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AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
natural resources, so far exceeding any thing I had imagined, deter- mined me to devote my life to the great object of redeeming it from the wilderness. It was a heavy undertaking for a young, inexperianced and very poor 11uin-My first step was to study the character of the Mexicans and ascertain their ideas and views as to Texas- I found they knew nothing about it, and were profoundly ignorant of its real value, and also that they considered it next to impracticable to form a settlement in its wilderness without the aid of a very strong Mili- tary force for garrisons to keep the indians in check. I also dis- cover 4 that strong prejudices existed against the North Americans owing to the conduct of some·who were engaged in the revolutionary expeditions that had entered Texas at nu·ious times since 1811. I saw that all the efforts to get foothold here by means of such expe- ditions had failed and ended in defeat and ruin, and I believed they always would fail. These observations convinced me that the only means of redeeming this country from the "·ilderness was by peace- ful silent, noisless, perseverence and industry, and that the axe, the plough and the hoe would do more than the rifle or the sword. under these impressions I began and have pursued the main object with a degree of patience and perseverence which nothing but its vast importance to the civilized world could ever have given me fortitude to continue through so many years of hardships and amidst so many discouraging obstacles- The worst is now over and the few clouds which seem to hang over us are mere shadows when com- pared with those which have passed. I ha ,re laid a sufficient founda- tion for others to build on, and a prudent course "-ill make this country one of the finest in the world. The measures lately adopted by the :Mexican Govt. prohibiting the emigration of North Americans, afl'ords a striking proof of the nesesity of the silent course which I have pursued in bringing for- ward this settlement. I have never sent any notices ·or publications respecting it to be printed in the news papers untill lately, when I first began in 1821 I merely put in a notice in the Orleans papers that I was authorised to settle 300 families and barely said enough to draw a. little attentioD;, last year I found that the Govt. were begin- ing to become suspicious that this country was of more value than they had supposed it was, Gen 1 Teran passed through here, ~nd saw it. I found that something must be done to draw emigration and I determined to have the Map published as the ~fost effectual means of operating on an intelligent people, and the least dangerous with the Mexicans, for not many of them know any thing about m_nps -unfortunately ab?ut this time "..Americanus " 1 and other pub!ica·
• Two articles ,vrltten by Thomas H. Benton, publlslml orlginnlly In the St. I,ouls Beacon, Aug. 1, 8, 1829.
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