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Lot 231
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1838 Rep. of TX ALS re: abolitionism, settlement, Santa Anna, and election!
1838 Rep. of TX ALS re: abolitionism, settlement, Santa Anna, and election!
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Description:

Texas - 1838 Republic of Texas ALS discussing abolitionism, settlement, Santa Anna, and upcoming Texas presidential election, written by a man whose son famously married his own slave!

4pp bifold ALS inscribed on cream paper, the first page cross written and the fourth page comprised of integral holographed address leaf. Letter dated September 1, 1838 was penned from Independence, Texas "by E.W. Taylor" to recipient "Jeremiah Wilbur, Esq." from the firm of "Masters, Markoe + Co. Merchants, New York". The address leaf is annotated, postmarked, and has some remnants of red sealing wax on the address leaf. In very fine condition, with expected wear including fold marks. Each page measures 7.5" x 12.5".

Our letter's author Edward Wyllys Taylor (1814-1886) was a New England transplant to northeastern Texas, originally hailing from Deerfield, MA. Despite its political and territorial instability in the 1830s and 1840s, Texas had a lot to offer the pioneering settler. In fact, Taylor mentions quite a few reasons to relocate in his letter, like Texas's pleasant climate, its arability, and its enormous scope. On March 2, 1836, a group of delegates at Washington-on-the-Brazos declared its independence from Mexico resulting in the formation of the Republic of Texas. During the following spring, the Texans fought against Santa Anna at the Alamo to disastrous results, but also to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto. For the next nine years, Texas functioned as a self-reliant republic, until it was admitted to the United States in 1846.

Taylor's correspondent was a family relative by marriage, one Jeremiah Wilbur, Esq. (born circa 1805). (Jeremiah was married to the sister of Edward's older brother's wife.) Wilbur moved to New York from New Jersey and worked for his father-in-law's firm Masters, Markoe & Co., as is listed on our address leaf.

Edward Wyllys Taylor's epistolary tone is cordial and teasing, yet he and Jeremiah Wilbur had diametrically opposed attitudes about slavery in the United States. Edward Wyllys and his son Edward Ruthven wholeheartedly embraced the institution. Edward Wyllys owned slaves, and his son served in Waul's Texas Legion of the Confederate Army. When Edward Ruthven was later captured at the Battle of Vicksburg and contracted tuberculosis in a Union prison camp, his slave-owning father presented him with a 21-year-old slave named Ann George. Edward Ruthven fell in love with his enslaved caretaker; their descendants still live in Texas. [See the June 29, 2013 article in the Houston Chronicle at http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/native-texan/article/Historic-ranch-lies-in-Houston-s-shadow-4638390.php]

Jeremiah Wilbur, on the other hand, was a practicing abolitionist. In 1835, Wilbur along with business associate Francis Markoe, Jr. helped Matthew Matthews (1796-1854), an emancipated Virginia slave, to manumit his wife and their six children. Correspondence relating to this event can be found in the Masters-Taylor-Wilbur Papers currently housed at the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. [ https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/clementsmss/umich-wcl-M-2125mas?view=text]

This unspoken ideological conflict over the issue of slavery becomes apparent in Edward Wyllys Taylor's letter. Edward Wyllys Taylor mockingly addresses his letter to "Abolitionist Jerry". On the second page, Edward Wyllys cites Biblical verses from the books of Timothy, Colossians, and Titus that defend slavery. Taylor paraphrases 1 Timothy 6:1 " All who are under the yoke of slavery should regard their masters as fully worthy of honor, so that God's name and our teaching will not be discredited". Our letter is probably one of a series that Edward Wyllys Taylor and Jeremiah Wilbur exchanged wherein they debated religious, moral, and theoretical reasons for and against slavery.

