P.\PER OF Mrn.,aE.\U BuoNAPARTE LAMAR.
upon her more than three hundred year , unable to suffer any longer the barbarous system under which he had been governed, tired of supporting a purely military government; and finally, ashamed of permitting herself to be dominated by a hand- ful of adventurers, declared her independence af an auspicious moment wh.en all the peninsular was occupied by French troops, when the social pact was dissolved, and when the bonds with which we had been yoked to the ominous CJJT of servitude were broken. The Lion of Spain, unable to look with indifference upon the e cape of o valuable a prey, is redoubling its energies to secure it anew, and in its fury is indiscriminately saerifc- ing the innocent and the guilty, thereby converting this unfort1mate part of the world into a vast cemetery. Iurders, assassinations, con-. tiagrations, and the most barbarous terrorism are the means which our oppres ors employ to q11eneh the holy fire of patriotism which burns in the hearts of vil:tuous Americans. After six years of the most heroic sacrifices, without arms and without great 1·esources, the enthusiasm of, the peoples, far from becoming diminished, waxes greater every day and makes it more certain that no alternative will be admitted other than triumph or death. Such, Excellent Sir, is the horrible picture of the new world in the reduced state in which it finds itself· such the state of a cause in which is involved the honor, the life, the fortune of twenty millions of in- habitants; such ·the crisis in which the interests of all nations, the dignity of all society, and the cause of deeply injm·ed humanity hang in the balance. Yet .in view of all these considerations not a single nation bas· openly declared itself in favot· of our cause. Can it be said perchance that the cause·of the Americans of the United States was more just than our 7 Did not generous France lavish every kind of resources upon this new nation, until it had put an end to the pretentions of Great Britain and placed the United States in tne rank of an independent nation 1 Has there ever heen any people who have conceived the glorious [idea ofl freeing themselves and who have not found among the civilized nations protec (tion, res] ourees and everything necessary ·to help them break their chains? For [this purpose,] most Excellent Sir, was destined the noble resolution to declare yourself the [ ] protector of our independence. A provisional government [has been] legally [appointed?) by the free vote of the peoples of the Province of Te[xas, and inn]umer- nble citizens from almost all the provinces of the Kingdom o.f :i\le[xico] have made me their confidant honoring me with the title of Agent of the Four Internal Provinces of the East. The object of my mission i briefly to supply arms, munitions, and every sort of resources to complete om· glorious undertaking for Liberty. The Government offers to make "'Ood and to generously recompense the ex- pense which are incurred with so beneficent an object. I flattet· myself, most excellent Sir, with the hope of obtaining your Excel- lency's powerful protection. The Americans are re olved to sacrifice everything, if only they may cast off the ignominious Spanish yoke· the struggle which they have made hitherto is a proof of .this fact. If your Excellency will condescend to grant the petition of Captain
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