The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 227 



not yet grasped the national idea, and could not see 

 that the increase in power of any one quarter of 

 the land, or the addition to it of any new unsettled 

 territory, really raised by so much the greatness of 

 every American. However, there was one point on 

 which the more far-seeing of these critics were right. 

 They urged that it would be better for the country 

 not to try to sell the public land speedily in large 

 tracts, but to grant it to actual settlers in such quan 

 tity as they could use. 43 



The different propositions to settle large colonies 

 in the Spanish possessions came to naught, although 

 quite a number of backwoodsmen settled there in 

 dividually or in small bands. One great obstacle 

 to the success of any such movement was the relig 

 ious intolerance of the Spaniards. Not only were 

 they bigoted adherents of the Church of Rome, but 

 their ecclesiastical authorities were cautioned to ex 

 ercise over all laymen a supervision and control to 

 which the few Catholics among the American back 

 woodsmen would have objected quite as strenuously 

 as the Protestants. It is true that in trying to in 

 duce immigration they often promised religious free 

 dom, but when they came to execute this promise 

 they explained that it merely meant that the new 

 comers would not be compelled to profess the Ro 

 man Catholic faith, but that they would not be al 

 lowed the free exercise of their own religion, nor 

 permitted to build churches nor pay ministers. This 

 was done with the express purpose of weakening 

 48 St. Clair to Jay, Dec. 13, 1788. 



