1020
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
creeks, that is a choice that I made more than one month ago, run- ning it so as to take in the forks and the head of tide if it would do both, I have not yet got any land on tide water and do not think that l\fr. Buckner has done quite right in taking that advantage of me, however, I shall leave it to you to make it right.- I have heard of Mr. Tong at Esqr· Bells but have not yet seen him. I have no more at present, but remain with due respect your friend n.nd humble
Col. S. F. Austin,
JAMES A. E. PHELPS TO AUSTIN
Pinckneyville l\fi. Jan 16 th 1825
Col. STEPHEN F. AusTIN DR. Sm
Agreeable to mutual promise I have the pleasure of now address- ing you by mail, and of informing you that after a journey of 18 days from St Felipe De Austin I arrived safe home: with the ex- • ception of some bad weather, and some high water, a pleasant jour- '. ney.· The emigrating, or Texas fever prevails to an extent that your · wishes would no more than anticipate-It has ·pervaded all classes . of the citizens of this state and the adjoining; from the men with ' capital, to the man that wishes to acquire a liveing-Nothing ap- : pears at present, to prevent a portion of our wealthy planters from : emigrating immediately to the province of Texas but the uncer-: tainty now prevailing with regard to the subject of slavery-There has been a parragraph that has gone the round of Nuse paper publi- cation in the :Middle States, perporting to be an extract from a Mexican paper; which precludes the introduction of negro property into the Mexican Republick, without exception: Subjecting the per- sons so offending to the severest ·penalties, and also an immediate emancipation of thos slaves now belonging to the citizens of the province of Texas; and fredom to the slave that touclies the soil of .Mexico- .If this be a fact it will check the tide of emigrating spirits at once: and indeed it has had its influence already-I have pledged myself to my friends to ascertain the fact if possible; and I know of no other way to satisfy the publick mind on the subject, but by appl_ication to yourself for a cupy of the new cons.titution, and a promulgation of the same so soon as practicable-I have ventured to contradict so much of the report and publication as relates to your _colony, upon the a~thority of your self, so far, as garranteeing the right ·of that species of property under consideration-That por-
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