USA > Texas > The history of the republic of Texas, from the discovery of the country to the present time; and the cause of her separation from the republic of Mexico > Part 24
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These, however, are but "a select few" of the out-door tormentors of Texas; while our suffering shepherdess informs us, that, " The common house- fly, the gnat, and others of like species, and of equal attachment to poor suffering humanity, ['alas! poor Yorick !'] are the constant and close companions of a summer's day in Texas. At that season, [a mouth- ful of ice and air, ] and a happy deliverance from such plagues, would form the most desirable item, as far as creature comfort is concerned, in a Texan Litany."
It would be superfluous for me to add another word on this subject, which has been already dwelt upon at such length by the ablest Texan naturalist, whose veracity on this one head is most unques- tionable.
In addition to cotton, Texas produces magnifi- cent crops of maize, or Indian corn, which grows as high as ten or twelve feet, while the ground be- low is generally covered with the finest pumpkins, water melons, and sweet potatoes ; a great variety of vegetables are also grown in Texas; but wheat,
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340
ARBORICULTURE
oats, and barley have failed wherever they have been tried as yet. The timber is confined to the margins of the innumerable streams that intersect the country, and as these occur so frequently, the lower parts of Texas may be said to be well timbered. The oak, ash, red and white pine, and cedar, are to be found in the greatest perfection in eastern dis- tricts, with a prodigious shrubbery of underwood, the most conspicuous of which is the Lapan tea- tree, and a large collection of medicinal roots, such as sassafras, arrow-root, rhubarb, gentian, jalap, &c. ; while the red, black, live and post oak, lo- cust, musquit, pecan, hackberry, and mulberry, are to be found in the west. The timber of eastern Texas, where the surface soil is very deep and rich, arrives at the most gigantic magnitude with astonishing rapidity ; but this is only the case with cedar, cypress, red and white pine, and such other trees as spread their roots along, and confine them to the surface soil; while the oak, ash, &c., whose roots penetrate the sub-soil, which is a cold wet clay at all seasons, present but a meagre foliage, and seldom arrive at a greater size than trees of thirty or forty years' growth in England. This is more remarkable in western Texas, which is considerably elevated above the lower country. Throughout the former the surface soil is much more shallow than in the latter, and which will continue to decrease, owing to the action of the climate. First, the rains inundate the whole country, and their
341
OF TEXAS.
waters periodically find their way to the river courses, carrying with them more or less of the alluvial soil of the upper country ; and so great is this operation of nature, that in many places the original sub-soil may be found quite exposed, which is the case throughout nearly the whole region of ter- ritory that lies between the river Nueces and the Rio Grande. This sub-soil, being composed of a strong, stiff, cold, and wet clay, or rock sand, presents but few asylums for the timber of the forest. The oak, ash, &c. of this and the upper regions of Texas are remarkably stunted, and their coarse, brittle, and dwarfish foliage at once denote that the soil is most uncongenial to their nature; even in the eastern or lower parts of the country the traveller will frequently meet with large patches of decayed trees of the first magnitude; he will also find, on examining those that have been blown down, that the blight arises from the roots having penetrated into the sub-soil after the surface soil has been re- moved from the roots by the retiring waters of the periodical inundations.
The cross timber of Texas, which has excited the attention of so many travellers, Mr. Kennedy conjectures to be a work of art, and owes its origin to an unknown race of men, who erected the mounds and ancient fortifications of the Missis- sippi valley ; whereas the simple fact is, that the cross timber of Texas is a continuation of the woody bottom of the Trinity River, growing on either side
342
COMMERCIAL AND STATISTICAL
of a valley, which was evidently a continuation of the present bed of that river, and having been cut off from its original source, at some remote period, by the Red River, it is now kept up by the natural drainage of the vast marshes through which it for- merly took its course, as denoted on the map.
There is also a great variety of wild grasses in Texas, but they are generally very coarse, dry, and sour ; the musquit grass, however, is of such a delicious flavour, that cattle frequently eat of it until they drop dead ; the blade sometimes grows to the height of six feet, and when seen at a distance has a novel, beautiful, and noble appearance.
