1704
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
lending East.from said village to the Sabine river, but as this latter is embraced within the twenty border leagues resen 7 ed by the Colo- nization Act, it cannot be cqlonized without the previous permission of the President and Mr. Burnet has presented a memorial to that effect which goes on by this mail to the minister of relations recom- mended by this Gov't. His object in directing his attention to this enterprise is to settle a number of reputable farmers from the State of Ohio, who find it inconvenient to provide· lands in that country for their large and increasing families owing to its excessively high price. Tlie moral- ity, industry and agricultural enterprise which characterize the in- habitants of Ohio are well known and proverbial, slavery is un- known amongst them, they are "principled" against it, every man is a laborer, and in this particular to their other recommendable qualities, they unite a pr_inciple which is in strict accordance with the broad ideas of liberty and uniYersal emancipation laid down in the State Constitutions, and so strenuously urged in legislative de- liberations- The restrictions as to Slavery in this State present very material obstacles to the settlement of Texas by emigrants from the southern States, and should it be the wish of the Mexican Gov't. to convert that fine portion of. its territory from a savage wilderness and use- less dead burthen on the nation, to a populous, civilized and culti- vated state capable of contributing a material quota towards na- tional income wealth and prosperity, sound policy, and expediency I should presume would approve of a decided encouragement of Oh;o and other northern emigration. As regards national policy, I can see no objection to emigrants from our sister republic, similitude of political institutions, unity of gen 1 interests, absence of cause for a difference in local interests and enthusiastic love of liberty, present natural and mutual guarantees of perpetual harmony and peace be- tween the two nations. Not so with the.nations of Europe, who are, and must ever be the natural enemies of American prosperity; and besides, the kind of emigrants that may be brought from Europe for colonizing purposes will not be of the class calculated to advance the lower orders of Society for the purpose of filling a contract, they will not in general possess the enterprise, perseverance and morality so indespensable to settle a wilderness, whereas emigrants from the north to these and many other good qualities will add Oa7.rital-such emiITT~nts certainly oannot be compared with the overflowings of the ~edundant population of Europe- . . . . :Mr. Burnet is in Nacogdoches and in obccl1ence to lus wishes, as well as to comply with my duty. as a friend, I have troubled you
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