440
TEXAS STATE LIBRA.RY
palier's emigrants would be Roman Catholics iI\ reality, he regarded as a perfect humbug. They might, indeed, assume the name· but as for being the thing itself-it was totally out of the questio'n. The Friar seems to have been fully aware of the great advantages of a speedy settlement of that country; but the inevitable difficulties, which the Government would experience in controlling a rebellious race and of protecting the holy church from the contamination of their' dia- bolical heresies, far out-weighed, in his opinion, all the advantages which could possibly flow from their enterprising industry. The fol- lowing is an extract, freely translated from his letter to the Governor upon this subject, the original of which in Spanish, though bad enough in point of style, is sufficiently astute as to matter. "My dear Sir: I avail myself of this favorable opportunity o-f assuring you in the first place of the high respect which I entertain for you personally, and in the second place, to advise you o-f a letter, datecl the 27th of May last, which I received from the Revd. John Brady, an Irish Minister of the Carmelite order, who is now discharging the duties of Curate at Baton- Rouge. He informes me in said letter, that he has obt11ined permis- sion to introduce into the province fifteen hundred Catholic families, (so he says, but whether it is so or not God only knows) for the pur- pose of populating the country. I have resided in Louisiana for 27 years, and the conduct of this famofu]s father has not escaped my observation; which conduct I will not particularise, contenting myself with this insinuation, which may serve to put you on your guard with respect to him. 'fhese Ministers (who call themselves Spaniards) know the generous credulity of our Government, and do not hesitate to pro- pose projects from which, even if realized, the Government could expect nothing but to redouble its cares and vigilance for restraining the in- fidelity which is natural to them.- I can assure you, that as the leaders are, so will he the followers; and in any case it will be far better to leave our country to its natural defense and and [sic] our lands uncleared than to have them cultivated and inhabitated by our hidden enemies, who only assume the specious title of Catholics when they wish to deceive or surprise our government. Our Government is the best in the world-the most wise, pious and prudent-but it cannot foresee nor prevent all the evils which may result from the bad citizens of its distant provinces.)'_ Almost simultaneously with Brady's application was another from the Baron de Bastrop. This enterprising and benevolent individual seems to have had a perfect mania for territorial possessions. He be- came the owner- as we have heard- of extensive tracts of the waste ancl mountainous domain of the Old Dominion. He also obtained from Baron Carondelet, Governor of Louisiana, a grant of twelve square leagues of Land on the banks of the Washita. 43 -The emigrants with which he was to settle the lands, were not to be molested for their religious opinions; yet at the same time they were to be deprived of the liberty of performing any religious rights or ceremonies except those of the Roman Catholic church. The grant was made in 1796,-:- 43 rN ote in document:] In I 802 the Baron ceded a part of his grant to )Ioor- house; but "the King disapproved of the arrangement and by a royal schedule of the IS of July, forbade the grant of any land in Louisiana to a citizen of tbe US." See )Hartin, page 100.
Powered by FlippingBook