, AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
602
light upon the path which you ought to take, to explain fully the rules and.policy I have uniformly pursued. There are two points of collision in prospective in that country, both of them, East of my Colony. One is between Madero and Teran-The other between Zavala and Teran-or rather between the latter and a company who have contracted to settle Zavalas, Vielen and Burnetts grants-the Settlers are to be Germans, Swiss french etc-all Europeans-have nothing to do with these collisions- do as I have frequently been compelled to do-play the turtle, head •nnd feet within your own shell-some of the people may curse and abuse-no matter-they abused me the best friend they ever had. Better break all the timber in Texas, than to break B 088 1 [Teran 1] for the former is plenty and can be replaced, but the lat[t]er being a fine texture is not to be found everyday. That colony is the heart of Texas; keep all sound there, and we shall gain the confidence of the Govt. and save the Country, but if you go to the extremities to try and cure diseases, you interfere with the head doctor, which he will take very ill (for all doctors are jealous of their prerogatives), and besides there will be danger of introducing disease into the heart, by inf~ction. ~ Whether the Gen 1 Govt. has authority to annul Zavnla!s grant or not is no question for us to interfere with, neither have we anything to do with Madero's commission etc. those are mutters be- tween the interested parties and the Govt. with which my colony ought to have nothing to do, in any shape ·manner or form. My colony has cleared away the rude asperities of the wilderness-made Texas known-given it a station in geography-a place, and a distinguished one, in the class of desfrabl,e countries, and has demonstrated its value, by developing its resources. In doing th-is, it has done enough to aid others :who now wish to settle in that country, and they ought not to expect that we will unite with them in projects for forcing their way against the will of the Govt. or that we are to make com- mon ca.use of their quarrels and collisions, and if they do expect it I hope they will be deceived, hope! I know they will, for there is too much sound common sense and too much honest patriotism in the people of Austins colony for them to be misled, or to devinte from the line of their duty as Mexican Citizens, and besides they have :i great deal to loose, the others have much to gain but nothing to loose.~ But while, on the one hand, you avoid suffering yourselves to be made parties to the collisions which I have alluded to, against the Govt, also try on the other, not to take any active, or open, or.nny part at all in them against the new settlers-- Be mere lookers • Am1tln lll'P.1< thif< tl'nn fr('(Juently during thlt1 period. It evidently refers to a porsou, !Jut the context iK m:ve1· clcar l'nou::h to Identity him with certainty. Teran, a• com• mlasloner ot coloni,:ut1on 11nd i;enc-rnl <:ot11D1nndant, Is a likely cue■•.
Powered by FlippingBook