The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925 Page: 20
344 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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20 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the fatal consequences to the settlers and the disturbance of pub-
lic order that would follow the publication of the decree. He
begged, therefore, that the governor would petition the president
to exempt Texas from its operation.48
Obviously enough Mitsquiz was not blind to the danger of re-
sistance from the colonists, but it is clear beyond doubt that he
and the other intelligent Mexican inhabitants of Texas were
keenly awake to the importance of protecting the interest of the
colonists as the only means of lifting Texas from the desolation
which the handful of civilized natives had endured for a hun-
dred years. Even in Coahuila some looked to the land fees from
Texas to support the government and saw in its prosperity the
surest pledge of Coahuilan progress.49 After asking the presi-
dent to exempt Texas from the decree, Governor Viesca declared
that he would have made the request even without the petition
of the political chief, because the advancement of Coahuila was
so dependent upon that of Texas. Liberty was, of course, a noble
sentiment, but slavery was established in a barbarous age and
even the strongest and most enlightened nations had not been
able to extinguish it. He feared that the colonists, seeing them-
selves deprived of their property with only a remote hope of in-
demnification, would bring upon the state some disturbances that
it was in poor condition to withstand. By this he did not mean
to imply that the colonists were turbulent or insubordinate, for
up to the present there were only proofs to the contrary; "but
the nature of man is known and the feelings of which he is
capable when he sees himself from day to day in danger of being
"Mfsquiz to the Governor, October 25, 1829. This copy is in the Gen-
eral Land Office of Texas, Vol. 57, p. 103ff, MS. Following it is another
copy, identical for the most part but toward the end inveighing more
strongly against the decree. There is a copy in the Political Chief's
Blotter in the Bexar Archives (University of Texas), a translation in
the Nacogdoches Archies (Texas State Library), and a translation of a
"cautiously edited" copy (see Padilla to Austin, November 26, 1829, Aus-
tin Papers, MS.), in the Texas Gazette, January 23, 1830.
4"Navarro wrote Austin, October 29, 1829 (Austin Papers, MS.) : "We
have already written very strongly to the government and to friends
who can exert great influence for the repeal of such a law. We have
also the satisfaction of having received by today's mail letters from some
friends of the best deputies of Saltillo in which [they say] they are pre-
paring to notice the decree in print, even before knowing what we have
to say about it here. Thus, you may believe that the best men of the
state oppose such a law, which betrays justice and good faith."
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 28, July 1924 - April, 1925, periodical, 1925; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101087/m1/24/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.