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drenched and faded laurels, than could some other Chief who might appeal to them in behalf of their captive President, the sullied honor of their arms, and the ignomy of eight million of souls yielding a contest for dominion to fifty thousand? But I will not dwell upon the relative capacities of Mexican Chiefs. H we must fight them again il is of little import who leads their miscreant hordes. We must and can carry the war beyond the Rio Grande, and whether Santa Anna or Bravo, or another be there he will witness a rehearsaJ of the brilliant tragedy of San Jacinto. By detaining Santa Anna we gain nothing bu l the miserable gratification of wreaking a pitiful vengeance for the wrongs our friends have sustained al his hands, this feeling of revenge is natural, and the gratification of it might have been commendable, if it had been indulged at the proper time and under proper circumstances. If he had never been received as a prisoner he might on the clearest principles of reta1llia tion, have been made the victim of his own barberous and exterminating policy. But after he had been admitted to the protection and the hospitality of the camp, and had actually ratified and in part executed a treaty with his captors, it would have been a gross violation of every principle of honor and every rule of war, to visit such retribution upon him. The high and merited vengeance was deferred to Him who hath said "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." -To det.un him now is to gratify a paltry spirit of harrassing his person, but it can answer no valuable purpose to Tex:as. To release him may. He is the head of the central system in Mexico. The consolidation of that Government is his favorite scheme, and iL is precisely the scheme that is best adapted Lo promote thefavorite desires and the highest interests of Texas; the establishment of her independence. Let the federal party acquire the ascendency in Mexico and restore that impracticable system there, and an acknowledgment of the independence of Texas becomes constitu- tionally impossible. There is no power vested in that Government, that could assent lo a dismembermentof the Republic. But, the soverign power, under a Central Constitution would 1find it equally facile and advisable to get rid of the obstreperous republicans, and practical fe<leraJists of Texas, by severing her from the empire. The federalists of Mexico are the enemies of Santa Anna. By detaining him here, we give to them the reins of Government, and deny to
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