THE AUSTIN PAPERS. 121 1804, but in so short a time it cannot be suppos'd those Settlements could become very strong-They extended about Sixty Miles back from the :Mississippi "\,Vestward and about Forty or Fifty Miles above the .Missouri, from the upper Settlements on the Mississippi down to N Madrid the distance is about two Hundred and Fifty Miles, from N :Madrid to the Arkansas is about Three hundred Miles, and . is unsettled except on the banks of the Mississippi, Arkansas and St. Francis.· •These settlements it is true are small, but small as they are have a claim on Government for protection they were formed under the Spanish Government, the United States found them Pos- _sessed of rights-and reason Justice and National Honour require they should be secur'd and protected in those rights-It cannot-now be said, that the out Settlements are to be abandoned by Govern- ment-No the Protecting Arm of the United States must Encir- cle them how is this to be done,-To furnish Regular Troops to pro- tect so extended a Frontier, together with the low Country will require more Troops, than the United States have in Service-and a sum of .Money which would embarrass the Treasury-·all these difficulties, may in my opinion be easily remov'd and the United .8tates instead of expending money derive an advantage from the· systim to be now propos'd,•and at the same time set bounds to a class of men, .who are never satisfy'd long in any place, and by their frequent removals, to the Westard, will extend the Frontiers beyond the controul of Government, which I am confident is for the Interest of the United States, to check for the present-- Suffer a line of Demarcation to be drawn, Beginning as high above the :Missouri as will cover the settlements up to 1804, extend this line down the :Mississippi to the Arkansas covering all those Settlements between those two points which I have reason to believe will not exceed Sixty miles in any place direct ,~resterly from the :Mississippi-Let this strip of Land be divided into Townships, Sec- tions, half and quarter Sections, and sold or dispos'd of in such manner as Congress shall point out reserving to the United States such Land as are supposed to contain Lead and other Minerals, and Salt Springs-These measures will in my opinion remove two great difficulties it will strengthen the whole extent of our vVestern Fron- tiers, so that in two or three yea.rs, by a proper :Militia Establish- ment, the inhabitants will be able to protect themselves, it will set bounds to the ,Vanderers, beyond which they will not attempt to settle with an expectation from the United States-The settler Found within the Spanish limits when the American Government took possession of Louisiana will find himself secure in his sitnation the objects for which he removd to Louisiana fully answer'd and every 25067°-24-voL 2, PT 1--9
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