The extravagance of the estimates that have been put forth relative to the marvellous produc- tiveness of the soil of Texas may be seen from the few foregoing, and her present and future commer- cial prospects from the few following statistical facts :-
Cotton is the only Texan commodity that can be produced for export for some years ; and this can only be raised by negro labour, for I repeat, that Europeans cannot work in the fields in Texas, and the American, who can do so partially, will not ; therefore negroes must be obtained, and in the absence of capital, which is not to be found in Texas, the cotton must go to pay for the labour that raises it, to the great but unavoidable injury of the country, as I will show ; but these facts are adroitly disguised by the Texan authorities, as may be seen
343
VIEWS OF TEXAS.
by the last statements of the Secretary of the Trea- sury of Texas, published in the Morning Herald of the 1st of September, 1841, as follows :-
FORTS.
DOMESTIC GOODS. FOREIGN GOODS.
TOTAL.
Dollars. Cents. Dollars. Cents.
Dollars. Cents.
Galveston
32,168 . 85 17,355 . 41
49,52 . 26
Velasco
55,503 . 55 28,392. 47
83,896. 02
Metagorda
24,179.92
4,102.00 28,581. 92
Labaco
14,583 . 95
14,583 . 95
Aransaso
930.00
930.00
Sabine
42,885. 00
42,885 . 00
127,666 . 27
92,734 . 88
220,401 . 15
For the three months ending 31st March, 1841.
Galveston
16,906. 75
27,145.97 11,052. 72 19,957. 50
Labaco
9,860. 45
Aransaso
120.00
9,860 . 15 120.00
Sabine
18,805. 00
18,805. 00
65,619. 70
27,145.97 92,795. 67
Total of 15 months 193,315 . 97
119,880 . 85
313,196 . 82
Value of Imports during the same period ... 1,670,240. 00
Gross Revenue 313,196 . 82
Expense of Collection 133,139. 00
Net Dollars
180,057 . 82
The " foreign goods" named in this statement refer to the imports, the duties on which are paid in the promissory notes of the Texan government, and these securities are to be bought at 75 per cent. dis-
Velasco
19,957. 50
Metagorda
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COMMERCIAL AND STATISTICAL
count, and paid, as they are at all times, in these notes, would yield a net amount, in silver dollars, of 29,970:214 only, instead of 193,315:97 dollars. The amount of " domestic goods" paid for in this depreciated currency (for the government rule their receipts in notes at par in all their statements) would yield 48,323:994 in hard dollars, and not 119,880:85 dollars. The expenses of collections being paid in notes at 75 per cent. discount, and redeemable at par in specie, amount to 532,556:00 dollars, showing a deficiency in the " gross amount of revenue (313,196:82 dollars) of 219,359:18 dol- lars, in the place of " net dollars," 180,057:82. It would puzzle the Texan government exceedingly, I fear, to show what the domestic goods (which mean the exports) of Texas, as set forth in their financial statement, consist of. However, it will not suffice to dismiss our statistical exposé of the Texan budget in the face of so formidable an official document as the foregoing, and of the fol- lowing and conflicting statements of its advocates. Mr. Kennedy says (Vol. II. p. 379), " 'The esti- mated receipts into the treasury for the fiscal year, commencing the 30th of September, 1839, and ending the 30th of September, 1840, are as fol- lows :---
Dollars.
" From Customs . 400,000
" Taxes and Land Dues . . 500,000
" Sales of Lots in the Cities of Austin and Colhoun . 400,000
1,300,000"
345
VIEWS OF TEXAS.
This is Mr. Kennedy's statement, in the face of that of the Texan government, which gives 313,196:82 dollars as the gross amount of revenue for fifteen months from the customs ; while Mr. Ikin, the Texan consul, says the amount of revenue obtained by means of import duties and direct taxation, in 1840, is 802,054 dollars. In order, therefore, to arrive at any thing like a correct estimate, it is necessary to ascertain what are the articles exported from Texas, and the amount of labour employed in their culti- vation. Cotton, as I have before observed, is the only article that Texas produces at present for ex- portation, and, admitting that there are 11,323 slaves in Texas, and that half of this number are the bona-fide property of the Texan planters, and that the other half are only hired, and out of the whole that 8000 are actually employed in the culti- vation of cotton ; the labour of S000 hands, at the average rate of ten bales to cach hand, will produce 80,000 bales annually, at the estimated value of forty dollars per bale; for 40,000 bales uncontracted for, and 40,000 bales contracted for at the usual rate, thirty-five dollars per bale will yield 3,000,000 dol- lars per annum, from which we have to deduct the hire and keep of 4000 slaves at the common rate of forty dollars per month for nine months, as being actually engaged in planting, picking, ginning, and bagging cotton, and ten dollars per head per month for the keep (including imports) of 41000 slaves, 1,920,000 dollars, which, when deducted from the net amount of produce, leaves only 1,080,000 dollars as the dis-
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346
PUBLIC DEBT
posable means of Texas ; and this is the amount that is to supply the imports for 59,000 souls (not including the negroes) on an average of fifty dollars per head, 2,950,000, and an ad valorem duty (say of 15 per cent.) on this amount of imports, with the revenue de- rived from assessed taxes (500,000 dollars), added to sales of government lands (400,000 dollars), is, as near as can be calculated, all that is tangible to meet the current expenditure of the country, which has averaged 1,475,750 dollars annually, from 1836 to 1840. The last item is by far too low ; but I am here trying to yield a little to sanguine speculators, who have represented the present and future ordinary re- sources of Texas as truly unlimited. However, in fol- lowing up these supposititious calculations, the reader must not pass over the subjoined statement of the
PUBLIC DEBT OF TEXAS.
