'.rHE AUSTIN PAPERS. 509 the fruits of that pillage-and therefore, these trading expeditions are fitted out for the express purpose of annoying a nation with whom the United States are at peace, and is evidently contrary to the above principle of the law of Nations-- Another view of this Subject is that this trade is a .species of land Piracy which is carried on by those traders against the Citizens of this nation, for it amounts to the same thing whether those traders plunder :Mules themselves, or hire the Indians to do it-I therefore h::n·e no doubt that if this subject was represented to the Gonrnment of the United States, that a law would be passed which would effec- tually stop this iniquitous traffic- After the avenues by which this trade have heretofore been car- ried on are closed, there will still be two other important objects to effect before a permanent peace can be relied on, One is, the estab- lishmeut of a regular system by which those Indians could be sup- plied with Goods, and other necessary articles which they have here- tofore receiYed from the American traders, and without which they will not be s:itis(ied-The other is, to strengthen the Province .of Texas by fostering the settlement which is already formed on the Uolo1'ado and llrazos by me, and encouraging the introduction of more settlers- In conversing with the Baron de Bastrop, and several other citi- zens of Bexar on this subject :I: suggested several methods of regu- lating the Indian trade,-One was to incorporate a Company to whom the whole Indian trade of Texas, and of the Rio Gra11de Del Norte should be given-This company by having fixed laws for its regula- tion could concentrate and control the Indian trade, and thereby prevent abuses.-Another method was for the Government to estab- lish factories at convenient points, where constant supplies could be kept for the Indians. · And a fourth plan was to grnnt Licenses to Individuals to carry on.said trade each trader to furnish his own cupi- tal and to be independent of each other-of these plans I think the first one by the incorporation of a Company the best, for if a liberal charter was granted to the company and foreigners permitted to hold 8tock in it,. I have no doubt that a sufficient Capital could be raised in the United 8tates to effect all the objects required, and the trade could be ..Managed so as to be profitable to the Company, and usefull . to this Government-Should this plan meet the views of the Govern- ment I would submit the outlines of A Charter which I think would ~mbracc all the objects nccessnry, and should the charter be granted 1 could be of some use in aiding to raise the Capital by inducing :Mer- chants in the U. S. to take the Stock. There is one thing more necessary besides regulating the trade to insure a lastin,g peace with the Indians, and that is to strengthen Lhe settlements of that l'ro,·ince, so as to enable it to overpower and
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