in Texas- I have made this declaratory to the settlers in public manner and my opinions relative to this matter are well known.· I beg leave to refer Y. E. to Dn Ramon Musquiz, chief of the Dept of Bexar to Govr Jose Ma Viesca, to Gen I Teran and to his E1 The vice President of the nation for information as to my character and conduct-with the highest respect etc
MEMORANDUl\I ON LA w OF APRIL 6, 1830
[From Willia.ms Papers, Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Tex.]_
San Felipe de Austin May 1830 Recd. the law of 6 .April the 11 Article of which suspends con- tracts for colonization in which North Americans were to be intro- duced and prohibited the emigration of North Americans to this country. Considering this unjust interference with the rights vested in me by my contracts on coloniza.t~on. I wrote to the President Busta- mante and to Gen• Teran on the 18 May (See copies of said two letters) 1 -in June I rec 4 Gen 1 Terans explanation of. the law of 6 April by which I was informed that it did not in any manner inter- fere with my colony 2 -in consequence of this explanation I wrote to Gen 1 Teran and to the Vice President explaining away the harsh parts of my letter of 18 May 3 •
1 Auatln to Bustamante, Mny 17, 1830, nnd to Teran, May 18. 1 Teran to AusUn, June 14, 1830. 1 Auatln to Teran, J'une 28, 1830; Bustamante to Austin, July 14, 1830.
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