USA > Texas > The history of the republic of Texas, from the discovery of the country to the present time; and the cause of her separation from the republic of Mexico > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
The first Texan congress assembled at Columbia East on the 3rd of October, 1836. The descrip- tion of this assembly given by Mr. Kennedy is so striking, and being perfectly correct, I will here give it in his own words, and I am induced to do so simply because it will serve to show the exact condition of the Texans and their legislative body at this moment.
" Few legislative bodies," says Mr. Kennedy, " were ever convened under more trying circum- stances. Rumours of Mexican invasion had agita- ted the country early in the summer, had passed away, and were again renewed. The Mexican government had passed a decree on the 20th of May, annulling all stipulations entered into by Santa Anna while a prisoner.
" Warlike preparations, on an extensive scale, had been made in Mexico, and General Lamar was called to the command of the Texan army,* to
* Mr. Kennedy does not tell us why General Lamar was called to the command of the Texan army. However, I found on inquiring into the military and general acquirements of Lamar, that he had a slight knowledge of the broad-sword exercise, and in the constancy of the Anglo-American spirit, did, at the battle
-
149
THE TEXAN CONGRESS.
organize forces for the defence of the country. By an order of the United States, dated the 11th of July, General Gaines was directed to cross the boundary line, and take a position in Texas, which order was executed in autumn.
"Troubles," continues Mr. Kennedy, "in the interior having diverted the attention of the Mexi- can government from Texas, nothing further was heard of the projected expedition until November, on the 9th of which month General Bravo, com- mander-in-chief of the army of the north, issued a proclamation to his soldiers, from the camp at San Luis Potosi, announcing to them that they were destined to form an important part of the army against Texas.
" Since the grand work of our independence was achieved," said the Mexican general, " our country never called upon its worthy sons in defence of a more sacred cause, nor to sustain a more just war. In that Texas, where there should only be found people friendly to the Mexicans, and grateful for the generous hospitality granted by them, you but meet with hordes of insolent adventurers, who, when our usurped lands are claimed from them, answer by raising the savage cry of war. A trifling success, which must be attributed to the contempt with which
of San Jacinto, place himself in the front of the Texan army, and challenged the Mexican general to single combat, which however was declined.
150
KENNEDY'S PICTURE OF TEXAS, 1837.
they were looked upon, and by no means to their own prowess, has filled them with vain glory."
That this proclamation of General Bravo's, which is truth itself, should be recorded by Mr. Kennedy, is somewhat surprising, considering that he is the avowed advocate of Texas; however, its value will be considerably enhanced by the knowledge of the fact that I have quoted verbatim from Mr. Kennedy, who thus sums up his distressing picture of Texas, in 1836 :- " Threatened from without, Texas was disorganized at home; the lands laid waste; the people impoverished ; the government inundated with claims and demands; the treasury empty ; the army naked and starving."
This indeed is the true condition of Texas at this moment, notwithstanding that Mr. Kennedy tells us that "a man may -- (something) in Texas, but he cannot starve."
Early in this year, (1837,) contrary to expecta- tion, the prime movers in the Texan rebellion and the anti-national scheme for the separation of the southern states from the northern states of the American Union, found that the constituency of Texas, with the exception of ninety-three indi- viduals, had voted for the annexation of Texas to the United States. Consequently, a commissioner was despatched to Washington from Texas with a proposition to that effect ; this proposition, how- ever, caused much discussion among Mr. Calhoun's anti-national and pro-separation party, some of
=
ANNEXATION OF TEXAS TO THE UNITED STATES. 151
whom wished merely to gain a balance of power in favour of the slave-holding states, by the annexation of Texas to the Union, without a separation ; while Calhoun and many of his political aids, Gen. Hamilton among the rest, was in favour of the establishment of Texas as an independent nation, in whose creation, the views, interests, and opinions of the slave-holding states was to become the fun- damental principle, and which was to be upheld by the influx of people from Europe; which, when sufficiently matured to carry those fundamental principles into perpetuity, it would, in the event of a collision between the northern and southern states on the question of abolition, become the interest of the slave-holding states to drop off from the Union, and annex themselves to Texas, whose physical strength would presently place all opposition to such a scheme beyond the remotest probability of success. While the planters of the south were thus engaged in discussing their several views, the free states of the north solemnly protested against the annexation of Texas to the Union, simply on the ground of its turning the balance of power in favour of the slave states; and fearing that the southern states should succeed in the annexation scheme, a covert attempt coincident with these legisla- tive movements was made on the British settle- ments in Canada, with the object of possessing themselves of territorial influence, which was to preserve the balance of power. The Texans seeing
152
LORD PALMERSTON'S CONDUCT REVIEWED.
