We have given these facts of St. Louis history to explain why so many Americans had settled in the province before Father Clark made his first visit. The attack on St. Louis from Canada, the detection of the meditated invasion by Colonel Clark, and the friendly intercourse between the French citizens of St. Louis and those of Illinois, induced the authorities of Louisiana to encourage the immigration of Americans from the United States to the Upper province. To this intent a movement was made by Don Guardoqui, Spanish minister to the government of the United States at Philadelphia, as early as 1787, when he proposed a plan of emigration from the western settlements to the country from Arkansas to the settlements on the Missouri.[43] Instructions were given to the commandants regulating the grants of land, and the conditions of admitting this class of immigrants. Instructions were issued by Gayoso, commandant-general, the first of January, 1798, from which we give an extract.[44] No settler was to be admitted in the province who was not a farmer or mechanic. Of course practically, this included all who came. The sixth article provided for a limited degree of toleration to Protestants. “Liberty of conscience is not to be extended beyond the first generation; the children of the emigrants must be Catholics.” [This of course required their baptism in the Catholic form, but it was not enforced.] “Emigrants not agreeing to this, must not be admitted, but removed, even when they bring property with them. This is to be explained to settlers, who do not profess the Catholic religion.” We shall see in the sequel, how the liberal minded commandants interpreted this ordinance. The seventh regulation, “Expressly recommended to the commandants to watch that _no preacher of any religion_ but the Catholic, comes into the province.” After the attack on St. Louis of 1780, measures were adopted to fortify the town more effectually, and in 1794 the garrison on the hill (now Third street, or Broadway) and the Government house were completed. In 1797, apprehensions were entertained of another invasion from Canada, and four stone towers, at equal distances, in a circular direction around the town, and a wooden block-house near the lower end, were erected. But their chief dependence for protection was the American emigrants who had been invited into the province by the liberal policy of grants of land, and the indulgence shown by the commandants. They were permitted to locate themselves in the country, and make farms, whereas the French families were required to live in villages, and cultivate their farms near by under an enclosure in common. At the transfer of the country in 1804, more than three-fifths of the inhabitants of Upper Louisiana were English Americans from the United States.[45]