Our Catl,olic Heritag6 in Te~as
tion, news leaked out in Nacogdoches. The effect was immediate and violent. Consternation, resentment, and a spirit bordering on rebellion swept over the apprehensive colonists. The despair that seized them is revealed in a letter of Durst to Austin. "In the name of God, what shall we do? For God's sake advise me on the subject by return of mail. We are ruined forever should this measure be adopted." Austin's reply was characteristic. "Our course is a very plain one--calm, deliberate, dis- passionate, inflexible firmness; and not windy and ridiculous blowing pl.Jld wild threats.... The constitution must be both our shield, and our arms; under ie and with it, we must constitutionally defend ourselves and our property."'1 Fortunately, relief came, as already stated, through no effort of the colonists themselves, but as the result of the intercession of Mexican officials in their behalf. In the Law of April 6, 1830, the slavery question received }?articular attention. Under its terms the introduction of slaves as such was defi- nitely barred. This provision, of course, did little more than state sharply the traditional stand of Mexico in regard to the matter. It did not greatly affect actual conditions, for ever since 1828 slaves had been brought in under the guise of contract servants, a practice in which the colonists persisted under the new federal law. The Colonization Law passed by the Legislature of Coahuila and Texas in April, 1832, carried a provision, which, if enforced, would have sounded the death knell of slavery, for in providing that labor contracts could not exceed ten years, bond servants could not be held beyond that time. But other events crowded out the slavery question for the time being. The movement for separation from Coahuila as a duly organized state of Mexico was taking positive form. That fear of abolition, how- ever, persisted is evident. When agitation against Santa Anna was spreading in 1835, R. M. Williamson attempted to rouse the colonists by declaring in a Fourth of July address that Santa Anna was coming to Texas to force the settlers to liberate their slaves. 4 : Other causes of irritation and mis- understanding were the trade regulations. The Spanish tradition of restricting and concentrating trade resulted in authorizing only a limited Tariff and trade regulatit>nS. 41John Durst to Austin, November 10, 1829; Austin to Durst, November 17. 1829, cited in Barker, Life of A11sJin, 246-248. 42 Barker, Mexico MIil Texas, 1821-183 S, 84-85.
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