little chance of securing their union with the States, sent a commissioner to England (Gen. Henderson) to sound Lord Palmerston on the subject of the recognition of the independence of Texas by Eng- land. The result of Gen. Henderson's mission was, that Lord Palmerston indirectly pledged himself to recognise the independence of Texas, so soon as the proposition for the annexation of Texas to the United States was withdrawn from the table at Washington, which was immediately done, and on the 3rd of March, 1837, the United States recog- nised the independence of Texas, which example was followed by France on the 25th of September,. 1839, and subsequently by Belgium and Holland, and finally Lord Palmerston subscribed to a treaty be- tween England and Texas on the 13th of November, 1840. In reviewing this act of Lord Palmerston's, apart altogether from the question of injustice towards the Mexican bond-holders, the cruelty and injustice towards the native Indian population, and its inconsistency and general imbecility as regards the question of slavery, it may justly be said, that the folly of the British government, in foregoing or sacrificing the simplest rights of British subjects for the paltry consideration of securing to Lord Palmerston the honour of negotiating a treaty of friendship and commerce with a country whose institutions are repugnant to the national prejudices, and destructive to the general interests of the British nation, are problems not to be solved. A
153
ADMIRAL BAUDIN'S FLIGHT FROM VERA CRUZ.
treaty of commerce with a wretched people, with- out agriculture, and so "miserably impoverished " that they can only hold out the hope, to the mer- chants of London, whom they ask to advance them money, the prospect of a contraband trade with the United States and Mexico ! To secure to England these moral, political, and commercial advantages, the very government who wrung from the hands of the British nation no less than 20,000,000Z. for the abolition of slavery, recog- nised the independence of a country that not only cherishes slavery, but which denies the British sub- ject of African origin the right to land on her shores, where slavery had previously been abolished for ever ; while the native Indians, a portion of them the citizens of Mexico, are still struggling for their lives and property, are abandoned, de facto, by my Lord Palmerston, to be cut to pieces by a desperate race of men, who, while they are cutting the throats of the defenceless Indian women and chil- dren, are to bestow their plaudits on his lordship, whose wisdom, as displayed in this affair, will not be readily lost sight of.
The recognition of Texas by France was prefaced by a species of diplomacy, which it is hoped will be duly appreciated by every nation who advocates the observance of rectitude on the part of diplomatic agents in their negotiations, in all international transactions.
Admiral Bandin having been obliged to fly from
154
ADMIRAL BAUDIN'S LETTER
Vera Cruz, in December, 1838, as a messenger of peace from the French government, addressed the following letter to General Urrea, who, at that moment, was commanding an insurgent force at Tampico :----
" HI. M. S. off Antonio Lizardi, Dec. 22, 1838. " Excellent Sir,
" He who has now the honour to address you, has been a wit- ness of all the changes and vicissitudes which his country has experienced for the space of forty years : he is, therefore, perfectly convinced that when civil war rages in a foreign country, foreign aid ought never to be given to either party, but that the political differences of citizens dwelling in the same state should be settled among themselves.
" I come not to offer assistance, which, perchance, might make the federal system less popular : if, as I hope and trust, the federal cause is the real national cause in Mexico, it will finally triumph, and for this it ought to be indebted to nought but itself.
" Allow me to state to your Excellency, that I come not as an enemy to Mexico, nor of any part of the Mexican nation ; and that the government of France, whose representative I have the honour to be, has sent me on this mission with the most friendly sentiments of peace and good-will. These sentiments are congenial to my own feelings, and, for the whole of the past month, I have exerted myself to the utmost to cause them to be believed : but the cabinet which then governed Mexico, and which was the slave of a detestable faction, the sworn enemy of the happiness of Mexico, raised so many obstacles, and gave me so many proofs of their hypocrisy and bad faith, that, not being able to prevail by fair means, I was obliged to use force.
