372
TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
time news reached that Santa Anna had conquered Texas an.d would be in Matamoras in a few days in1mediate preparations were made to receive him in the most Splendid Stile the Priest's had expended about six hundred dollars in preparing a chair for him to set in, the sitazens had also expended considerable in makeing a splendid road for him to enter the Town, just as they were fiting out a party to send out meet him and escort him into Town, a courier arrived with the information that Santa Anna was a prisoner, the citazens expressed much surprise at suc:h news but was disposed to treat the American citazens with mour respec-t than usual after the Mexican troops reached Matamoras from Texas they changed their treatment towards the Mexicans . [Endorsed:] R R Brown's Narrative No. 1649. HISTOlUCAL NOTES. ROBERT :M. WILLIA:.\-[SON [Houston? Texas, 183-?] In 1830 the mexican GoYt actuated by the policy that has charac:ter- ised the administration of San Ta Anna towards her American col- onies passed the law o[ the 6th of April- This law prohibited North Americans from entering the territories of this Nation with a view of Colonizing themselves- This act of the Government placed the early Settlers of 'fexas in a Situation truly embarrassing and distressing- Many intelligent and interprising colonists had repaired thither, and established themselves preparatory to introducing into the country of their adoption their relations and friends who thus became isolated and detachment from them by this legislati,·e ac·t- All contracts of Colonization that called for North American Settlers were Sus- pended- The law therefore became the Subject of memorial and remonstrance to the Govt, from the colonists,-which howeYer served. no other purpose than to hasten the Government in its rigid execu- tion- To this encl Gen! :Manuel De ~lier y Teran was appointed Commissioner Gen! to see that the provisions of the lnw ,,·ns carried into effect- Teran Commanded the eastern Division of the Mexican Arm}· & commenced immediate operation under his new Commission, b_r garrisoning troops on the coast and frontier [On margin:] Prior to the law of April 1830 there were but two Military Garrisons in Texas the one at Bexar & Laberdia, after the passage of this law six new ports were established. So as to preYeut Americans from entering this portion of the )Ie:xican domain- A new System of local Go,·ernment was established by the military throughout Texas unknown to its interior orga11izatio11 & a like distruc-tion of individual rights as it was re- pugnant to liberal institutions- A citizen from the United States entering Texas was subjected to the inconvenience of traveling out of his way to report himself to the Commandant of Some post, and gh·e a good account of his business under the R_enalty of being imprisoned during the will of the Commandt Instances of this character actually did occur at the Post of Anahuac- That oflicer J D Bra[d]hurn clisre(Tardi11<T Herv thino- like or<Tanization or good Go,·ernment caused t;, ::, • t:, I:' quiet citizens to be lodged in his prisons witho':1t o~enc: and actually disperse<! the local ciYil authorities of the State 111 his ne1ghobor~1?od- in 32. [On margin:] Recourse was had to the State author_1ties to check these high-handed measures--and the people were aclnsed by
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