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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
come, because of his aversion to books and his inability to cultivate the manners of enlightened society. .He_ decided upon a military career in 1810, his father having placed him m the army at fourteen years of age in order that he might be supported by the stipend paid the cadets. 'l 1 hus associated in his youth with rude and uncultured soldiers, he necessarily acquired the low inclinations and vicious habits which always pertain to that class. These grew with time, greatly increased with indulgence, until they came to be second nature with him and to form the most prominent qualities of his character, so that his depravity is now almost as no- torious as his good fortune. His early deeds were not very promising in character, and they bet- ter predicted a rise toward the gallows than toward the Presidency. He began his military career in the service of the King of Spain, by opposing the liberty and independence of his native land, but he did not distinguish himself until 1813 in General Arredondo's expedition against the Republicans of 'rexas which province was occupied by Bernardo Gutierrez, and afterwards fell into the hands of the enemy, while his successor Toledo defended it. During this interval our hero began to distinguish. himself. His prowess was not yet that of a military commander, but rather that of a criminal It is not known that he won any laurels by his courage on the field of battle; but his reputation as a dissolute youth given to all kind of vices and excelling all competitors in refined immorality is still remembered by some of the old inhabitants of San Antonio. Gambling was his domi- nant passion, and he would stop at nothing in order to gratify it. Finding himself at Bexar at one time without funds, and not being able to obtain money by the means he always employed, i. e. robbery, deceit, and prevarication, he decided to forge the General's signature and accordingly made out a check of five hundred dollars for the mili- tary treasurer to deliver to him. This was clone, and the sum thus obtained was lost in a short time. The robbery having been discovered, he was arrested, as was also an officer named Saldana who delivered the money to him. Criminal proceedings. were instituted against both, but Saldaiia, having proved his innocence, was freed, while Santa Anna, wlwse guilt was evident in the eyes of all, was conducted as a prisoner to Monterrey for punishment. Thanks to his lucky star! he was never made to appear before the Court. 'rhe petitions made in his farnr by some women appeased the wrath of Arredondo, who allowed the affair to drop, and in this way the criminal escaped without being acquitted of the charge or punished for it. Instead of profiting by his past experience and behaving better in the future, his last impunity had no other effect than to make him bolder in crime. A short time afterward he was again caught in a similar crime, having forged the name of an ancient worthy, Don An- tonio Quintero, in a bill of exchange to the sum of six thousand dol- lar~. He was again made a prisoner; and it seemed almost impos- sible that he could escape a second time, but fortune still favored him, for :Mr. Quintero, instead of prosecuting him, as a merciful man, used all of his influence to save him by imploring General Arredondo to pardon the criminal in consideration of his penitence and his promise to reform in the future. He succeeded in obtaining his encl, but not
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