Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, September 16, 1837 Page: 1 of 4
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TOIf. II. NO. 36.-WHOLE NO. 8.
WE LABOR FOR OUR COUNTRY.
.HOUSTON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 16, 137.
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bay of Brassos Santiago, to the Rio Grande,. of ahoul-thretvmilcs. The
route will then be throughLaguna de Santander, and the several bays
of Nueces, Papolota, Aranoso, Espiritu Santo, Matagoida, West Galves-
ton and East, and requires a very few depenings in the bays. The nu-
merous rivers which wind in every direction over the whole face of the
country, and by a cast of the eye upon the map, appear to be numerous
as the blood vessels to the human heart, all emptying their rich products
into your great parallel reservoir to the sea; many of theni with a small
improvement at thoir mouths, capable of good and constant steam nav-
igation, and almost all a portion of the yoar capable of keeL and flat
boat. The works of the first importance to the company, ard of easy
accomplishment, will be to deepen the mouths of the Sabine, Neches.
Trinity and Colorado rivers, the probable cost of which will be one
hundred thousand dollars, and which will, when complete, furnish from
five to six thousand miles of river and canal navigation to the people of
Texas. Among the numerous improvements of whfch this country is
susceptible, I consider a rail road of 120 miles in extent, from Copano
bay, up the valley of the San Antonio to the city of Bexar, will be of
immense magnitude. I consider this of the first importance, not only to
the interest of the company, but the prosperity of western Texas, open-
ing at once to the coast the most rich and desirable valley the eyes of
man ever saw, running directly to a spot where tradition says disease
never -existed, with a water,power capable of supplying manufactories
for a large nation, and a country around producing surer and heavier
grain crops than any other known. At a future period, this road should
be continued seventy miles to the valley of the San Saba, which is be-
lieved to contain more mineral wealth, in coal, iron, copper, and silver,
than is known to exist elsewhere, uniting numerous water powor with
all this national wealth; also another fromthe saltlakes of about twenty
miles, to intersect the Bio Grande between Rbinoze and Mier. The
company may not at present look upon this latter road as of much im-
portance; for myself, I believe at present the export of salt from these
lakes would soon pay for the road. From every description of those1
lakes, the constant and eternal formation of the best salt ever used,
capable of supph ing forever the whole inhabitants of the earth, render
it, in my estimation, the greatest treasure of the mineral kingdom.
The Ignorance of the learned world caused a laugh at iir.jenerson's
salt mountain story. There is greater cause tor laughter in the won
derful fact, that the immense quantity daily taken from these lakes for
many years past, show no diminution, ana tnat lis loruiauuu is u cur-
tain and almost as constant as its removal.
Let me now call your attention to some of those works which the
charter contemplates, and which may be secondary in their accomplish-
ment. Among these, ar jgadfrnm ttipi TrinitiwMa-ante&kCt the
rich settlemenljuponthe SuIpherJorkfejdjriAD&iVd fr&pkuhe im-
product-of that.portipn jofjhe cpMtilJbiftJgaJkeiojv.ivwith
TEXAS REGISTER
Is publislicd weekly, at the city of Houston, by Cruger & Moore,
proprietors.
TERMS -.Subscription, te dollars a year, payable in advance. Jldver-
Using, one dollar a square for the first insertion, and fifty cents for each con-
tinuance: seven lines, or less, is considered a square. Marriage and obituary
notices of more than three lines each, cards of passengers, and announcements
of candidates for political offices, will be charged at the common rates of adver-
tising. hj-All advertisements to bppaid for in advance.
AGENTS FOR THE TELEGRAPH: J. Brent Claiik, New Orleans,
Bailv, Gay fc Hoxey, Washington. Col. Geo. W. Poe, Columbia. Bennett
& Sharp, Brazoria. W. W. Siiepard, Montgomery, Lake creek. Judge Usir-
Jg er, Texana. E. T. Branch, Liberty. Jos. Rowe, San Augustine. D. C.
