To His Excellency

Genl Bustamente

Commander in Chief &c &e

The undersigned, finding a deep and lively concern in all that relates to the welfare of their adopted Country, and entertaining a peculiar regard for the future advancement and tranquility of Texas, beg leave very respectfully, to submit the following facts and suggestions to Your Excellency's serious consideration, in order that the subject to which they relate may be presented to the proper authorities of the Government of Mexico—

In the winter of 1823, Mr. Monroe, then President of the United States of the North, recommended to Congress that measures should be taken to remove all the Tribes of Indians resident within the organised limits of the United States, to regions to be assigned them on the west side of the Mississippi, and beyond the boundaries of the State of Missouri and of the Arkansas territory—The Congress promptly adopted the recommendation and Commissioners were appointed to treat with the Indians on the subject of their removal—Treaties to that end have already been effected with some of the most considerable Tribes of the North, to wit—with the C[h]octaws, the Chickesaws the Cherokees and the Creeks, by which they have severally engaged to emigrate to the west—Other Treaties probably have been or shortly will be made with other Tribes of a similar import—

By the terms of these treaties, lands are designated for the future location of these Nations or barbarians, on the west side of the Mississippi and for some of them, in the immediate vicinity of Texas—Stipulated annuities in money and in arms and ammunition are allowed them in consideration of the lands they have relinquished and ceded to the United States, that Government continuing to exercise its wonted national sovereignty over them and to guarantee to them its national protection.

The very terms of these compacts import that the Government of the United States possess a right of supervisorship and control over these Indians, and every principle of national comity that ought, and it is hoped does exist between the Government of Mexico, and that of the United States, would dictate that that right should be so exercised as to prevent these barbarian protejees from becoming troublesome or inconvenient to their neighboring sister Republic—And we conceive it to be perfectly competent and reasonable for Mexico to protest against the settlement of these Savage Tribes in her immediate vicinity, inasmuch as it must subject that part of her territory bordering on such settlements to an absolute dereliction or render it fit only for the habitation of other Nations of Savages— The removal in part of several Tribes has already been effected, and although but a small proportion of the whole number contemplated to be removed have as yet appeared in the Country designated for their future location, the injurious consequences flowing from this forced and unnatural accumulation of Savages in a territory obviously incapable of sustaining them, to the adjacent territories of Mexico is too apparent to escape the most cursory observer— It is a fact sufficiently notorious, that a great proportion of the Country alotted for the settlement of these discordant nations is [in] a sterile, unproductive wilderness and situated in an inclement and unfriendly climate—Such a country can present but few inducements to a permanent agricultural occupation by a people who have made just enough progress in civilization to have acquired many of its most mischievious arts and all its vices, but not enough to endow them with sufficient fortitude and patience to subdue a stubborn wilderness to cultivation, or to sustain themselves from again relapsing into their primitive state of barbarism—Hunting and predation are the favorite pursuits of Savages—the chase possesses a fascination that is altogether irresistible to the untutored mind and derives its principal charm from the resemblance it has to War, to which all unenlightened nations are passionately addicted—

It requires but a superficial acquaintance with the character of these aborigines of the north who are about to be transposed to our borders to predict that in a very few years after their ejection from the pale of that power which has heretofore surrounded them and curbed their wild propensities, they will abandon all their acquired habits of civilization and return to their pristine savage condition:— and it then requires less forecast to perceive, that the Country in which they are to be congregated will be altogether insufficient for their accommodation—Without estimating the certain occurrences of feuds and wars among themselves, and the inevitable dispersions resulting from them, we may deduce from the principles of a purely physical necessity, the fact that many of these Tribes will be compelled to spread themselves abroad and to seek a more commodious residence in a Country less densely populated and where the means of subsistence are more plentiful and of easier access—Texas presents every allurement that is calculated to attract their notice and excite their cupidity—Lying contiguous to their newly acquired territory and possessing a climate mild and salubrious—with a soil abundantly prolific diversified by alternate forests and prairies replete with every variety of game, and pervaded in every part by perennial streams of water, it has the superior attraction of being sufficiently remote from any powerful white population to promise them an undisturbed occupation, and is still sufficiently proximate to insure ample opportunities of gratifying their ancient animosities and indulging their passions for rapine and war, by depradating on the unprotected frontiers of Mexico.

