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FRel«»T 0N the banks op th e Brazos'fJ*H£°.w7iTCXa^_*Mwpa*« JUwi \i. im historical somon page i.. ..._. ^rtafc^wv. r.rrr.j** ft **•.fAiwva.'*iu-l*4.-r1 *1 *♦•**’•; /rH Uu?*» «J»* •f* fi»ivia« . iO/c^ipV'P* , '*«! pm«* 1I*»Of£l«M /ipii'i*VI I) • JHJlt;IHlt;Ilt;IA W«ui«nJ ,.ui'fiii it i/m|i\«ihj., ■• pin' ■*•• *4 • |^uMh!lt; Mfnta$ At »fIS 4 . IlM V(J• II Mp|lll«Al4 (V'»HI|lllll ,»!» .'It .2a U» lL, •■!- II da tip1lt;H utiHiHr Mti ■/*-..lt;.*. »**i }*«**'lt;» f u»«»iWc. ,lt;* fl,*Uitu lt;p'jt | Ml ttIlfcWVHH «*■ oJiuitl'Mmt. l*w*^u^i« »*«►* «» Mu ■ v-11 ■ (■ i« ^11 .lii^i* . h«»' jrntJ {lt;nMIU KliM V*l«l.‘/ifi.il il ,6 iltfliJaL i*iu‘ A »»■♦■• tif. bit. 2lt; f ’«*•• -V'l #»i* .1-* lll-u lUu/ •' MUS%f.y^. j-.\THE FHANCO-TEXIAN TRfcATYTejns Stnltr A rrhiitsFltANCE WAS THE first country to recognize Texes as an independent and sovereign republic. France recognized Texas on Sept. 25, 1839. Under the Franco-Texian Treaty, Texas received a ‘'most* favored nation” status. Duties on French wines were reduced by two-fifths, on silks by one-half and cotton was to enter France on the same basis as . American cotton — 20 francs per 100 kilograms. The Franco-Texian Treaty of 1B39 lapsed in 1IH6, when Texas was annexed to the United Stales.Slavery prelude to future troubleSlave trading was a profitable business back In 1833 if you had the stomach for It and were smart enough — or lucky enough — not to gel caught.Monroe Edwards had met a man named Holcroft in New Orleans some time before. When Edwards was 25 years old, the two met again on Galveston Island. Holcroft was looking for a partner, and he began painting a rosy picture of the fabulous profits to be had jn slave smuggling, almost for the asking.All it required was a man with the nerve to wink at the law and the cash to grease enough palms for the law to wink bock, Holcroft told Edwards. He would furnish the cash,Holeroft added hastily. About that time Edwards became convinced that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.Anxious to protect his reputation and concernedTEXAS INnEPFNnCMri: TDAIIat his family's opinion should they know of hla plans, Edwards was cautious In broaching tho subject to his mother. “I’ve been offered an opportunity to engage in a profitable business in New Orleans,” he told her as he made preparations to leave.If Mrs, Edwards suspected anything was wrong or had any doubts that Monroe was other than the respectable citizen and dutiful son he appeared to be, there is no record of it.Edwards and Holcroft sailed from New Orleans after agreeing that Holcroft would furnish the necessary capita] and that Edwards and he would split the profits.The voyage brought with it many complications and hardships, and at times Edwards must have wondered whether the scheme was as clever as he had first thought. Finally,though, the hazardous trip was finished, the slaves sold, and the profits were beyond Edwards1 wildest dreams.They had purchased 1% Africans at on average price of $25 each and had sold them for about $800 each, realizing a net profit of more than $100,000, of which Edwards received one-half.For that sort of profit, o man could withstand a fewinconveniences, couldafford to take some chances, Edwards decided. There Is little doubt that he began then to make plans for the future.When he returned to his home, he disclosed only the success of the business venture, not going into its methods. His mother was elated at the news, heaping praise on Monroe and apparently innocent of any suspicion as to the source of his profits.A large part of that money was used to purchase a vast acreage in the rich bottom lands of northern Brazoria County, near the original Austin colony, Edwards then became an active land trader, buying and selling dozens of different tracts and leaving his name on many pages of the Brazoria and Fort Bend county deed records.The family sold their place al Red Fish Bar, and Monroe’s mother and a younger brother came to live at Chenango for a time. They were soon shipped off to Natchez, Mississippi, however, when Monroe decided It was time to take the next step in his plan.He had established himself firmly as a Southern planter in the months since that first smuggling trip, and now he sought the advantages travel can bring.He paid a lengthy visit to his family in Natchez, and while there became acouaiided with a wealthy citizen of that town, Christopher Dart. Monroe had been seeking a business partner. Wealth could not be considered a drawback, and Dart also evidenced interest enough in money to make It likely he would go along with the venture Monroe had In mind.Using the charm so many people seemed to find irresistable, Monroe persuaded Dart to pur* chase a half interest in Chenango and to join In smuggling African slaves from Havana to Texas.According to law, slavery was prohibited InMexico and In its province of Texas. In practice, however, colonists who had brought their Negroes to the area had not beenmolested by the government.Reciprocal treaties between England and Spain dictated that citizens of those countries whoslt;« captured Negroes al sea might lake them to their respective colonies. There, at Sierra Leone or the British West India Islands for the English, or Cuba tor the Spanish, the Negroes could be sold into slaveryfor 10 yean, as apprentices.The law reaufred that?* after 10 years (hese slaves were to be liberated. A slave for to years was, understandably, worth considerably less than one required to serve his entire life. At the going rales, such apprentices brought $200 in Havana, for their full decade of slavery. ,,The first load of slaves * was unloaded on March 2, 1836.A
Newspaper Details
Freeport Brazosport Facts
Freeport, Texas, US
Sun, Jun 13, 1976
Page 25
Full Page
Clipped by
Houston P.
TX, USA 07 Sep 2019
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