591
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
your wicked and impotent advisers, and listen to the voice of reason and of power. You assume to be acting under a treaty 90 negotiated at your village, on the twentieth day of February, 1836, with commissioners :appointed by the Provisional Government. No doubt there are those who would lead you to believe, that by virtue of that Treaty, you have a right to maintain, within the limits of this Republic, an , independent Government, bearing no responsibility to us, as though we were a Foreign Nation. Be not deceived by this. For you may rest assured, that such counsels are falacious and deceitful; and if you and your People shall be so unfortunate as to be guided by them, you will be led into inextric.able diffi.culti~s and final destruc- tion. The people of Texas have acquired their sovereignty hy many rightful and glorious achievements, and they will exercise it without division or community with any other People. They can recognize no alien political power within their borders; and you and your tribe, having. no legitimate rights of soil or sovereignty in this country, can never be permitted to exercise a conflicting authority. The 'l'reaty alluded to, was a nullity when made - is inoperative now;-has never been sanctioned by this Government, and never will be. It is, therefore, vain for you to build any hopes upon it. Such hopes will only terminate in disappointment and despair. Even if this Government were for a moment to admit that Treaty to possess and sanctify or to convey any obligation on the part of 'Dex.as your people have defiled it by robbery and murder and have forfeited all claims which might accrue under it, by leaguing with other Indians and Mexicans against our peace and safety. You and your people have held repeated correspondence with our enemies; have received and cherished their emmissaries among you; and have entered into belligerent compacts with them; and have given coun- tenance to an insurrection raised in your own vicinity by }Iexicans who have been incorporated into our national family, and were enjoying all the benefits and privileges of citizenship. These things you know, and you know, too, that they are destructive of every obligation which the treaty can be supposed to impart. In view of this discrepancy between your declarations and your conduct, how can this Government regard you in any other light tlian as a secret enemy or suspicious friend. Professing friend- .hip yet in constant collusion with our foes, you cry peace, pEace, when every action betrays a secret disposition to hostility. Your village has been the chief point where our enemies have met to concert their plans and we believe that it has been partly through your tribe, that other Indians with whom we are at war, have received their ammunition and supplies. Neither is this Govern- ment ignorant of the fact that a secret under standing has existed between you and the traitor Cordova, whose return from the Rio Grande and co-operation is expected by you. He is our open enemy and known to be your confidential f [r] iend and counsellor. Under 00 A copy of this treaty, dated Feb. 23, 183~, is in the Texas Archives, "Indian Affairs."
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