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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
more impoYerish and injure us than one formidable and vigorous in~ ,·asion of the country. The state of parties at this time in :i\lexico would not allow him to acknowledge our independence; and think ye that he is so specially devoted, to our ,vishes that he would 11azard his own popularity and jeopardize his power by trying to change public sentiment on so dangerous a que tion, merely for the love he may bear for his word or for us V It is a most prepo terous idea; and yet it forms the main argument for his release. To Sir, I assert that it is the true policy of our country to keep him a prisoner; we know that here he can do us no harm, in Iexico he can; we all know too the power of the priests in that Catholic country; he is their hield and buckler; he is also the idol of the soldiers. If he is ready to effect through his own influence our independence, let him ,vrite home to the priests and the soldiery, that if they will recognize us, he .can be set at liberty, to join once more his friend and partizans. N"o, no, say his advocate this will not be done by his writing; but they will do it for him if he asks it in person. Wonderful indeed, his nation will not purchase his redemption from captivity; but after he is once liberated they will then pay the price we ask; which is ·our independence. ,ve have evidence before our eye against all this sophistical flummery; and I beg leave to call the attention of gentl~men to the singular and important fact that there is at this very moment within the paling, a messenger from Tampico to Santa Anna, bearing despatches to him proposing that if he will write a letter to the liberal party in :Mexico, advising the recognition of our independence, that that e\'ent would be immediately brought about; and his release would be the conse- quence. H'ere then we see that Santa Anna can most effectually serve us in the attainment of our recognition;· he has only to write, and we have the authority of the above mentioned bearer of the despatcl1es, that his communications will mo t materially contribute to this de- sirable end. And yet Santa Anna declines writing. such letter, and why T simply because he 11as been encouraged to hope that he can bo released on easier terms. He, the prisoner is not wilJina to bring about an acknowledgement of our independence merely for hi free- dom. lJe will cause us to be acknowledged only on the groun9 that, he i re tored to full power. The messenger from Tampico tells us that he wa deputed by the liberal party to advi e our government to detain the prisoner until they should come into power, and then thoy would reco!?'nize u . Then in the name of all the god at once! w11y is not nch a letter written f why doe not our president go once to Santa Anna, and ay to him "Sir if you de ire to erve us a you say you do, now is the time." To, his excellency our pre ident prefers to gain our acknowledgement after the relea e of hi pri oner, and not be/ ore. Ho wants it to ·be the act of pre ident anta Anna, and not the act of the liberal party in l\lexico. There i I fear omc vanity at the bottom of this project of sending the captive to Wnshington City. I have no objection to having the wcaknc. s gratified pro,·idcd it could be done without detriment to the public intcrc t. ro man would be better pleased than I would to sec Gen. Hou ton and Gon. antn Anna, on a tour through the United States. To view them both at the court of Wn hington at the same time: the one the npolcon of the outh, the other the '\ ellington of the north, would be ns dazzling and clc-
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