Dollars. Amount funded under the act of 1837, redeemable at
the pleasure of the government, after 18.11 750,000 Interest on the same, not paid . 75,000 Amount funded under act 1840, and payable in 1815 800,000
Interest due and unpaid 40,000 Bonds, hypothecated, redeemable in twenty years . 500,000
Interest due and unpaid 50,000 Bonds for the payment of the Navy, redeemable 1812 690,000
Interest due and unpaid 138,000 Eight per cent. bonds payable in five years (no inter- est due) . 100,000
Treasury notes in circulation . 2,250,000
Supposed amount of claims outstanding, and not pre- sented to be audited . 500,000
Making in all 5,893,000
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AND LIABILITIES OF TEXAS.
Hence it is we find that the annual expendi- ture of the government from the declaration of the independence of Texas in 1836 to 1840, has aver- aged 1,500,000 dollars; and yet we are told by Mr. Consul Ikin, in his three-shilling advertisement of Mr. Kennedy's work, that " the expenditure of the government" cannot be much over 600,000 dollars, whereas it has averaged more than double that amount ; and in the foregoing statement, more- over, I have not included the following items :-
Dollars.
Bonds and Treasury notes held by the bank of the United States, in Philadelphia . 137,015 Bonds held by the bank in London 181,201
The voluntary assumption of 1,000,000l. sterling, named in the convention between England and
Texas
5,000,000
5,321,219
Public debt brought forward
. 5,893,000
Total amount of recognized liabilities . 11,214,219
The interest on the amount of recognized liabili- ties of the government would amount to about 560,200 dollars, and the Texans propose to increase their public debt by raising a loan of 6,510,000 dollars, which is to yield them (after various de- ductions) 4,042,000 dollars, for which they are to pay a yearly interest of 120,000 dollars, thus swell- ing their national debt to the enormous amount of about 17,724,219 dollars, and the annual interest on their liabilities to about 1,000,000 dollars; this is
348
UNITED STATES' JOBBERS
to be paid by a nation of about 59,000 souls, but when, even Mr. Kennedy does not venture to inform us.
All the inconveniences, however, that may arise from the pressure of such a national burden, is to be obviated, we are told, by the influx of strangers, who are to bring money into the country, for the purpose of investing it in lands ; this, it is true, may come to pass, but it must be remembered that the lands of the republic are now in the hands of the United States' jobbers, or speculators, who are not residents in the country, and who are only waiting to sell the land and then carry the money away with them to the United States. And it is also said that the government by redeeming their promissory notes in specie, will throw money into the country ; but here again it must be remembered, that all the securities of the republic have been bought and are held by the United States' capitalists at a discount of 75 per cent., who are anxiously waiting for the govern- ment to redeem them in specie, an event particularly desirable " up town" at this moment ; therefore, the evils which arise from the absence of capital, must continue to be felt for some time, and no legitimate commerce can be established without it, or main- tained until the agricultural prosperity of the state demands it. The tariff of Texas, however, holds out many inducements to the " contrabandista," and a very extensive contraband trade will doubtless be carried on through Texas with the United States ; but before it can reach Mexico, roads have to be
349
AND SPECULATORS.
made, the Indians exterminated, and the abused confidence of the Mexicans restored, and this may occupy more time than all the rest; therefore the trade of Texas, for the next ten years at all events, will be confined to the shipment of cotton to New Orleans, to meet the engagements of the planters and her contraband trade with the United States, and to what extent this trade is to arrive, remains altogether with the States.