" If your Excellency has read the documents relating to the conferences at Jalapa, you will not fail to remark that, instead of the indemnity justly due to my countrymen, and of which the Mexican government did not dispute the validity, all I asked and
$
155
TO GENERAL URREA.
sought to obtain was, that, in future, French subjects should be admitted to the same rights and privileges which had been stipu- lated in favour of another nation in its treaty with Mexico :* this condition the faction, of which the Senor Cuevas is but the instrument, had predetermined not to concede under any circum - stances. I do not doubt but that your Excellency will feel the deepest disgust to see the cunning and treachery displayed in the drawing up of the sixth, seventh, and ninth articles, which the Minister Cuevas ventured to send me the evening before the day fixed for the conclusion of the negotiation : had I accepted such conditions, my countrymen would have been exposed to every sort of violence and oppression, without any assurance for the past, or security for the future. Convinced of the unfavourable disposition of the Mexican plenipotentiary, and of the absolute impossibility of coming to any reasonable understanding with him, I found myself obliged to lay my hand upon the citadel of San Juan de Ulloa : I occupied it, but only as a pledge, declaring that it should be given up as soon as the differences then pending between the two governments were adjusted. This is true ; and I can tell your Excellency safely, that my conduct throughout has been that of a friend to the Mexican nation, not that of an enemy. Unasked, I granted the garrison of Ulloa a most honour- able and advantageous capitulation : the wounded Mexicans are now lying in the hospital of Ulloa, by the side of the wounded French, treated like brethren. Master of Ulloa, I can command the city of Vera Cruz to surrender at discretion ; I could have seized it, but refrained from so doing, from respect to the honour of the Mexican nation, and the integrity of their territory, until at length the outrageous conduct of General Santa Anna com- pelled me to dismantle the city, and carry off its cannon. This duty I performed with every possible consideration for the lives
This is not true. Great Britain (the nation alluded to) has not in her treaty stipulated for the right to carry on the retail trade, but the French Admiral here unguardedly discloses the real motive of the French government to force by arms a treaty on Mexico.
156
ADMIRAL BAUDIN'S LETTER
and properties of the inhabitants, using every effort to alleviate the evils of war. I have set at liberty the soldiers, my prisoners, without conditions ; the officers I have set at liberty on their parole, and have only retained General Arista, who has been treated with all honours and respect due to his rank. Master of the sea, I could, without risking the loss of a man, destroy every town and village within range of my guns along the coast ; and yet I have abstained, up to the present hour, from occasioning any damage.
" In return for such forbearance on my part, what has been the conduct of the Mexican government ? Two days after de- claring war against France, despite its recent promises and all the laws of humanity, it has promulgated a savage decree, driving out of the Mexican territory, to their certain ruin, the numerous French families therein residing ; and striving to irritate against these unfortunates the popular indignation, by furious and lying proclamations. They have been left without defence to every private revenge. The agents of the government have been insti- gated to aggravate, with refined cruelty, the barbarous law of expulsion ; and finally, in a fit of insanity, the government has issued a decree, prescribing the penalty of death to such as should supply provisions to the French in Vera Cruz.
" Excellent Sir, while inditing these lines, and when about to state that such a government, such a lying and malicious govern- ment, is unworthy of the civilized age,-the shame and scourge of the generous Mexican nation, whose interests it has sacrificed, as well as betrayed and degraded its character, -behold, the intelligence of the fall of this government has just reached me -- the federal constitution has been proclaimed in Mexico. This great event will cause my letter to be almost without an object. Probably this will not find you at Tampico; and I hasten to conclude with the most direct and formal assurance, that no views of ambition, no intention to infringe the Mexican territory, has caused the government of France to send to the shores of Mexico the expedition I have the honour to command. Had France the slightest idea of making a conquest, she would have sent an
157
TO GENERAL URREA.
