453
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BuoNAPARTE LA:\IAR
return, experienced great difficulty in keeping down an insurrection among the crew. He :finally prevailed upon them, however, to forego their resentments, by r.eminding them of the shame and dishonor which would follow such a flagrant violation of the flag of truce, and by giving at the same time some slight indications of his own ulterior plans and views. The officers were accordingly set at liberty; and after receiving due apologies for the uncerremonious treatment which they had recd. they departed for the brig in their little pinnance; not, how- ever, until the Lord of Barrataria, had drawn from them a pretty free and full development of their meditated invasion of lower Louisiana. Lafitte, lost no time in communicating these circumstances to the authorities of the State.- But :first, however, it was necessary for him to sound his followers upon the part which he was about to play. His plan was to tender himself and the whole Barratarian force, to the service of the Country. The proposition was made. It was recd. with enthusiasm; all were in favor of 'it; and the alluvial Delta of Barrataria was shaken by their loud huzzas. A letter was immedi- ately addressed to Mr Blanque, a member of the Louisiana Legislature, enclosing the documents received from Captain Lockrey, and another to Governor Claiborn, containing the proposition above resolved upon. In his letter to the latter, Lafitte uses the following langu [a]ge. "I offer to you to restore to this State several citizens, who perhaps in your eyes have lost that sacred title. I offer you them, however, such as you could wish to :find them, ready to exert their utmost efforts in defence of the country. This point of Louisiana, which I occupy, is of great importance in the present crisis. I tender my services to de- fend it; and the only reward I ask is that a stop be put to the prose- cution against me and my adherents, by an act of oblivion, for all that has been done hitherto." He says also in the same letter "I have never sailed under any flag but that of the republic of Carthagena; and my vessels are perfectly regular in that respect." The following sentence we take from his letter to )lr Blank- "I may have evaded the payment of duties to the Custom house; but I have never ceased to be a good citizen."- We make these extracts, in order that the Bar- ratarian may [be] allowed [to] speak for himself, since so very few have been found, who were willing to speak for him.- La:fitt's proposition was accepted. A reconciliation ensued between · him and His Excellency; all prosecutions were suspended; and on the 8th of January 1815, in the great and concluding Battle between the two contending nations, the bold Barratarian and his Lieutena~t Dominique were se~n at the head of a hardy race of men who delighted in danger and who defied all foes. Justice was done to their unpar- ralled bravery in the official report of the Com- . . . [incomplete] No. 2801. ADVENTURES 01'' XAVIER l\fINA. LAl\[AR [Richmond? Texas, 185- ?l The death of Perry terminates the connection of Mina's adventures with our present sketch. Nevertheless, as the reader may possibly have some desire to learn the sequel of those adventures, we will, for the gratification of his curiosity, continue our narative of this valiant Navarrean and his Three h11,ndred. However irrevalent and .protracted
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