" " Gunmnguam, Mina, or Bastrop.
From the Matagorda Bulletin.
Columbia, Dec. 26, 1836.
To Gen. Tkos. J. Green.
s Beau Sra: Since my elevation to the Presidency of the Texas Rail"
jKoaa, iavigauon -ana canning company, jl am aesirous to elicit an tnc
information eonnectedwith that important world therefore, Sir, take the
'liberty of calling on you, knowing your minute geographical and topo-
graphical information of this country, for intelligence on the subject of
the practicability and utility of such an undertaking.
On your report we shall very much rely ; a prompt answer, therefore,
will confer a favour on the Company, and an obligation on
Your friend and servant,
B. T. Archer, President.
Columbia, Dec. 26, 1836.
o the Hon. B. T. Akcher, , i
President Texas Rail Road, Navigation and Banking Company.
SHI: -I have just received your favour of this day, and take this
-early opportunity to reply to it; not that I believe I shall be able to
. do the Company service," which others might not better d", but that I
"" have this work most at heart, next to the success of our Revolution,
which every sensible man must now consider certain. iThc great solici-
tude I feel in the success of your magnificient undertaking, arises as
'well from my knowledge of its easy accomplishment, as the immense
advantages it must have upon the welfare and prosperity of the country;
.. you will therefore permit me tobe even tedious in pointing out those advan-
tages, togeiner wiui ius easy prucuuuumiy, uuuci uie vuiy uucic wu
ter granted by the Republick to your corporation. I have examined
vour charter with much attention, and find it as liberal in all its provis-
' Iocs, as the company ought to desire, and more so than any other in my
recollection. The privilege of discounting thirty millions of paper, at
ten per centum per annum, upon its ten millions capital stock its un-
restricted privilege to deal in bills of exchange its unresisted authority
over the establishment of tolls, fees and charges of the works the
privilege of taking, at the minimum government price, all the land within
' half a mile of such works its full and ample power and authority to
buv and sell all species of property the advantages of investment at
'-1uepre5Batio'w -prices of real property the right that foreign stock
holders have to hoidreai estate in I exas, not otherwise allowed them,
' together with ninety-eight years duration of charter, are privileges al-
most incalculable, and are invaluable to the company. On the other
.hand, Governmentwill be immensely benefited, not only by the liberal
bonus paid for the charter,but by the introduction of large foreign cap-
ital, necessary to the present wants of the country; and more than all,
by the accomplishment of a magnificient improvement, the completion
of which, as proposed, will far exceed anjr other in the history of
aiations-
If it'be plainly demonstrated, that the profits alone upon the success-
ful operation of the Bank, with the employment only of the amount of
onevthird of. its discount privilege, can accomplish this scheme in the
,next five years ; that this improvement will reach immediately and direct--ly
cach-and every part of this suberlativcly rich and desirable country,
.which, according to the present bounds of Texas, contains 450,000
square miles, see report of the committee upon foreign relations of the
Senate,) and is capable of sustaining the present population of France.
If all mis and more be shown, which 1 undertake to do, and in no
.spirit of prophecy; you will conclude, with me, that your corporate
privileges are beyond arithmetical calculation. I say, in no spirit of
prophecy, because these things are clear to my mind, and I undertake
jiow to advance them as certainties. In five years from this time your
whole system evill be in full operation, because an inconsiderable amoant
jnay accomplish it, and the interest and wants of the country demand it.
I incidentally remarked just now, upon the ability of the corporation
to complete the works with the net profits alone, arising from the employ-
ment of one-third of your discount privilege. This may be done alone
by. the usual operations of the Bank. But suppose you were to invest
one trillion of dollars at present in the purchase of the best lands of
the country, which may now be had at an average of fiftv cents ner acre :
in less than two years, if the emigration continues as it has since the
commencement of the revolution, (and we have ,a right to expect its
tenfold increase,) such investment will have increased not less than one
1 thousand per cent But in event of your securing the town site upon
the Copano Bay, and the land up the valley of the San Antonio river,
one Hundred and twenty miles to the citye'f Bexar, and the real prop
erty m ana nrar mat city, u wm not De necessary w to do more I he lirasos Santiago, destined to be second
"'.olf"'J "" " ""uiia ui piuciiy iuuy uo Bum upon
aUy ; hence there can be no fear of o enreaching the means of the com-
pany. The interest and ability ot the corporation, will always be suffi-
cient guaranty of judicious expenoitur&in this respect.