Our letter also contains spectacular content relating to the nascent Republic of Texas. Taylor's sense of national identity is resilient. Whereas some Americans would think that settlement in Texas would equate to exile or oblivion [viz. "disgorged by the U.S."], Taylor characterizes Texas as at once a heaven ["Elysian land"] and political sanctuary [viz. "men who have come to Texas to escape from persecution"]. Taylor's nation of Texas is composed of stalwart warriors like "Sumner, Genl Rusk, the Austin's thousand, of others who pride themselves on being citizens of Texas ... composed of the very bone + sinew of the inhabitants of the union states". Thomas Jefferson Rusk (1803-1857) was the 1 st Texas Secretary of War, and served as a congressman within the Texas Congress and national Congress after statehood. Stephen Fuller Austin (1793-1846), the "Father of Texas" was one of the earliest successful pioneers. Taylor's Texans are fundamental, stripped down to the bare essentials from living on the frontier.

Taylor boasts in his letter that Texas is not only economically self-sufficient -- citing England's trading interest in the Republic - but also militarily self-sufficient. "This may seem to you a mere chimera but sr you know not the spirit that persuades the hearts of the men of Texas - almost every day do I hear the cry - why are we not in arms? Why not carry the sword into the heart of Mexico - + compel them by force of arms to declare our independence". Taylor and his fellow Texans were thus prepared to defend their new nationhood by force if necessary, thus anticipating the Mexican War by about a decade.

As its own Republic, Texas was also responsible for its government: "our Election takes place tomorrow for President". Taylor mentions two politicians in his letter, David Gouverneur Burnet (1788-1870) and Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar (1798-1859). Burnet served as interim President of Texas in 1836 and later as Vice President and Secretary of State. Lamar would begin his term as 2 nd President of Texas in December 1838, just two months after Taylor forecasted his victory in our letter: "Lamar is the man".

The letter can be found below:

"Independence, Republic of Texas

Sept. 1 st 1838

Abolitionist Jerry,

Yours of the 27 th July came to hand by this day's mail, & there was a time when ? ? not Elapse ere my letter were ansd - But it seems as though because I have also extricated? the Texas I was of no further use or was no matter what became of me. - So be it - I will now commence from the ? with Bow's letter + an d all ? as far as in my grove. 'Receptacle of Lazy Loons, hay? 'disgorged by the U.S. ? such men as Sumner, Genl Rusk, the Austin's thousand, of others who pride themselves on being citizens of Texas - as ? from Bow ? land + Bow his the ? of acres of corn + cotton which are ever now ripening for the harvest. Never would ? again use ? ? the epithet ? ? as applying to the hard ? ? many of this Land of the brave + free - free ? ? ? too, If the letter ? of patriots - that? over this will ? Land were 2 ? since able to withstand the shock of what the Mexicans consider an overwhelming force + they commanded by such a man as Santa Anna + could just then back + compel them even to sue for peace - what then would all the armies of Mexico ? ? - the present population of Texas, composed of the very bone + sinew of the inhabitants of the union states - men who have come to Texas to escape from persecution - ? ? Civil war but about by men who call themselves Christians ? to make the Bible their guide - Let the punishment rest as their own have, Let Bows poor fellow own to think that our Salvation depends upon being linked to the nation who are on the very brink of 'awful punishments' as you express yourself on a ? ? no sir - we stand on our own bottoms - where we often trade with England direct - she declares our independence + her prosperity goes hand in hand with the industrious Texian, + she will spurn the Formidable supplicant from

