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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
to the wind soon convinced him that the treacherous l\fexicans were stealing his Vessel. The Capt of the Grampus proposed to persue her & sink them all; but to this Harri!: objected. He took the small hont of the Grampus & went in persuit, but after rowing until nearly night he found it impossible to oYertake her, and well it was for him that he did not for they would have murdered him for his pains; he returned to the Grampus, and the next day weut ashore to Santa Ago and tarricl with an inn keeper Parker a Virginian, & thence went to Matamoros where he met a friend in a generous strauger by the name of i-Iaven- striek a merchant, who supplied him with means to take him to Tam- pico where he arrived in safety but not without suffering, obtained his vessel the Nelson and sailing for home reached it in November 1831. No. 1622. ADDRESS ON FREEDOM OF TRADE. LAMAR [Houston? Texas 183-?l True liberty consists in each citizen pursuing uninteruptedly, what- ever course he conceives best calculated to promote his o\\·11 interest & happiness, so long as it interfers not with the same privilege in other,;; and the only legitimate end and object of all government and law is to secure this liberty as far as possible to all-to pre,·ent any inter- ruption of it whatever, from within or without-and to interfere with no one, except when transcending his 0"\"\'11 proper sphere, and of course intruding upon that of others. The most delicate, difficnlt and often dangerous operation of government and law, is in the regulation of trade and commerce, which, from its vexatious restraint upon the or,li- nary pursuits and occupations of society, is intolerable, except when rigidly confined within the great end and object just mentionefl. an<l must otherwise, soon lead to disaffection, disobedience & resistance. There is not a more dangerous & delusive error than that go,,ernment can regulate the industry and commerce of the people bettel' than them- seh-es. The interest of the people is the only true and ligitiruate in- terest of the goYernment & the country. No man or collection of men will long continue any pursuit, either among themseh-es or with a foreign country, that is not certainly productiYe. If productive to them, it is as certainly so to the country-if otherwise, it will require no law to cause its abandonment. To restrain or restrict it becau:-e it benefits others as well as ourseh-es is most irrational & unjust, sinc-e all commerce national or individual, is founded upon a presumed mu- tualitv of benefits. And e,·en what are called countervailing restric- tions ·are in most cases at least nothing more than a suicidal policy of injuring ourselves, with a view to injure others, because tl1eJJ are 1,0 unwise and narrow minded as to do so.- No. 162-1-. INVITATION [TO THE l\IEXICAX FEDEH.-\LISTS TO JOIN TEXAS?] ANONY~IOUS [Fragment] [183-?] . . . or are prepared to receiYe and enjoy it, until the understnml its nature, and apprecinte its worth- They ought n_ot_ to he entru1,ted with the care of the priceles1, jewel, until the~' are w1_llmg to sell en•~·y thing they possess-e,·en life it$elf-in the effort to wm and presen·e 1t.
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