The constant press of public duty, which I have heen under since I
have been in the service of Texas, and more particularly since the meet-
ing of, congress, precludes the possibility of answering your enquiries
more particularly. I might, in this disjointed way, write a volume upon,
the richness, beauty, and naturaf magnificence of Texas; upon her im-.
nsj6uUurafeapah'il?t?p,,s-rhe'r xhaustless mineral wealth her
grand water power for machineryjjind her climate and na1utaTffioduc-
tions all of which would only aggravate your desirifto have'them devel-
oped, the power of doing which your charterso amply bestows. I never
heard, to my mind yet, one sensible reason, nor can the fact be evaded
or disguised, why our lands, of better quality, better climate,and more';
healthy, and in the same number of hours run of the city of Orleans,
shall not be as valuable; in a short time as the inferior lands of Missis-
sippi, worth now from fortyto seventy dollars per acre. i
In negociating forjunds, to put your bank into operation, your
company can afford to give a larger percent, than any other institution,
because, as I have said befove, the. profits oCvour-companv jyillnot be
confineatomeaisuaLQperations.otla3ank. The security for the Joan-
er of the funds, will be as well in the high character of-your company
as in the strength of your charter, backed by the integrity of a govern-
ment, already in as perfect organization and success as any on earth.
When I have better opportunity anymore time, I will take great pleas-1
ure in furnishing you'manv estimates'and plans, which' the recent im
provements in rail roading has just brought to light, and which will be
useful to your company.
Tory respectfully, ' '
. , , T Your ob?t. humble servant?' r
r,fT J. GREEN
uf
Dr. Archer must have considered- himself highly edified by the
vast fund of r "geographical and topographical informatioii of this coun-
try" displayed ,by Gen. Green, 'who had fesldcd fn 'Texas only abo7tcas''
tnnnv mnnflnc nc fVio ili-wtnr liml vnatAaA united 'r ' i' ''''
4 jj - ylf
many months as the doctor had resided 3 eafel
-.?"SM
JJK
t:7for ajHKtion of the earth presents more inducements; the incora-1
i' t r xt ;i J i-.i i- . i. ., ii .1
iftrs.ittjpcsaes3 me sun ana saiuDniy onne ciimaie 01 ine vauev of
yjtiHLjKuOionia,is proverbial.- ItjseUniaiedJliaJLfromJhirty,ta.firty
" gBfomandyiolf are wilLturjnJheJlio.GbdandeJnt2,thp-hay3of Brassos San-
wcanaTjdojjtthree milesjupon which bay.thegreat citWofi
fiat"grea?valley3au
itimes asjlae'as Pgnnsylrania. Jusflibbve Ihis poTnt upon the" Rio
Kjraade, ihe stupiaVS2o!ent, barbarian people, who inhabit1 it, have
-within a few y ears Juil t theTich city of Matamoros, with only the advan-
tage of five feet water-to it. ;What a city then might not jin American
people build upon tlie bay below, where there, can be eleven feet brought
in? There arc many other sites where towns and cities must be built
soon, all within the reach of your charter, which a small improvement
woujid render most valuable. To confine myself more particularly to
fhe plan, as proposed, let me call your attention to the fact, thatJes-s
ihaiiJLhiriy-mueaofcanal will unUeJne- Sabme-lake-with-the- waters of
ade. witbTl
theR in Grand
.