As for raising sugar without either capital or negroes, it is quite absurd ; and the impossibility of such a thing is too well known to require a moment's consideration. The soil of Texas, if better adapted to the cultivation of sugar, rice, coffee and tobacco, than any land on the continent, as it is said to be, its prodigious productiveness must remain in embryo until it can be developed by the legitimate operation of capital; and the Texans must, most assuredly, wait patiently for their turn, like other people; for if they raise loans and incur debts in foreign countries, the principle will not only be taken away, but the interest will open a fresh chan- nel for draining the country of the little specie it may possess.
Having shown what has been said for and against the soil and climate of Texas by these visionary advocates, and referring back to what I have advanced on the subject from personal observation, I shall now sum up the early prospects of those who may be inclined to emigrate from Europe to Texas.
350
CAUTION TO EMIGRANTS.
It has, I think, been proved that if the climate of Texas is not decidedly bad, it renders the produc- tiveness of the soil most precarious.
First. The soil, though rich, is so wet at one season, (spring,) and so dry in the summer, as to " retard the preparations of the agriculturist." -- Kennedy, Vol. I. The periodical inundations of this country are not to be prevented; the water coming from the clouds in the winter and spring, and from the tops of the snowy mountains at other seasons, render the soil insusceptible of that im- provement which can make it of value to European agriculturists.
Secondly. In addition to the innumerable pri- vations and hardships that the emigrant has to contend with in all new countries, he is in Texas exposed to the grossest imposition of " land-sharks" and speculators,* and by those who may employ him as a labourer, such as being induced to buy land still in possession of some hostile Indian tribe, or on the Indian frontier, where life and property would be in danger every hour, and after all, per- haps, at the end of five years the victim would find out that somebody else had a better title than him- self to the fee simple of his purchased estate. Such cases as these are not unfrequent, and indeed are not
* Some of these gentry are now in England trying to dupe the unguarded ; but see the American Consul's declaration in the Appendix, for a specimen of their honourable proceedings.
351
CAUTION TO EMIGRANTS.
to be guarded against under the present laws of Texas.
Thirdly. In order to hold land, the emigrant must become a citizen of Texas, in which capacity he is liable to be called upon at any moment to take the field as a soldier against the Mexicans, who can at any moment bring 50,000 men into the field ; or against the Indians, by whom the scalp of a European would be as much prized as the feathers of a rara avis by the British Museum.
Fourthly. There is not such a thing to be seen throughout this country, as a silver dollar. The absence of specie is supplied by promissory notes of the Texan government, which are at a discount of seventy-five and eighty-five per cent. These notes are scarcely negotiable in Texas, much less out of the country ; therefore if the emigrant attempts to increase his little property by taking out merchan- dise to Texas, he will find it at a dead loss, eventually being obliged to sell his goods by auction, in which he will find the auctioneer and purchaser linked together to plunder him. With the proceeds of such a sale the emigrant may, as Mr. Kennedy would say, "turn himself round ;" but I question very much if one or two hundred pounds' worth of British merchandise sold on such terms, and paid for in the Treasury notes of the government of Texas, would enable the disappointed emigrant to return to the bosom of his family. To dispose of goods in barter is quite impossible, for all the cotton,
352
CAUTION TO EMIGRANTS.
which is the only article they have for export, must, as already stated, go to New Orleans to pay for the labour that raises it; while " the hides of the im- mense herds of the buffalos, wild horses, furs, and deer skins," are wholly in the hands of the Indians, as may be seen by the map.
For the truth of these remarks I pledge myself ; and if it should not check the misery I have seen entailed on my countrymen in Texas, for want of the information this work contains, the blame must be attached to others, and not to these pages.
CHAPTER IX.
Traveller's Guide-Chief Towns on the Coast, and in the Interior -Soundings of the Ports-Tariff-National Colours-Judicial Districts -- Table of Roads and Distances-Land Titles-Digest of Laws thereon-Table of Land Fees-Assessed Taxes- Common Law of England, as in force in Texas-Review of her Criminal Laws-Standard of Coins --- Monetary Securities.
THE territory of the republic of Texas, extending from the Sabine river on the east to the Rio Grande or Rio del Norte on the west, embraces a sea coast from east to west as follows :--
Miles.
