THE AUSTIN PAPERS 387 able to cover the whole country, or prevent the indians from harass- ing the frontier settlements, and committing robberies on the public roads The natural consequence was, that the civilized settlements were limited to the garrisoned towns. A few scanty villages ~ere thus sustained like isolated specks in the midst of a-wilderness at an enormous expense to the govt and a great waste of men and money- A country thus situated could evidently yield no revenue in return for the millions expended in its defence; it could not advance much in population or imprO\·ement, nor add anything to the physical force of the nation, but on the contrary, weakened it. It may therefore be said with truth, that under the old system of p1'esidial defence, the whole of that part of the Mexican territory situated north and east of a line from near Soto la Marina on the gulf of :Mexico to the Gulf of California was an expence and a dead weight to the government. The experience of years had already convinced the Spanish author- ities of the internal provinces, of the absolute inefficacy of the old system of frontier defence, and that the only effectual and petma- ·nent barrier was population, the settlement of the frontier ·by a hardy and interpi·ising -race of people before whom the savages would retire, or become submissive · The result of this new opinion was a total change ~£ the ruinous restrictive system which had for centuries locked up the whole of the spanish possessions from the rest of the world- The first step that was taken towards the new system of frontier defence was the grant to J'ifoses Austin on the 17 January 1821, to settle a colony of North Americans in the wilderness of Texas. During that year, 1821, the independence was achie, 7 ed, and the lights of liberal and republican principles shed their benign influ- ence over the whole country. One of the first acts of the new gov- ernment was to open the door to the emigration of foreigners, the colonization laws were enacted, and emigrants were expressly and earnestly invited to enter. Under the faith and operation of thoso laws the settlement of Texns was commenced, and its wilderness was rapidly changing its uninhabited state and wild aspect, and yield- ing to the progress of civilized population, led on by enterprise and perseverance. The emigrants to Texas, it is well known, have never received any succors froin the government-no garrisons were sent to pro- tect them during their infancy from the hostile indians who then filled every part of the country, They have never cost the government one cent-all ~hey have ever rec 4 was permission to settle in the country, and a title for the lands they redeem'd from the wilderness,
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