THE AUSTIN PAPERS. 1211 Colony on the Guadaloupe is about commencing, will a war stop the settlement there or not 1 will a war stop emigration to this Colony1 will it enduce any to move away1 Can the people live in a state of war without forting and will they remain in the country if they are compelled to live in that manned The vVacos and Tawakanys are at peace and in close alliance with the Comanches, the Cherokees and all the Indians to the east-of us, and I am creditably informed that these latter Indians are very much dissatisfied that their country has been given to the American Empresarios to be settled.- In this state of feeling is there not some danger that all the Indians in the Province may be induced to unite against the American settlements 1 If wo destroy the °"r aco Villages will not the other tribes consider it as a warning of the fate that must in the end befal them if the american settlements progress? and is there no[t] danger that they may become alarmed and unite to cut us off in our infancy 1 The history of the first settlements in the U. States, presents numerous and horible examples of such com- binations, which in most instances might have been avoided by a greater degree of prudence and forbearance on the part of the set- tlers in the first years of their establishment- No aid whatever may be expected :from the Government, if we get into a war, we must get through it the best way we can, without expecting aid from any quarter- In this state of things the ques- tion which the people have to decide is whether it is better to submit to a few insults rather than risque bringing on a war with all the northern Indians by resenting them at this time I know that it is a difficult thing to control the passions but in such case as the present all passion should be set aside and cool deliberate Judgement should decide.- True it is we have received repeated Insults from the Indians which merrit punishment and great excitement and tf1irst for revenge exists in many persons, this is a correct feeling, but whether this is the proper time to seek revenge or not is a question which cool Judgement and not passion should decide- San Felipe de Austin Sept. 28 th 1825 S1·EPHEN F. AusTIN [Rubric]
JoHN P. CoLEs TO AusTrN
29th September 1825
DEAR Sm There is likely to be some difficulty between William Milican and Whitesides boys I will E"--plain the circumstances to you and wish your opinion Henry and Boland Whitesides and Juck C. Davis
Powered by FlippingBook