680
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
It has been my policy to slide along without any noise. I dis- cover 11 on examining Texas, that in point of soil, climate, and natural advantages it was greatly superior to any other part of Nort.h .A.merica that I had seen, or had any knowledge of. I saw that its value wns unknown to this govt. or to any body else. I knew that I would be sufferd to go on undisturbed, because no one believd that there was anything here worthy of attention and I should thus lay a foundation, which could not be broken up by the hungry swarms of speculators who would inundate the country as soon as its value was known. Had all others followed my system and kept Texas out of the Newspapers the law of 6 april 1830 would not have been passed prohibiting emigration from the United States. My friends in that country have blamed me for keeping so quiet, and for not adopting the bellows system so much the stile in the north, and making a great blow-by so doing I should have blown away my own foundation as others have done. But the time for keeping quiet as to my colony has now passed, and I shall be benefited by some publications and judicious paragrafs not too long to go the rounds noticing the prosperous and happy situation [of] my colony and its uniformly warm decided and inflexible attach- ment and adherence to the Mexican Govt. etc, etc. [Intended by Austin for publication:] It is perhaps a matter of some surprise that the only colony which has fully succeeded in Texas, and which is now in a State of almost unparalelld progressive prosperity should have made so little noise that its existence is ~carcely known, to the people of the U. S. we allude to Austin's colony. This probably proceeds from the character of S. F Austin its founder, which is said to [be] naturally retireing and modest, we are informed that when he commenced his settlement in 1821, he adopted certain leading principles from which he has never de- viated-which were Fidelity and Gratitude to his adopted Govt. That his labors should be directed to redeem Texas from the wilderness, rather than to make a fortune for himself-that he would be true to the interests and just rights of his settlers, and never hold out any deceptive or imposing allurements to draw emi- gration, least many might emigrate without a sufficient previous enquiry as to the country, and afterwards be dissatisfied, and thus greatly injur 4 Hence it is that he has slided along silently for ten years and has founded one of the most prosperous settlements perhaps ever known for its age in any country- we are assured by an intelligent gen- tleman lately from Texas, that this colony is in the highest degree prosperous-that the emigrants to it in general of the most respect- able class the society good-the greatest good order and subordina- tion to the laws prevails, and the people are happy and satisfied
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