2nd page

her - when the U.S. conscious of her fever, shall be the entreating party = Thank God I am too far from the ? few of fanaticism now to be in danger of life ? June their machinations can Bow tell me 1 st I have meant when he ? the Collossians thus 'master' should give to their servans - what ?, Just knowing that we have a master in heaven - If nothing more the certainty inculcated that one man or ? of men have the mastery over another again in his epistle Timothy he says 'as many as one under the yoke & ? to Titus - 'thus servans - to the obedient to them 'over masters not ? again now ? fellow Bow creep out but I have not time or inclination the ? the might or men of Slavery - this much concern I came in for 2v or 3v - here's at them - hips & thigh. & the These apple ? - are advancing ?? made by ? I will go on & sell out, & bring the proceeds to Texas - Bow says ? are hands like the Country - & curse me for not making truck that way - now never talk to me about a fever & agree Country - + never say anything about ? land. Bow never ? - 'Home Keeping South have ever ? with - I have summerd in Massachusetts - in ? in N. Dak. + Michigan in ? - in Carolina + in Texas + though separation from all I hold dear in the world, ? It has been a lovely - healthy - delightful summer to me - The nights in this country are cool always cool - + through out the day ? ? South breeze always blows - this is the 1 st day of fall - + we all know what the country is in the winter + ? could ? behold what beautiful mild grapes - plums - + ? abound here + see ? what perfection the peach, the orange - + the fig are not for here. You would yourself - methinks almost forsake thus ? ? ? city + come when the Mercury stands at - 75 to 80 in the heat of the days. I am glad to hear that Cala is well, But as for Frank If I have ? by that ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

3rd page

I would ? or ? him into a soldier when he must either fight or die - he no doubt will like farming until the novelty is gone then for something like the near mile do much ? 'Black ?' do it for him - again you speak of our being ? at ? that belongs not to us, twould not do to lay that here - you might with much more ? assert that the land the famous city of Southern rests upon, belongs to the aborigines of the country, of whom it may busily obtain + not by conquest - no sir - never more will this Elysian land be heeled by Mexican power - nay rather will we brave boys volunteer + carry the sword to the very gates of Mexico - yes - to the heart of Chief Alkadi - nor stop the tide - nor duck the current while we shall bow the neck + consent to be governd by the laws of Texas. This may seem to you a mere chimera but sr you know not the spirit that persuades the hearts of the men of Texas - almost every day do I hear the cry - why are we not in arms? Why not carry the sword into the heart of Mexico - + compel them by force of arms to declare our independence. Why not form a company of resolute men into one ?? + will you ? me though not express it quite so ? - but I do not stand in need of help from anyone - in ? I shall have my wife + little one here - + I have already a house 40 feet long built of cedar prepared for them - + then sir I shall live again - + as for anyone who makes any enquiries after me you can just tell them to mind their own business + I will mine, + If life + health is shared in 5 years look out you - You wish to know what I intend doing ... I intend spending my days in Texas, + my nights in the Wllys hunting deer + Buffalo - I reckon you would like the saddle of an old buck I killed the other day - I have now ansd the ? of your letter ? you care nothing about - + I shall not gratify you by telling you anything about Burnett

4th page

+ if you wish to know what our Govt is doing you can read the paper - I have never rcd one from you as yet though if you ? put them in ? ? + forward me one occasion ? I would stand a chance to get ? of them - our Election takes place tomorrow for President. Lamar is the man. How would you like to step into my little Doggery + take a drink of corn mead juice aye aye sir - nothing like dealing it out in small quantities, you mark drunkenness by ? + we small fry by retail and - it so ah! 'Consisting my novel - + Miss Grimki sent a gob-splicer hay? ? -

Crosswriting on 1st page

In my former epistle I gave you ? ? of my idea of this country - + somewhere of small man has not changed my ? It understandably at the present moment present - greater enducements for immigration than any orther portions of the world - + this? Around that the coming session, congress stands contrary to we at democracy? allowing ? at head right if he settles in the country ? the country allowance at ? man or heart of a farmer we ? lease new 4500 acres to a sizable man of a League - now they must for much - though land was not the object my letter since last Oct or after the Dec of Independence + present to the 1 st Oct - no land has been granted immigrants - those who should lanes? In settlements are asking 2 to 8$ per acre - we have more at present ? from Indians than from the ? Mexicans as we not only ? ? ? to attend land some 2 & 3 ? tribes from the states who have taken up the message? among the pleasant ? of ? in right you of the states should take care of them - strength the way you manage the ? ? is enough to satisfy any reasonable man that you have ? were in your hands - now you know how to manage ... "

A letter with outstanding content penned during the early days of the Texas Republic!

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