THE AUSTIN PAPERS 675 never let them down to a moderate style of living so long as they remain in that country but here they would take a new start, and make first rate settlers; for, in general, they are a high-minded, liberal, and honorable race, too fond of politics to be happy in any country, but I hope they will leave their politics behind them, as an appendage to their worn out land. From New York the prospect of emigration is good. Texas has made quite a stir in that quarter-and though some embarrassments lie around The Galveston Bny Company, owing to their having mis- taken the law, and started w1·ong foot ahead, yet I think with pru- dence the difficulties can be gotten over, in a great measure, and we shall have a large emigration from the Eastern States. On[e] of the strongest proofs of the want of a correct idea of this Colonization business, in most of those who have attempted it, and failed, or met with embarrassments, is, that they should suspect me of any unfriendly disposition toward them, or towards their enterprizes. Nothing can be more unjust, or more at variance with the plainest dictates of common sense than such a suspicion. I began here, ten years since, alone, unaided by influential men, and al/most destitute of capital. "\Vith one exception, and of small amount, I owe no obligations to any one out of this country for my success, but I do owe a great and heavy weight of responsi- bility to my settlers, and to my adopted Government. Would I be doing my duty to the former to involve myself and consequently their interests (for circumstances have made their interests and my acts, even private ones, in a great degree inseparable) in serious difficulty by identifying myself with the views of an individual, or a company, who were in any manner in collision with the Mexican Government~ I see by a clause in Mr Treat's letter to Henry, that the Newyork company charge me with being unfriendly to them. They know nothing at all of the business they have undertaken, and still less of me, ·and the general principles by which I am governed, or they would never suspect me, or any permanent settlers of Texas of a wish to keep back emigration or the improvement of the Country. The difference between others who have attempted colonization in Texas and myself is this. Tliefr object has been specul,ation onJ;,;. My object has always been, and still is, to settle and improve the country, regardless [of] whether I made a fortune or not. Judg- ing of my views by their own, and knowing nothing of the Coloni- zation Law, nor of the vastly superior advantages of my Colony over any other part of Texas, it was very natural in them to sup- pose that c01npetition would be unpleasant to me. They know me not. If to make a fortune had been my object I should have been enjoying myself in Europe, or where I pleased, with wealth, and
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