The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 69, July 1965 - April, 1966 Page: 175
591 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Henri Castro and James Hamilton
resources as well as commercial possibilities for Great Britain,
France, Belgium, Holland, and the United States. Consequently,
early in 1838, Hamilton proposed to the congress of Texas the
negotiation of a loan, and in March went to northern cities of
the United States to arrange details. On May 16, 1838, the Texas
congress passed an act authorizing the president of the republic
to borrow money, not exceeding five million dollars, on the bonds
of the government. Commissioners then were appointed to go to
Europe to secure the loan. Hamilton asked that he not be named a
commissioner but that he be allowed to go as a private individual.
Therefore, he had no powers to act in behalf of Texas with other
nations, only references. As a result, he could do little on this
first trip for the cause he was pushing. Moreover, Great Britain
would not negotiate either with Hamilton or any of the com-
missioners as long as Mexico continued to refuse to acknowledge
the independence of 'Texas, even though the United States had
recognized Texas as a nation on March 3, 1837-
Texas, seeing Britain's attitude, attempted a settlement of
affairs with Mexico. Then, as soon as Mexico gave signs of
yielding to a compromise, the Texas government authorized Ham-
ilton in Great Britain to secure the loan openly, and secretly to
work on peace negotiations between Mexico and Texas through
Great Britain. Hamilton's interest was primarily in the loan, for
he was convinced that without it Texas could not survive; and
he felt certain that in return for the republic's unexploited nat-
ural resources and trade, he could procure a loan of five million
dollars and so secure its prosperity.
Tied in with the loan was the immigration movement. Ham-
ilton initiated it in England; but it was only when he began his
work in France that Henri Castro came into prominence. Ham-
ilton left England for France to negotiate the loan there when
he was informed that active hostilities between Texas and Mex-
ico might be renewed. His work in France was of a two-fold na-
ture: he "commenced . with the assistance of active influential
persons, a negotiation with the House and Bank of Lafitte & Co."
and "opened a negotiation with the French Government."2 While
2Hamilton to Lipscomb, February 1, 1841, in Garrison (ed.), Diplomatic Cor-
respondence, II, 1283.175
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 69, July 1965 - April, 1966, periodical, 1966; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117144/m1/215/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.