PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LAMAR
93
with me. Upon learning that fact for the first time from him I de- termined to withdraw from the negotiation as soon as he arrived. Of that determination I informed Genl Johnston Secy of War and of which he may have informed your Excellency. I made the determina- tion under the supposition that my Government had requested Genl H- to accept the appointment. But when I communicated my con- clusion to that effect to him he assured me in the most positive man- ner that he had (for reasons he explained) solicited some sort of au- thority to act with me & also that my Govt had not given it either bec.ause they distrusted my :fidelity or doubted my ability to discharge the duties of my Station. Upon that explanation being made I con- sented to continue my efforts in the negotiation but said to Genl H- that inasmuch as the world could not know the circumstances under which he obtained his a[u]thority to act in the business and inasmuch as my friends and all that part of the world who judge properly in such cases would condemn me as either wanting in those honorable feelings which ought to characterize a gentleman or as being ignorant of what is due in such cases, if I had acted with him and permitted it to be published to the world- that I would then say to him that I could not consent to let it appear on the face of the proceedings that he held such authority-But that I would consult with him as I would have done if he had have come over without any such authorization- To all of which he most heartily agreed. I at the same time assured him that his explanation of the circumstances under which my Govern- ment gave him the authority & the motives which indused him to request it was completely satisfactory and that he might so inform your Excellency Since the arrival in Paris of J'llr. Saligny things have taken a much more unfavourable turn- Not that his report has been less favour- able than was expected bu[t] he has persuaded J'llr Pontois, who is conducting the negotiation on the part of France, that Texas is willing to grant any and every favour which France in con[s]cience could ask- He tells him that he knows it is so because every officer in Texas with whom he conversed on the .subject either told him so expressly or in- timated as much-he also persuaded Mr P- that Texas regarded my success in France as more important than any privelege that she would be called upon to give for recognition-that the count[r]y is in a bank- rupt state-that Genl Hamilton did not expect to succeed in negotiat- ing the Texian bonds unless France first recognized Texas &c &c all of which in substance he urged upon me in the presence of Mr Pontois. I could only reply generally that my instructions must be my guide in the negotiation beyond which I could• not look- that my Govt may have determined to grant particular favours to France but that I was not directed to carry out that determination. On the second occasion I met )\fr P-upon this business he informed me that he had sub- mitted my proposition to the :Ministers of Finance & commerce & that they were satisfied with the reduction I proposed to make on silks & wines but that they also insisted on my consenting to reduse the duties on French brandies ready made clothing & various other articles which I without hesitation told him I could never consent to. He also then informed me that HE had been mistaken in the QUALITY of our cotton I
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