With respect to the fact that many of these northern Tribes will extend their migrations and eventually select a home beneath the brighter skies of Texas, we are not left to the precarious calculations of conjecture—several of them have already taken up their encampments within the proper jurisdiction of this Government, and they have already declared their determination not to relinquish their forcible, uninvited and unauthorized possessions—The names and numbers of those Tribes or parts of Tribes that now occupy our territory are as follows:

Shawnees 550 families

Kickapoos 500 " "

Delawares 250 " "

Cherokees 80 " "

Quapaws 150 " "

The Quapaws are encamped on the west side of the Red River of Louisiana, a little below the Sulphur Fork and it is quite problematical whether they are within this territory or not—This fact cannot be determinately know[n] untill the boundary line between the two Governments shall be finally adjusted—Reducing these families to individuals by supposing 5 souls to each family, we have 7650 souls and allowing one able bodied man to every 5 souls will give the aggregate number of 1530 warriors This number, though sufficiently formidable of itself, considering the wilderness state of the Country and the infancy and feebleness of the white population within it, is rendered still more alarming by the warlike and ferocious character of those warriors—They have been long tried in arms in many fierce and bloody contests with the hardy backwoodsmen of the north, and have always displayed great bravery and indefatigable enterprise and persurverance—They are admirably expert in the use of the Rifle, and although compelled to retire before the accummulated masses of the north Americans, who have gradually driven them from forest to forest and over river after river, they have never acknowledged themselves conquered, but still feel able to contend with equal numbers of the best troops of the civilized world-

Should these Indians be allowed to remain and obtain a permanent foothold in the Country, it will inevitably attract the residues of their respective nations to re-unite with them, and in all probability other Tribes will be allured by their example to seek a more congenial residence than is to be found in the inclement forests of the North—In the lapse of a very few years unless some prompt and efficient measures are taken to check this dangerous imigration, these northern barbarians will swarm in Texas as the Goth and Vandals swarmed into Italy, and impelled by the same motives and the same antipathies, they will spread a similar desolation in their progress—

Another and very imminent danger connected with this emigration is found in the great probability that these strangers will form at least a temporary alliance with our ancient enemies the Comanches, the Whacoes and the Tawackanies, and combined with those treacherous people to devastate the exposed frontiers of the Republic—Such a combination would be replete with mischief and might require the utmost energies of the nation to suppress it—

We, the undersigned, do therefore feel it a duty as the confidential agents of this Government appointed to superintend the Colonization of important Districts of Texas, to represent this interesting subject to your Excellency as the proper organ of the Federal Government—We conceive the subject to be important to the Country at large, but to involve in a peculiar and especial manner the vital interests of Texas, and we submit it to Your Excellency in the hope, that some suitable measures may be adopted to arrest the progress of a fearful and growing evil and to save the peaceful Citizens of Coahuila and Texas and all the regions around and contiguous to the Rio Grande from the tomahawk and scalping knife of a ruthless, infuriated and savage foe—The evil of which we speak is yet in its incipient state, but it is rapidly maturing, and although the scene of its operation is located in a remote and sequestered part of the Republic, its development will not be the less disastrous for having its origin in the secret and unfrequented wilds of our northern frontier—

We consider this matter to be worthy of the solemn interposition of the National Government, and we entertain no doubt but the Government of the United States, as soon as the subject shall be properly presented to them, will employ their influence with these intruding Indians to induce them to evacuate the Mexican territory and return to their respective homes: and in the event of a contumaceous refusal, that they will withold their annuities and withdraw their protection—Such a procedure would in all probability constrain many of them to return and deter others from committing similar trespasses, and would essentially conduce to the future welfare and prosperity of Texas and to the tranquility of the several contiguous states—

And we further present to Your Excellency the great danger and the manifest impolicy of making any promises of concessions of Lands, either temporary or perpetual, and of offering any other rewards or emoluments, whether it be by military appointments or civic honors, to any of the Chiefs or head warriors of these barbarous Tribes—The friendship of savages is always treacherous—it is purchased today and lost tomorrow—it is generally dearly bought, and is never gratuitous but to superior force—when sold, the first price, though ever so exorbitant, is only a prelude to future exactions —a sale is only a loan for use, and as the savage is always suspicous and never disinterested, the loan is sure to be recalled whenever convenience or interest may prompt—The very offer to purchase his friendship carries, to his mind suspicions of inability to compell it— fear alone is the arbiter of all his affections—

Should it once be whispered among the numerous and populous Tribes of the North that those of their kindred who have already forced themselves upon us, have been caressed and fostered by the Government, a very few months will be sufficient to fill up the vacant lands of Texas with a fierce and ungovernable people, who will soon turn their fury on their benefactors, and in comparison with whom, the Comanches, the Whacoes, and the Towackanies are utterly contemptible and harmless—

David G Burnet [Rubric]

San Felipe de Austin 2d July 1827