The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume I

18

ST.\TE LIBR.\RY

TE..~\

Toledo represented himself a a general, telling the people that he wa ent from the ortes of Cadiz with thi title by the representative of l\fexieo. He showed the Anglo-American .his• United States citi- zenship paper. saying that as such he wa ent by Congress to receive the command which I held oYcr them. Toledo wrote me from there in -,·ery friendly terms, offering me hi : crvices and ending me all the letter of recommendation that he had been able to get from people. A hort time before I had received a letter from Philadelphia from General Alcin, Brigadier-General of the army of the frontier [ ?], l\fr. Ripley, the attorney of the senate, and other gentlemen of high tanding who had held a conncil among them elves to consider whether it would be proper to write and giYe me notice of the intention of Toledo and Pieomel. They all agreed that the Brigadier-General should write me for all of them, . tating that they were compelled to declare them elves in my favor for no other reason than the impression J had left in the north, and e pecially with the govcmment, of m:,' reputation a a good patriot. For thi rea on they believed that I wa. working only in the interest of my country. They could not say the . ame of ome foreigners, who were· eYerywhere better known for their crime than for their genius, notwith tanding the fact that they were so highly recommended in their letters. In continuation he stated that 'l'oledo and Picornel left with the purpo e of po.. e.ssiug themselve. of the highest office , eYcn at the co. t of shedding blood. Ile theJJ gave me an account of the niany crimes that they had com- mitted in Spain and in various i. land , and as nred me that if neces- sary, he would prove it with his own blood. In consequence of this report, r had to order Toledo to leave :Mexican territory. Ile and bi party retired to 1 ratitoches where Toledo began to forge letter from the Council of Vexar, in which he made it appear By this and various other untruth he kept up a mall following to carry on his intrigue . Ile berran by publishing innumerable calnm- nie about me on a printinrr pre~ which he carried \dth l1im. He called this libel which he printed and dated :N'acorrdoehe the "Mexi- can''. He introduced copie of it to Vexar and al o .cnt ,·ery clever emi. ari.e. and pies who, after the battle with Blisondo, got into Vexar and berran to intrigue and to e tabli h a faction. 'fhis faction won OYCr the ge1)tlcmcn of the Council by nothing more than the hon- orary title with which 'foledo addressed them in his secret letters. They· won over the voluntary troop. b;\' telling them that Toledo was a citizen of the United tatc who had been eut by Congrc.. with two million pc. o. to pay them all that they demanded for the time that they had ened undet· me, the only condition bcinrr that the commanri be taken from me and given to Toledo. By mean. of the. e intrigues and machination. they c·omplctcd their plot, and a a result, the American troops broke with the Council and the people and . aid that ii l were not clep :cd oud Toledo placed in my . t ad, they would re- turn to their own conut1·y nnd take all the artillery an<l powder with them. Foresecin<P thi. difficulty the Council it elf had already secretly sent for 'folrdo, who wns to arrh-c within two Jnys. Almost nil the l\fexican troop with many of their officer, stood armed and rendy to support me.

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