army, not a squadron only. I have not a single soldier on board ; and as soon as the castle of Ulloa came into my power, I sent back to France the greater part of my squadron, not retaining more than adequate to enforce the blockade. In a time when all nations aspire to be brethren, let not hatred reign between France and Mexico. The feelings which most honour a nation are those which tend to encourage kindness and benevolence, reminding us continually that we all belong to the great family of the human race. I hope, therefore, that the day is not far distant when the Mexican nation, enlightened as to its true friends, will grasp the hand which France, with true sincerity, extends. That such a hoped-for event may soon arrive, is the fervent prayer of the undersigned, who begs your Excellency to receive the assurances of his distinguished consideration.
" The Admiral commanding the Naval Forces of France in " the Gulf of Mexico,
" CHARLES BAUDIN."
It will be seen that at the time Admiral Baudin wrote this disgraceful letter, he entertained a very strong personal animosity towards the Mexican go- vernment. Having failed in his object with Urrea, he carried his animosity with him to Texas, where he arrived on the 13th of May. Being received by the Texan ships at Calveston Island with a salute of twenty-two guns, which, with an address of welcome, accompanied with the freedom of the city, added to Admiral Baudin's personal hosti- lity to the Mexican government, he, assisted by M. de Saligny, secretary of the French legation at Washington, drew up a very flourishing account of Texas, which was forwarded to France with all
158
RECOGNITION OF TEXAS BY FOREIGN POWERS.
haste, and which led to the recognition of Texas by France in the ensuing September.
How Holland and Belgium happened to hear of . such a place as Texas, even Mr. Kennedy has not informed us; and as I am quite at a loss how to account for the mysterious event, I shall leave the subject for Mr. Kennedy's third volume on Texas.
The gross injustice of the recognition of the independence of Texas by England, at first appears as if exhibited in the recognition of the de facto sovereignty of a few citizens of the United States to the territory of Texas, a large portion of which was pledged by the Mexican nation to British subjects for 10,000,000Z., which was absolutely paid by them into the coffers of Mexico. This arrangement was first mooted in 1835, one year be- fore the Texans had declared themselves absolutely independent of Mexico .* And this was finally con- firmed by decree of the Mexican congress, dated April 12, 1837, one month before the indepen- dence of Texas had been recognized by any foreign power ; and while negotiations were positively going on between the Texans and the United States for the annexation of that very territory of Texas to a foreign power, namely, the United States. And in order to show that Mexico has virtually no power to recognize the independence of Texas, and that
This should be particularly noted, as it will soon be seen that the Texan envoy has publicly denied the fact.
159
ANGLO-MEXICAN DEBT .-
therefore an endless war, which must be most inju- rious to British interests, is inevitable, I will here introduce the decree of the Mexican congress con- cerning the debt due to British subjects.
" THE PRESIDENT, AD INTERIM, OF THE REPUBLIC OF - MEXICO TO THE INHABITANTS THEREOF.
" Know ye, that under the authority to me granted by the law of the 4th of this present month, I have seen fit, with the concurrence of the council of government, to decree as follows :- " ART. 1. There shall be created a national consolidated fund, with interest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, with the sole and determinate object of converting thereinto the entire foreign debt, if it shall appear to the present creditors advantageous so to do, and to fund it in the manner set forth in the following articles ; to which effect Messrs. F. de Lizardi and Co., of the city of London, are hereby named and appointed the agents of the republic for said operation ; and they shall, in the name of the Mexican nation, emit the corresponding bonds of the said national consolidated fund, in pounds sterling, payable in Lon- don, on the 1st of October, 1866, with interest coupons in the margin for cach half year until said date. These bonds shall moreover be countersigned by the minister plenipotentiary of the republic in London, or by his representative.