heTanelevation m the profile of the whole rout
of twenty feet, an3"throu2n a clay of such peculiar tenacity, that the
'pides of the bayous wherever I have examined them are generally per-
pendicular. This is alone a sufficient argument upon the practicability
m navigating the canals by steam. This route, which is to form the
. principal trunk of your whole plan, covers the whole sea coast of the
Republick, from east to west, a distance of 400 miles. To make it
continuous, it will require- three principal cutsono from East river
mense
man.v others ot a similnr.. characterjUrmccessaxiftwJo mention. At
present there isjl rail road rapidlyaflyjmcjng AyejtjntoXouisianu ;.and
witn a connecting nnK ot oneJiunareanmes irony u ppeiuuaaa luoaume
lakj3necojnTjassJhi
witluflase..irL7(5ni5urs. This done, and vmTwiIITiave nearly accom
plished that great commercial desideratim, which has baffled the inge-
nuity of the trading world for centuries, to wit: a short road tolhe East
Indies. You can then pass up in three days to the head of good steam
boat navigation upon the Rio Grande, from whence a rait road, 450 miles
in length, will land you upon the Gulf of California, at' the port of Guay-
mos, one ot the best harbors on the Jfacihc, trom wtfence allowing me a
small figure of speech) you may converse with the people of Chiria
through a speaking trumpet. 1 looJLJQbjunejnojdistantj wn,as
much confidence, when I shall sgelnrndlroinHheFofCalifor-
niaJo4lie'citvnot"02uHjhten dvs ' or Jess, as IdptQeewQjge made
fronTOrleans toNew York in six. To this plan some may object, that
thSrcure Indiaus-upon'the" route. To this I should answer, that if our
uniform Indian policy failed to secure their friendship, a regiment of
mounted men would command their fears. Though the geography of
that portion of the country, between 30 degrees of north latitude, upon
the Rio Grande and the Gulf of California, is not well understood, I learn
from an intelligent friend of mine, who spent three years there, that its
general profile is good, it being table laud of considerable altitude,
which is reached by a principal ascent trom tno valley ot tiie tio uranae.
The quality of the land, and character of the whole country, considered
to be peculiarly adapted for grain. The Apaches, 'and other Indian
tribes, have kept the Mexicans always forted in, and prevented them
from working the rich mines in that district, which would be opened to
American enterprise.
I mu.t, my dear Sir, beg your indnlgcnce tor this digression -out
I consider it so intimately connected with vour charter privileges, it is
at least suffcrable. If I had an opportunity', I would call the attention of
the city of Orleans to it, as she is equally interested in tne worK, ana us
accomplishment would fill the measure cf her glory and grandeur. Its
cost would not exceed the proposed Nashville road. To Orleans it is
particularly interesting; and could the enterprise of that great city jjght-
lv understand it. she must IiVp hrtld with avidity1. "'She already, with her
1 ji 1 u-.i a-4 ! n.knha mnot Rpp.lndpd neifh-
luuusuuu uruau jiuiu?uiiu sieumeia, icauuug "" - -j, o
borhood of the best half of the American confederacy, and darmg to
cross the frozen win a nnon the one hanl upon the other 'almost within
a stone's throw of the luxuries of the West Indies, receiving at the same
time, semi-monthly by the same locomotive, from her alitornia aepoi,
the riches of the west, her- stride to magnificence would outstrip the
wildest en th.asiasrrtjv . . 'd " , irV ,n
T . t i 1 . I'.i' iz mi1 irnni fftrnnration UDOn
nt any event, 1 iook to tne iuiuro auuuuui iv' ir:z . ,J,
the subject. Let the .western depot beon the Golf of Californiathat
or may not bo m Texas: but tne Atianucaepui wm, ....-
rasos Santiago, dp;,! tr, h spcondorilv tQ'NeW Ofleans-upon
tb-e Gulf, whore the' shinmncr nf old. En0laud.hcrself would pay jour
1 m - . 1 - x li4t TTtotn I CT
CIRCULAR, ' " - f-
te Titi; ciWtffitVs oL-'riifl eotatfif otf brazoria: -,
I have read a'prittted llatidllillt intended as instructions to our sena
