THE AUSTIN PAPERS 935 high and important duties which devolve upon you as the representa- tives of the people of your several districts. . Believing that your deliberations will be fraught with important results to the interests of our common country, the committee deem it a. duty they owe you, as the delegates of the people to make a brief exposition of the reasons which have operated on them in call- ing this convention, and in doing this, they wish it to be understood, not as attempting to dictate to this convention the course it should pursue in the lenst degree, nor to prescribed limits to its action, but to give a satisfactory explanation to you, and through you to the great body of the people of Texas, of the causes which have impeHed them to the exercise of this responsible duty. The situation of Texas, is such as to give rise to great anxiety and even· alarm in the heart of every person who inhabits it, or feels any interest for its prosperity or welfare. The whole of this country, with the exception of the small towns of Bexar and Goliad, has been settled and redeemed from the wilder- ness within a few years by the enterprise of immigrants who removed to it in consequence ·of the express and earnest invitation of the Government, contained in the national and state colonization laws. Those immigrants have uniformly evinced their gratitude t.o the government and nation of their adoption for all the acts of kind- ness and liberality that have been extended towards them, a.nd they have faithfully performed their duty as Mexican citizens, and ful- filled the intention and spirit of the colonization laws, by settling the country, defending it from hostile indians, or other enemies, and developing its resources, thus giving value and character to a large section of the :Mexican territory which was before wild and almost unknown. They have introduced agriculture and the usefull arts and commerce, and if as has been said by a celebrated author "that man deserves well of his country who makes a blade of grass grow where none grew before", how much more do the people of Texas deserve from their country who have so materially added to the national grandeur, phisical force and resources. The people of Texas ought therefore to rely with confidence on the government for pro- tection, and to expect that an adequate remedy will be applied to the many evils that are afflicting them. The invitations in virtue of which they came here, and the guar- antees of the cop.stitution and laws, evidently contain a pledge on the part of the government, that they should be governed in a.cc?rd- ance with the spirit of the free political institutions of the Me:-acnn republic, and in the manner best adapted to the local situation and necessities of Texas. The right of the people of Texas to represent their wants to the government, and to explain in a respectfull man-
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