499
[JRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LA IAR
PAPERS OF
title to his life. The question is then whether we shall release him immediately or hereafter 1 I say hereafter. The gentleman from Brazoria says immediately, ,vhat are his arguments? why first, that he is useless to us here in confinement: that as a prisoner he can do noth- ing for us, but once at liberty he will have the power as well as the willingness to serve us. This Sir is completely ~eg 0 -ing the question. I contend that he is useful to us here, and will not be when away. I will do the gentleman one piece of justice however; he slightly glan~ed at his excellency's arguments about the expence of keeping the pris- oners, but his good sense would not permit him to adopt it, or to urge the matter upon his own responsibility, he felt that it was "thin air" and wisely left it to float with other idle winds: but let us for a rno- ment estimate the chances for good, promised by .the measure pro- posed, by sending Santa Anna~ Washington City, it is said that a treaty for the aclmowledgement of our independence will be immed- iately brought about. I ask where is the evidence of this? why are we .told that the prisoner really declares it from his own moitth; Indeed he <lees- and certainly he w·ili not forfeit his reputation before ali rnanlcind by a non-compliance with his promise. ]\fr. president, this is the guarantee offered by the gentleman for our recognition by Mex- ico. Tlie word and honor of General Santa Anna. Si1• the honorable member has rebuked me once for laughing at this very argument, he mu t excuse me I cannot keep my gravity. I do not know in what estimation exactly he holds the faith of the ex-president •of Mexico; but the history of the prisoner's whole life and especially his recent acts in our own country, will not permit me to place one particle of reliance upon his ipse d.ixit; and if no other pledge or security can ·be given that" our independence will be the result of his liberation, I must be permitted to say that that is to me altogether insufficient. We all lmow this very well, that if Santa Anna now returns to Iexico, his power would be very precarious and doubtful, if effectually put down there he could certainly do us no good, and if restored to fnll power the only chance of good lies simply in his promises. And what are they worth Y The gentleman from Brazoria think.; they may bf' safely relied on. So thought F IN; but I think when re-placed in his pre idential chair, he will do exactly whatever his own interest and self-pre ervation may require. I am so thoroughly sati,fiecl of this that'I must have some other chance for a good result before I can give my consent to his release; against thi flimsey prospect of _good, let us oppose the probable if not certain evils which might follow his release· he "'Oe to Washington City, thence to Very Cruz, thence to Mexico; and there he finds the liberal party gaining strength; he rallies his central friends; puts down the liberals, reinstates himself in power, and then- ,vhat will he do 1 will he make war upon us again? Never in his pwn person; you could J?,Ot hire him for fifty states like Texas, to make his re-appearance in tbis country, even at the head of 50 000 soldiers; ~or he ha seen enough of us to know that we have onl~ to stretch fortp our arm and touch them with the steel, and lo l the squadrons vanish ! ! like the .airy armies of a dream. No, he will never come again; but he wm still withhold tbe aclmowledgement of our independence in conformity to public opinion there, and continue to array and harrass us by perpetual border incursions, which would
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