tor and idbrfesenttilhesi on the subject of the bank, and, inasmuch as my-
lidiiie is befuta VOU ns n candidate for senator, I deem it rov duty to ex"-'
)1CSS my sentiments on this all absorbing subject, m this public manner, t
both from a dislike of concealment and a desire to prevent any perver
sion Ot tnv opinions by the tongue ot scandal. f
1st. To take up this handbill in detail I assert: That I cordially,
roncur with those who have signed it in recogiiising the right of iijstruc-
tion,tand, if elected, should teel imselt imperatively bound, in all mat-
ters of judgment and expediencyto obey, most religiously, the instruct '
tions ot my constituents; butit instructed to do that wnicn, in my opin
ion I could not do withoutTioIating my oath, my conscieace,or tne conrs
stitution7l should feel it my duty to resign immediately. While on theJt
subiect of instructions, I premise that! must be"entirely satisfied that '
into a bayoujaioaume lane, otviess tnan a miie; one trom VVestbajTto
lilatagdQaof-abou1 22mues ;nd one from neaoinfliabTipoiOho j
dockdues and wharfage tollB and storage,-andlwhen the white metal ot
mat immense region wll flow into your coners as uuiuiuujr a .
course of the Rio Bravo runa downwards. , t .-.' '
In followintr oubihic cnnnnint.n imii.Ti .it is not embraced.in your
inquiries, I beg your indulgence here! to record this opinipn gratuitously
and in advance that a pnmWnntim, r nnHtiVnl nvents must soon happen,
which will Dlacn Try nn i : rr,;annnsifion to the States of
the North; for our southern line must run duo. west, from the mouth qf
the Rio Grande to the Pnr.JnV. wvk w;n nAA n country west of lexas
as large as the original thirteen States and I look upon the central geo-
giupuiuai position 01 rexas to the states of the northern conieueaa
already fixed. Your charter is valuable in another respect, that its dis-
counts can always be large, without the fear or danger.of a run upon it
for gold or silver. Its location commanding the silver region of New
Mexico, Chihuahua, the Californias, Durango, Coahuila, Zacetecas,and
oau x.u0 J.VUKU, wuure silver is less valuablq.tnan a more poruiuic y
resentative of known character, .which your bills would have under
your charter. In no event can an exhaustion of metal in your coffers
work greater damages to the instituq0n; than the lawful per cent, from
the demand. Commanding thn.n. no ..,. MnBniVni nnqJfion must be,
in this respect, over any bank injthe United States, together with the
advantage wh'ch a balance of tratje.must givjelyou bv the immense .pro-
duction of sugar and cotton, and the sale glands, will at all times afford
you ample means to run upon others by .advantage of this balance. It
is at tho option of your corporation to commence any public work at plea-
sure, and prosecute the samafrce of anv legislative restrictions or pen,-
ubiect ot instructions, 1 premise
they proceed from a majority of my constituents before I would obey4
them. " - .
2d. I agree with the igneia of the handbiU alluded to, thayhepow;
prs nf thn hnnk arp. pnormous. unheard o'f. and danserous to me welfare-"
of the country and that it is not only the fight but the duty of cjfejsrcit
izen to use'all legal and cdristitu'tfonal means to impose uponihis institu-
tion such restrictions as are usually imposed in other countries, so',as"tov
make it a benefit jnstdad of, as it nW standi, a curse to,the community .-l
I differ entirely with that clauseot the bandbiu wnicn asserts nat xi tis
competent for congress toassess'sucha tax' as M'ill render yal 11 olessthe
powers granted by the charter." This would, in myopinion', be doing,
underhandedly and indiiectly, what all admit could not be done openly
and directly without a breach of faitfi and of the constitution."" Itwould
be far more noble, far more independent, far more in accordance with '
the manly openness of the Anglo-American character, and equally jusr
and constitutional, to repeal ihe charter at once, than to effect the same!:
purpose by an enormous taxation, avowedly assessed with L tho object ofj
indirectly destroying the institution. 1 nat tne Dame may do taxea ipv.