" 2. The holders of the bonds now in circulation of the foreign debt, proceeding from the two loans effected in London, at 5 and 6 per cent. interest, shall have the power to convert the same bonds, as well the coupons thereof not paid and due, into the bonds of the new consolidated fund, under the following condi- tions :-- 1st. The bonds bearing 5 per cent. interest shall be received at par. 2nd. Those bearing 6 per cent. interest shall be received at the rate of 1123 for 100. 3rd. Coupons for interest due on both loans shall be taken at par. 4th. For the bonds offered for conversion there shall be given in payment one-half of the amount in the bonds of the consolidated fund, bearing 5
160
ANGLO-MEXICAN DEBT.
per cent. interest, and the other half in land warrants on the vacant lands in the departments of Texas, Chihuahua, New Mexico, Sonora, and California, at the rate of four acres for each pound sterling ; and these land warrants shall in like manner bear 5 per cent. interest up to the day on which the holders are put in possession of the lands, and on so doing the accruing interest shall be credited, and the quantity of lands thereby acquired augmented in proportion ; always, however, under the conditions that they shall present themselves to take possession in the manner expressed in article 5 of this decree.
"3. Interest on the national consolidated fund shall be payable in London half-yearly, on the 1st of April, and 1st of October of each year, commencing from the 1st of October of the present year of 1837. Until proper measures can be taken for the peri- odical transmission of the funds for this purpose, the holders of coupons which may become due shall have the right to present them to the agents of the republic in London on the day on which they become due, and to demand of them a certificate, also countersigned by the Mexican minister at the said court, and said certificate shall be received as cash in payment of duties . to the extent of one-sixth part, for all duties accruing at the ma- ritime custom-houses of Vera Cruz or Santa Anna de Tamauli- pas. The agents of the republic in London shall be bound to issue such certificate when thereto required by the holders of coupons, which may not have been paid when due. Each pound sterling of the amount of said coupons shall be estimated at the mate of five dollars, and the amount of each certificate shall be augmented to the extent of 6 per cent. in full compensation for all difference of exchange, and all expenses 1 per cent., of which those interested shall pay ou receiving the certificate to said agents, who shall account for one-fourth part thereof to the Mexican minister plenipotentiary.
" 1. The land warrants shall in like manner be issued in the name of the Mexican nation, and shall be countersigned by the Mexican minister in London. They shall be as follows :-- ' Know all to whom these presents shall come, that the Mexican
161
ANGLO-MEXICAN DEBT.
nation grants to (here insert the name), or to his representative, the right of property in (here insert the number) acres of land in the department (here insert the department), of which full and com- plete possession will be given by the competent authority, assisted by the public surveyor, on the presentation of the present document.
"' Done in London this (here insert the date).'
" No warrants shall be issued for less than 400 acres, nor for more than 10,000. Those interested shall pay to the agents on receiv- ing their warrants at the rate of twelve reals for each 100 acres, of which three reals to the minister for his signature.
" 5. The right of property in the land warrants may be trans- ferred from one person to another by endorsement ; but after the lands to which the warrant gives right are taken possession of, and a title granted, such lands can thereafter only be transferred by public act of sale in legal form.
"6. The land warrants, when to be located on lands, must be presented to the government office of the corresponding depart- ment, there to be recorded, as they are presented, in a book to be kept for that purpose, that preference may be given in the location according to the order of presentation, for which purpose there shall be delivered a certificate setting forth the number and location thereof; on presentation of which document to the local authorities, they, with the assistance of the public surveyor of the department, shall give possession of the land chosen, taking care to observe the condition of the 11th article of the law of the 6th of April, 1830, which says-' In virtue of the power which congress reserves to itself in the 7th article of the law of the 18th of August, 1824, it is prohibited to foreigners to settle on lands adjoining or bounding on those states or territories belong- ing to the country of which they are citizens.'
" In consequence whereof all contracts in contravention of this law must be suspended.
"7. For further security in the payment of the principal and interest of the national consolidated fund, the Mexican government
162
ANGLO-MEXICAN DEBT.
specially hypothecates, in the name of the nation, 100,000,000 of acres of the vacant lands in the departments of California, Chihua- hua, New Mexico, Sonora, and Texas, with special guarantee to said consolidated fund, until the total extinction of the bonds ; and moreover, if any sales are made on the lands so hypothecated, it shall be at no lower rate than four acres for the pound sterling, and the amount shall be payable to the agents of the government in London, who alone are qualified to issue the corresponding warrants, and these agents shall employ all sums so received in extinguishing the bonds of the said national consolidated fund.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.