The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 123
348 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Mercer Colony in Texas, 1844-1888
but, finding that Allen had left Washington for New Orleans,
Wheelock set to work on the projection of a topographical map to
provide information for the future selection of settlements. In
spite of such obstructions Wheelock reported that the "Book of
Special Contract shows the settlement of twenty-one families and
the application by letter of thirty more." After the adoption of
the new Constitution of Texas in October, 1845, Taylor, the county
surveyor for Robertson County, respected every application for
land and ordered deputies to make surveys without any regard
whatever to Mercer's Contract of January 29, 1844. Wheelock
observed that various members of the Constitutional Convention
from Robertson and other counties were making large entries
within the colony, namely, Irion, Rusk, and Tarrant. Wheelock
contemplated visiting Austin previous to the final change in the
government, to seek instruction from Allen, and depositing a pro-
test in the Department of State, which would show to the gov-
ernment . . . "the capacity of the Association's complying with
their stipulation . . . and that the wrong is on the part of the
government from her physical inability to properly extend her
laws and thereby prevent her engagements from being violated."
Wheelock believed that nothing could be done on the company's
grant "until the judicial arm of the United States" should be
properly extended.24
In the meantime determined efforts in Nacogdoches developed
not only to oppose but to ignore Mercer's contract. The following
letter shows the aggressive feeling that was fomenting:
Nacogdoches Decr 26th 1845
To Matthew Cartright, Esqr
Dr Sr
Brother informed me that you have Some Certificates, but that
you have some hesitancy about having Them Surveyed up on the
Trinity fearing there would be Some opposition from the People,
I do not intend to Survey, on any mans preemption claim and
therefore: I do not anticipate any contention with the People I
spent nearly the whole of Last Summer among the People of the
Collony, I found them very friendly disposed and they made no
objection to my Surveying, any quantity, so that I did not inter-
fere with their preemption claims, I found them En Mas opposed
to Gn, Murcer and his contract with the President, and as a fur-
"'E. L. R. Wheelock to C. F. Mercer, November 25, 1845. Colonization
Papers, 1843-45. Texas State Library.123
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937, periodical, 1937; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101099/m1/137/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.