PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR 93 ity. We do not mean to say that the Revolutionary spirit of the nation was extinct; for we believe that even in the darkest days of their stmggle, the people never despaired of ultimate success, so deep and universal was the enthusiasm that pervaded the maBs~s: but at the time of which we are' speaking (1819) the Royalists had everywhere prevailed over the insurgents, and all active hostilities on the part of the latter had ceased. The country was, in reality, in a state of tranquility and repose. And it was under this state of things and at this particular crisis, that General Long unfurled his Banner in Texas for the purpose of reviving a suspended stmggle - of re-awakening the slumbering energies of the nation, and making one more desperate effort in the. sacred cause of Liberty and Inde- pendence; and in doing this, he only followed the example-of every military Chieftain in J\fexico who possessed the· ability and disposi- tion to serve the country; for all felt themselves at full liberty to toil in the common cause upon their own responsibilities according to their means of being useful. Indeed this desultory warfare was the only kind that was carried on in the -country after the dissolu- tion of the Central Government of Teran; and was sanctioned and encouraged by the pervading spirit of the nation. It is tme that General Long was not a Mexican by birth; but by this act, he had th~roughly identified himself with the Revolutionary cause of that country, a,nd of consequence whatever he might do for its advance- ment, was as legitimate and valid as the operations of any other Independent Chieftan- This difficulty, however, which had weighed like an incubus upon the enterprise from 1819, to the present moment, is now about to be removed; and we shall soon ha,ve another Richmond in the field.- With a view to silence this popular objection and also with the hope of obtaining some pecuniary advantages to the enterprise, General Ripley had engaged the Services of a, Mexican General by the name of Don Jose Felix Trespalacios, who had recently arrived in New Or- leans from Cuba, where he had undergone a long imrisonment for the part which he had taken at a,n early period in the J'lfexican Revolu- tion. He was a native of Chihuahua; and was released from his con- finements at general opening of the prison doors of the county upon the birth of twins by the' Queen. So at least we have hea,rd; but we have neither time nor books to investigate the fact. The present en- terprise was, therefore, not unsuted to the disposition and circum- sances of our new hero. It was agreed npon between him and, Genl. Ripley that Trespalacios should be invested with the chief command on the condition of his obtaining a, recognition of the enterprise from some of the newly created junto[s] in the Interior, and a due author- ity from them for its prosecution. This was readily effected through some of the Mercantile houses in New Orleans; and the arrangements thus entered into, being communicated to General Long, he very rea,dily assented to them, as the best means of nationalizing his pro- ceedings and rendering them accetable to the people of the United States, as well as to the Mexican nation.-He was also encouraged to believe that the finances of the enterprise might be a little improved. Trespa,lacios himself was very sanguine of being able to retain re-
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