The Papers of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Volume I

566

Don Ricardo R. Keene, a native citizen of ·the nited tat , on the condition of his bringing out a certain number of Catholic ettler . The Cortes subsequently revoked this grant, merely on the ground that the King had no power in him lf to alienate any portion of the national domains. :\fexico set no value on Texas, nor stretched forth an arm to render it the least aid. anta Anna used the political in- fluence of tl1e republicans in that territory to put down hi rival Bustamente, and when he succeeded, he deprh·ed the settlers of every ccn titutional right, not even permitting them to have arm. in their hou es for their own personal protection. . The Texian , thu rn t off from all constitutional protection-finding that even the law of ~Iex- ico were not allowed to reach them-suffering under a despotism of the worst kind, and per ecuted because they were .American and not Catholic settlers, they re olved to protect their own right , and did what their patriotic fathers had done in 1776, and what all other na- tions have successfully done before them; they resolved on revolution and eparation, and successfully sealed it with the be t blood of their own people. . ·while we are therefore the rightful owners of Texa , that territory i in po se ion of those who conquered it from the l\lexjcans, and we can only acquire our right by peaceable and equitable negotiation. If Texas continues to be an independent republic, virulently a ailed by our own people, becoming, as we would from. bad advice and worse motives, the enemies of 'l'exa , we unavoidably throw her into the arms and under the protection of England. 'l'exas say to En•~la.nd, "Bring in your Woollens at a duty of ten per cent. ad valorum. and all your other articles of manufacture at the lowe t possible rate: l\Iexico and the United States have both prohibitory duties; end your manufac- tures here, and they will soon find their way through Mexico and through the Southern and \\•estern tate . Take our Cotton in pay- ment at lower rate than you can obtain it on the :\[is i ippi." What would become of our Tariff and our manufacture and our revenue laws under this influence! The whole \Ve t would be flooded with cheap Briti h goods: .England would hold a. most commanding and influential po ition, controlling the mine of Mexico-the trade nnd commerce of Texa. -together with an influence over the Indian on our frontier. That our Ea tern manufacturers should take mea. ure to avoid this state of thin~rs cannot be doubted, and it only .can b<.t avoided by bringing Texas fairly and tranquilly iu.to the Union at once. l •o. 5$2 1837 Aug. 21, RJCIIARD PII.ELAX, CHER.AW, LI rA, TO f. lIU,\ BE.AU B OXAPAHTEl LA:\L\H, [CIIER..1 W, 0 TH CAROLI A] Sending a bottle of peach brandy and one of Jri. h whisky. .A. i _ s. 1 p. OUTH C,\RO-

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