[Transcript of a copy of an exerpt from a letter written by Stephen F. Austin to a friend, 1825] Page: 1 of 5
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. Extract fraia a letter written Gen. Austin in 1025 to n. friend.
The claims to lands in this colonly t rc rather novel, r.nd
not little complicated in Lheir charactcr; in conscquencc of
which they appear not to be in general well understood out
of its limits; and I an douvtless oftentimes censured by very
good persons, who w uld be fr r from blaming ne did they know
all the facts* My whole tasB has been a difficult and ^arras-
sing one; and the government has greatly added to ia; troubles
by not compelling tho commisioner to remain here and until the
whole business of adjusting and establishing he title# of
the settlers, shall be funally dipposed of. He is now amectber
of the Legislature and is at tho present moment ^t Lhe scat
of Government, hich you know in Saltllo. Thus the w elg
burden of respo, sibility of acting upon the cl^imsto lands
is thrown upon m shouldrs; uhilst I am able to precu o aid
from no quarter , and I have &een cast upon the slender re-
sources of my own judgment. I have not been furnished either
with any code of written laws, nor enjoyed the benefit of de-
tailed instructions, My authority ac Er presc rio is truly very
ani le, f- r too much so, in truth, for I am invested with swee-
ping discretionary pou< s as to the recepti n of settlers, the
government of tho colony, and the distributin of lang— the
exercise of which powers gust inevitably subject re to cen-
sure, proceed as 1 may. The authority which I exercise tt
) stilllsubordinate to that held by individuals who -re total-
ly ignorant of the w nts and dispositi n of the people ofwhose
i
u
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[Transcript of a copy of an exerpt from a letter written by Stephen F. Austin to a friend, 1825], letter, 1825; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth216505/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.