1708
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
and when it became necessa.ry .to try their strength which mani- fested itself in the Inst elections :Much to the mortification of the Scotch Gentry and fortunately about that time the plan of Padre Arenas was discovered in which some of their Chieftains were com- plicated, I am so far from believing that the establishment of a lodge by the americu.ns in Texas would prove injurious that I would give my vote, and whole influence to carry into effect such a laud- .able purpose, and would prove to be another spoke in our wheel of transcendent importance for your settlers are spoken of in the highest terms and it has been made public a.nd generally believed that your settlers put a. stop to Edwards Fields etc - We have had for sGme time a state of things heretofore unknown with us owing to the intrigue of the Scotch to get possession of the reins of Government but they have so comi)letely failed that I a.m convinced they will have to give over their point, at least for the moment and the great outcry seem to be in all parts, Expulsion of the old spaniard. In Miichoacan Durango to the ·south and other parts parties of considerRble force have taken up arms against them and have committed some excesses. The States of Xalisco and Mexico have passed laws expelling certain classes from their terri- tories and particularly Mexico for having published its decree on the 16 th ulto. expelling all spaniard friars-so far so good-I have just had a private interview with the President. He assures me all will go well he is a true Patriot but slack of energy-which by the bye turn out with the mafiana folks to be often preferable at least in the present case I have no doubt of the fa~.t We had formed a grand lodge and 5 symbolic lodges when Mr Poinsett arrived in the· country he became a member and through his agency we re- ceived our charters from New York. vVe are somewhat in your case respecting the abolition of slavery though not to the same extent; they propose an indemnification to slave holders and in cases where a state is not able to make indemnition; the right of property is certainly attacked in the most flagrant manner. I hope you will have it repealed or the same principle of indemnity adopted by which we have been blessed- . It is difficult to guess who will be the next President I have no doubt but he will be an american and Patriot some speak of Gue- rrero, Pedraza etc etc I admire the decided character of the former but the latter possess[es] more qualifications than any other man in the Republic .•this is my opinion, The Scotch will try to get. in Bra vo--or some other Scotch brother The System of government £ r the territory is something like ours-The President is their ~ utive a representative or Delegate in the House of Representa- exec ' h" 1·1 • • 1 ts d • a J. udiciary somet mg 1 rn our territona governmen an tives, Pee ts interior economy. they have a governor etc etc as res
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