The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932 Page: 282
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
did Viktor Bracht. We find many expressions of enthusiasm and
zeal for Texas. His motive for coming to this country was, first
of all, to find a place where he could think his own thoughts and
live his own life. This high ideal he meant to carry out in a
sensible way. Liberty, to him, did not mean license. Comment-
ing on this thought, he writes from New Braunfels, April 28,
1847, as follows:
". . . You are surprised that my love for Texas grows daily.
I am not surprised that the reports of those who were 'disap-
pointed in Texas' have created adverse opinions in Germany about
conditions here. The 'disappointed in Texas' include many young
persons who came here without a plan or a cent of money, who
abandoned themselves to vice, especially strong drink, and many
of whom were unwilling to do any useful work. . "
Because he loved Texas and was anxious to see it grow and
develop, he always was desirous to bring the best emigrants to
his adopted country and thus to help build it into one of the
greatest states in the Union.
Bracht's usefulness was not limited to the mercantile business,
however. He was for a time customs inspector at Rockport,
Texas, and later he was appointed postmaster of that place. At
various times he was asked to run for office, but he generally de-
clined. On several occasions he was sent by his county on im-
portant missions. Being quite a linguist added much to his use-
fulness among the earlier settlers. In a letter started at Fred-
ericksburg, February 28, 1847, and completed at New Braunfels,
he writes:
"I returned here from Fredericksburg about a week ago, and
have visited Bexar in the meantime to attend to some business
for the [Mainzer] Verein. Bexar is at present in a remarkably
prosperous condition. .
A glimpse of his popularity among his countrymen is given us
in a letter written at New Braunfels, July 26, 1846, in which he
writes among other things:
"The county election was held on the thirteenth inst. Since I
wrote the foregoing lines, citizens have asked me to accept some
political office. I would accept the office of justice of the peace.
While I sat at the poll as clerk to the judges of the election, I
was not a little surprised to see my name inserted on some ballots282
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 35, July 1931 - April, 1932, periodical, 1932; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101092/m1/286/: accessed May 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.