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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
disposition of Santana, it wa such men as Collingsworth who had aided in the capture- I al o told them that Collingsworth & Wharton were not only in the Battle of Sanjacinto, but that they were as pure patriots as any new comers could be supposed to be-- and that their councils & motives were. as good and as pure-- It was in this strain, & with such feelings I talked- When I finished, the people- all cried out for Collingsworth ; they made room for him, and cried out hear him-hear him. He, however, declined to say anything. Tlie people then called for me- I had determined to say nothing. and expres ed an unwillingness to join in the scenes- The people however were determd to hear from me, and having understood that I had written a letter 23 to the President on the subject of the Treaty, they demanded that it hould be brought forth- Thus compelled to come forwd. I address the croud in a brief manner, stating 'in substance, that al- though I wa as much opposed as they were to the release of Santana, yet in asmuch as it was an act of the Govt. and I a part of that Govt. I felt it my duty to see the stipulations bf the Treaty to be faithfully carried out- I told them also, that I would rather a thousand , an- tanas should be released, that the Battle of Sanjacinto should be foght over a hundred times, rather than see the military domineering oYer the Govt. of the Country- Iy letter .was then read; and at the conclusion of it, I reiterated the the [sic] confidence which I had ex- pre ed in that document, in the .President and the Cabinet, and in the motives that influenced them to the measure, Genl. Henderson rose and addressed the crowd in a long, violent and declamitory speech, pled 0 ing himself to the mob that Santana should not leave; and among other things, pointing to the soldiers under arms before him, he said that he poke in the voice of two hundred rifles, &c. They all hurrad at the sentiment; and I rejoined Burnet, Wharton & other who were equally disgusted with the insolent domi11ation of armed strangers- Bailey Hardeman had some roucrh sparring with Genl. Green- The mob headed by Green & Henderson, finally prevailed- The life of Burnet was threatened by some of the base & interperate- Capt. Jermiah Brown. commanded the Invincible; and assured these mili- tary gentlemen tl1at he would not sa-il against their orders, even if directed to do so by the president- Burnet saw the impossibility of carrying out the Treaty, He [Santa Anna] wa ordered ashore Harde- man, Hunt, Hender. on & Ben Smith went on board after him- He wns landed at Quintana, l\Iarchcd through the cro"rd to l\IcKiney' store, under the execration of the populace- The crowd al o became furious against the President. Great excitemt prevailed- Santana wrote a note to Burnet, the nature of which I know not; to which Burnet replied, explaining tl1e necessity of the cour e taken, and giv- ing him assurance, of the inviolability of hi per on. In this letter he us s this lani:niage to wit- "When I a. nr d your Bxcellcncy that there would he no danger in your embarkation I was a tuated by a conviction that the citizens of Texas were too magnanimous to offer violence to yonr person, and the event hn. justified my confidence. Since then, a new state of feeling has been superinduced, and new persons have prevented themselves and have power to impo c an un- "No. 362.
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