THE AUSTIN PAPERS 437 as far as I can discover was thli.t the troops were Stationed near the frontier to prevent smuggling and that the colonists were quiet and well disposed excepting some newcomers and idle disorderly young men that no measures were necessary but to support Col Austin with sufficient authority to controul this class of people you ask if I am on good terms with the Gen• I was on the best of terms and had a high opinion of him, but since his return from Tampico he has been too great a man to hold familiar intercourse with- he obviously wishes to make himself popular in Texas and here-- but here he has rendered himself very unpopular, and is now thought to be a very weak and arbitrary man- I am told he says "the north americans who now think him their enemy wiU in a few months be perfectly satisfied with him-" what does this mean can he contemplate bringing about some important change1 I wrote you two letters by Capt 0 J Austin which I hope went safe a.ltho he had the misfortune to loose his sloop near Matagorda.- I adhere to the opinion expressed in the last. the report by capt Harkens t~at you were coming here on your return from Bexar gratified the Genl very much and he ~xpresses a strong desire to see you here • If it please God to permit me to escape from this detestable place alive and to reach the Brassos in safety I may have the pleasure to see you within a month but so many difficultys spring up here unexpectedly that no man can calculate upon any thing a week a head- at present there is nothing in the way to prevent my prompt departure but my reluctance to leave a large amount of property to the mercy of agents in such a country- H AusnN [Rubric] The country is parc_hed with drought Thermometor at 98 or 100 in the shade I fear the river may dry up and prevent my departure The Sand drifts like the desart of arabia and makes us very uncomfortable
EDITORIAL BY AUSTIN IN TEXAS GAZETTE l
We this day publish a translation of the law passed by the Na- tional Congress, on the 6th of April last, and also, the official letter of his Excellency General Manuel de :Mier y Teran, to the Empresario-of this colony. By an attentive perusal of the law it will be seen, that the privi- leges granted in it relative to the coasting trade, and to the introduc- 1 Issue ot Joly S, 1830. It Is tollowed by ll translntlon ot Ternn's letter to Austin Jone 14, 1830, quotln~ letter to Pledrns ot snme dnte giving Interpretation ot the law of April 6, 1830. This Is followed by translation ot the Jaw ot April 6.
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