From Sabine to Galveston 80
- Galveston to the Brazos River 50
- Brazos River to the Nueces River 160
- Nueces River to Rio del Norte 110
400
In addition to these points, which appear on every map and chart of the Gulf of Mexico, the following sea-port towns have recently been estab- lished on the coast :-
City of Sabine, on the west bank of Sabine Pass, contains a population from 100 to 150, and is most unhealthy. Depth of water on the bar from four
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354
SEA-PORT TOWNS ON
to seven feet. The land on the Sabine is very marshy, and only fit for sugar, rice, and coffee plantations.
City of Galveston .- On Galveston Island, which is nothing more than an inhospitable sand-bank .* It is extremely unhealthy and insalubrious, particu- larly from the latter end of May to the middle of October. The city contains about 400 wooden houses ; population 5000, including West Port. Depth of water on the bar, nine feet at all times, and sometimes fourteen feet, varying with the tide, but more perceptibly with the wind. Anchorage good about four miles inside the bar ...
West Pass, or West Port .- On the western side of Galveston Island; a small town containing thirty houses and 100 inhabitants. Depth of water on the bar, from eleven to sixteen feet; anchorage good, inside the bar.
Valasco .- At the mouth of the Brazos River ; is very unhealthy ; contains about sixty houses and 100 inhabitants. Depth of water on the bar, four to six feet. Two steam-boats run from Galveston to Valasco.
City of Matagorda .- On Matagorda Bay, at the mouth of the Colorado River. The town is situated forty-five miles from the bar ; contains about 700 in-
" " Low and sandy."- Kennedy's Texas.
| The pilots of Galveston, and, indeed, all along the coast of Texas, frequently run vessels ashore intentionally ; therefore masters of vessels should keep a vigilant eye on them.
355
THE TEXAN COAST.
habitants, and is most unhealthy. Three other towns have been laid out on the bay, but are not suffi- ciently advanced for any particular notice. A com- pany has been formed to clear out the raft near the mouth of the Colorado, but they have done nothing as yet. Depth of water on the bar from eight to twelve feet. Anchorage five miles from the town, six to seven feet water. Population about 600.
City of Lamar .- On the east side of Arransas Bay; contains a population of thirty or forty souls ; dis- tance, twenty-eight miles from the bar.
Live Oak Point .- On the west side of Arransas Bay ; will eventually be a place of considerable importance; and is here recommended to emigrants as the most healthy location ON THE COAST of Texas. The present population is small, but will increase rapidly. Depth of water on the bar, (Arransas Pass,) from ten to seventeen feet.#
The Texans have no ports, as yet, west of Live Oak Point. And under the present system of com -.
The following remark is worthy of attention, and may be strictly applied to all the rivers with which the coast of Texas is indented. When southerly winds prevail with violence, which they do, they cause a flow of the sea into the lagoons, which increases the waters on the bars, thus enabling ships that draw above a certain depth of water to cross them; while at other seasons, when the wind blows from the north, vessels are almost sure to perish if they attempt it ; and I may here add, that there is no coast in the world where the winds and waters vary so capriciously, or where the mariner can place less reliance on the soundings.
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ADVICE TO EMIGRANTS.
merce, established by the Texan government with foreign nations, no attestation of papers in the clear- ance of vessels, nor passports, are required, although every Texan consul is bound to give passports, and a certificate of intentions and character to any Texan citizen, free of expense. All legal instru- ments, executed in foreign countries, must be attested by a consul, to be valid in Texas.
The laws relative to debentures and collection of duties in Texas, are precisely the same as those of the United States. Special acts of the Texan Congress, however, take precedence ; but there are no special enactments as yet to embarrass mer- chants or captains in their trade; therefore captains have only to proceed to the ports of Texas, as they would to any port in the United States. All goods must be cleared at the custom-house by the mer- chant, or his agent. The captains of vessels are required to present a manifest of all emigrants re- ceived prior to the clearance at the custom-house, with a memorandum of all the articles they have shipped. Both captains and emigrants should be particularly careful to observe this form.
Emigrants and travellers in Texas are required to make an entry, at the custom-house, of their baggage, &c. before landing it. The entry costs one Texan dollar.
When the duties, under the present revenue laws of Texas, on any one importation, shall amount to 500 dollars, a credit of three or six months is given ;
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357
TEXAN TARIFF.
and on any sum over 100 dollars and less than 500 dollars, three months ; under 100 dollars, cash. When credit is given, security, by two persons, being citizens, is required.
TARIFF OF DUTIES,
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