The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-11
The Father OF Texas.

harm. Washington Star.
The Father OF Texas.
To Moses Austin, native of Durham,
Conn, citizen of Missouri, is due the
conception and matured plan OF colonlz-
ing by peaceful and lawful methods the
wilds of Texas with Anglo-Americans
trained to venerate civil and religious
liberty as the greatest blessing ever
vouchsafed to men. Having matured
hissplan of colonization, he set out across
the almost tackless wilds from his home
to San Antonio, to the capital of the
Spanish province of Texas, and reached
that place in January, 1921. He at once
| laid his plan before Don Antonio Mar
tinez, the Governor of the province.
Governor Martinez was not. favorably i'm
pressed with the plan, and peremptorily
declined to recommend it to the supreme
government of the Eastern Internal
Provinces, whose capital was Monterey,
and at the head of which was General
Don Joaquin Arredondo, Civil and Mill
tary Governor.
On his way back to his lodgings,
bowed down under the weight OF his
| heavy disappointment, he CHANGED to
meet his old friend the Baron de Bastrop
a man of great influence in Spanish
affairs in Mexico. The Baron took Aus
tin home with him, and there Austin
fully explained to the baron the object
of his visit to San Antonio, and laid be-
| fore him in detail his plan OF colonlza-
ton. Fortunately the baron was con-
| WINGED that the scheme was feasible, and
i if executed would add to the power and
wealth of Mexico. On the next day in
| company with Austin, he sought an in
terview with Governor Martinez, and af-
/ fer elaborate discussion, Governor Mar
tinez agreed to and did recommend the
plan and forwarded it for approval to
| General Arredondo at Monterey. Aus
/ tin, being unable to remain pending ac-
| ton of the government of the Eastern
Internal Provinces, left for his home in
Missouri, and died there on the 10th of
/ June, 1921. from fatigue, exposure and
/ a severe cold contracted in his long jour-
news. He enjoined upon his son, Stephen
Fuller Austln,ss the execution of his great
plan. which was, in brief, the introduce
/ tion into Texas, by Moses Austin as
"impresario,n of 300 Anglo American
/ families and their settlement as citizens
/ of Mexico.
/ think no man could have been better
| equipped than Stephen f. Austin for the
/ successful execution of his fathers plan.
| Having secured it's recognition by the
! proper authorities of the Eastern Provin-
ces, as wells as authority in himself to
execute it, he at once set about securing
/ the requisite number of families, and
/ having succeeded, and having provided
| them with the necessary outfit, he set
out for Texas, and with portion of
the colonists reacheds the Brazos River,
where the La Bahia or Goliad road cross
es it, in December, 1921, and the settle
ment was at once begun; From This
point (the crossing of the Brazos by the
! La Bahia road) the colonists, as they ar
rived, moved out in every direction, as
! far as the La Vaca and San Jacinto
rivers. as they might well do, for there
were in specific boundaries set out in
/ this first colonization contract-in this
respect differing from all those there
after made Later on the town of San
Felipe de Austin was laid off near the
place of landing of the first colonists, and
| was made the capital of the colony.
Soon the three hundred families were
/ all happily settled. Austin beanie ac-
quainted with all of them, and was not
long in securing their absolute con11-
/ dence, and in all the trying times that
| followed that confidence was never shak
EN-. When he began his great task of
| colonizing he was but % years of age.
/ Energetic, courteous, brave, honest,
| cool, and liberate in judgment, with
| admirable administrative capacity
sound morals, punctiliously honorable,
/ and a diplomatist by nature, he had all
the qualities for the leadership of a
| colony destined to be devoted to civil
| and religious liberty. He subsequently
made other colonial contracts, all of
! which he faithfully and promptly execut-
/ ed, and thus acquired the confidence of
| the Mexican authorities, with many of
! the distinguished citizens of Mexico who
as personally acquainted. Shortly after
| colonization began he found 1T necessary
/ to visit the city of Mexico in order TO
secure the ratification by the central gov
eminent of his contract with the East
ern Internal Provinces, a step made neces-
| sary by the rapid political changes then
/ taking place in Mexico. He spent on his
trip some 10 months in the city of Next
| CO. and profited by the opportunity of
/ perfecting himself in the Spanish Ian
| cuage: and at the same time impressed
! upon the political authorities the great
| resources of Texas, and its great value
| to Mexico when developed by Anglo-
American enterprise. Before his return
| colonists under other impresario con-
| tend the borders of the settlements and
| to add wealth and security to thescom-
| munlty.
/ No community of like size in Europe
/ or America possessed more talent, more
| enterprise, more courage, or a Greater
| love Of free government. In ten years
! the community had an Anglo-American
population of not less than ~, 0OO.-From
| hTexas,n by Ex-senator Samuel Bell
/ Maxey, in Harper's Magazine for Septem-
| Der.