The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921 Page: 191
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Louisiana Back:ground of Colonization of Texas
his arrival, however, the feeling against the English and the Amer-
icans who were hostile to Spain's ally, France, had become very
strong, and it will be necessary to trace its effect upon Bastrop's
colony, and then upon the general history of colonization into
Louisiana.
Suspension of Bastrop's Contract.-On June 20, 1797, Governor
Carondelet had entered into a formal contract with Bastrop for
the introduction of families, but he was soon replaced by Manuel
Gayoso. The situation was immediately changed; for the new
governor objected strenuously to the introduction of Protestants
and suspected that, in defiance of the stipulations of his contract,
Bastrop was introducing English and Americans whose fidelity to
the Catholic religion and the Spanish king were merely feigned.
The contract did not meet with the approval of the intendant of
the province. He objected, in the first place, because it provided
for the expenditure of a considerable sum from the depleted treas-
ury for the transportation of these families from New Madrid to
the new settlement and for their maintenance for some time after
their location; and principally he said, "although it was to the
advantage to increase the population of Ouchita, it would never
be to the advantage to increase the number of English and Amer-
icans, and other Protestants, imbued, perhaps, with the maxims
of liberty which had caused so much revolution, and to place them
even nearer Mexico."45 As a result, the governor ordered the sus-
pension of Bastrop's contract until the matter could be passed
upon by the king. This amounted to a nullification; for Bastrop
was never able to secure favorable action, in spite of the fact that
he promised to secure his families direct from Europe and to re-
ceive none who might have been "contaminated" by even the brief-
est residence in the United States. Indeed, when considering Bas-
trop's claims, especially in regard to the sale of a portion of the
lands in question to Moorehouse, the king forbade the granting
of any more lands in Louisiana to Americans.4" This feeling
against the Americans-or rather against all foreigners-had al-
ready been embodied in the laws of Louisiana as the following in-
See American State Papers, Publio Lands, II, 678; III, 682, 683, and
VIII, 850.
4aMorfles to King, June 30, 1797, A. G. I., Sto.. Dom., 86-7-17, June 20,
1796-July 9, 1799.
"Undated petition of Bastrop (1799?), A. G. I., Sto. Dom., 86-7-17.191
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921, periodical, 1921; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101078/m1/197/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.