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Our C atl1olic Heritage in Texas
of all responsibility other than that of protecting the settlers. So fired was his imagination that he foresaw a flourishing German colony of more than one million within ten years. If nothing else were gained, the Indian trade alone, he contended, would be worth the cost of the experiment. The Spanish, the English, the Russians, the Americans themselves had found it lucrative for years and even now were fighting over it. Ten thousand Prussian soldiers could be sent as immigrants and given six hundred acres apiece as a reward for military service. Significantly, Hecke remarked that the enterprise would prove a great stimulus to the development of the German navy as the English colonies had proved to be to the English navy. 11 Events now developed rapidly in Spain itself to open Texas to colonization. The formidable army assembled by Ferdinand VII in Cadiz to restore Spanish rule in America suddenly declared, early in March, 1820, against absolute monarchy and demanded the restoration of the liberal Constitution of 1812. The King submitted to the demand. He took a solemn oath to support the Constitution and promised to call the Cortes immediately. His promise was followed by a decree effectuating all laws and ordinances promul- gated by the Cortes prior to 1814. A dop6,m of a liberal land policy. The result of this decree, issued on April 15, 1820, was to put into force the law of January 4, 1813, which authorized city councils and provincial assemblies throughout the realm to foster the development of agriculture and commerce by the distribution of public lands to prospective settlers. On November 8, 1820, the Cortes adopted a decree calling upon colonial officials for a report on the state of the public lands. They wished to know how much had been granted, under what terms, and how much remained. They solicited suggestions how they could best distribute public lands to the soldiers who served their country well and to those who wished to establish new homes. The information gathered was to be used as the basis of a plan to parcel out the public lands to prospective settlers. Of particular import was a decree issued by the Cortes on September 28, 1820, which reversed the time-honored tradition excluding foreigners from Spanish dominions. They were now to be welcomed upon condition that they respect the Constitution of 1812 and the laws and customs of the country. Those who availed themselves of this grace were 11 J. Val Hecke, Reise durcli die Vereinigten Staaten v<>n Nord-Amerika ;,. den Yaliren 1818 und 1819, I, 195-203.
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