the purpose of revenue, as all other banks and all other property 01 aiiTf
governments can be, is, to iny mindj undeniably true ; but to single out"
this bank, and impose,. lor its destruction, a greater tax on its capital
than is imposed on the capital.of other banking institutions, would .be a
violation of that part of the constitution which declaresthat all laws shall-
be equal and Justin their operation. ,It would be as unjust as to tax the .
land of one individual a thousand times more than the hind of any or all
others. - To repeal'the charter openly, all admit, would violate that clause
of the constitution which declares thatno law shall be'Tnadc'irapairing's
the obligation contracts; and no person can deny that a' charter is,a,i
contract and confers a vested,andsa sacred right. Onthe , principle tpf
the right'of revolutibh'by the majority af all times,, whenever their gov-
p.fnmerit. in anv of its!features, becomes tbo'op'pressive and dangerous'
toibe borne, T-a"dmit that the charter could be openly repealed.,-' Flit ATP
though this right of revolution is inseparable fronfithe majority; .yetMtsis
one which destroys the constitution, shakes jthe Joundatjpn'-af society,
and lesolves the community into' elementaryprinciples,. or into a8tato
of 'nature, without the Existence of goternmenL 'Rislearththat.
.if Z CtZn . !'..U i..l1 T-k fci loof TaahiTT nTtornnuinn1 nvnniiotorl
tne exercise ui nua ujjiubuuuiu umc. iiutiMWHimiw uu'gYii 'iiF i.
all other reasonable, peaceable and legal means. ThcexercjsejOfJthiSy.
iriitliehaBlc'righUf revolution is"always a matter of .policy and cjucuj-'
tion. If 'the community, afterealm) investigaf ionafe satisfied tnat!&oV
contiriu'an'ce oF'lhfsch'artferbr oijanyother charter, or of the qonstitu-
tion' 5tself,Jw9ulQJbendesVr(rctrveo'f their libfertiea,' or would in."! 'other
words, b'eproducfi've ofgreSterevflsthan youla a' state of revolution-
then oflc'ourserth'ery wodld,ue justified in resorting fc their right ofrey6y"
lution. But suc are the, horrors and(the miseries attendant on a state
of revolution, that,1, as I'said before lfsHould be ''the Tasi' resort. J am
satisfied thai a do'mpromis'ecan beeffected;by the ensuing congress, and
will labor; whether el-cted or not, most assiduously1 to effect, t,,j,If this,
cannot be done, then it will be a more proper time than the present to
determine whether the continuance of thet charter or the, destruction ot
it by violating the constitution,1 by fbrceVncf by "revolution, would be
most injurious to the interests ot the country.
Before closing, I would remarV that I have been charged with en-
deavoring to defeat the dnnexation 6f Texas to the United States Tmsv
charge I pronounce 'to be the' most emphatically false and slanderous. t
No onehas'ever'labored'moie anxiously and zealously than niyself to
procure annexation. What has transpired on thttSubject is at present
a diplomatic secret, intended only for the Executive and the senate m se-c
cret session; nor can I develope it until the 'injunction of secrecy is re-
moved, which I will endeavor to have done at the ensuing session, that
I may lay before the public a full account, of my mission. . But I again
reiterate mat tnc cnaTge is most iiiiiii-v ,- v -1 -.
Tho distressed situatian of my family will prevent me from visitifag
nil .t 1 r v r,xr ,ntnrP thn election, but I would take pleasure'in
answering anv interro"gatories in 1 elation to my political opmionson any
DK;0f u;nu ,r h n.cscd to me by letter.
J Your fellow-citizen,
WM. H. WHARTON
h,
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Cruger & Moore. Telegraph and Texas Register (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 2, No. 36, Ed. 1, Saturday, September 16, 1837, newspaper, September 16, 1837; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth47949/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.