243
PAPERS OF MIRABEAU BUONAP.ARTE LA.lUR
1835 June, July & August, - James B. Miller was the Political Chief of the Department, a man of mild character, and unimpeachable integrity, but entirely wanting firmness and decission of character, he was totally unfit for the timesi, and he was unfortunately surrounded 44 a set of corrupt advisers,- While Travis was at Anahuac or but a few days after, a meeting was held in Columbia at which some resolutions were adopted, and [a] Committee was sent up to San Felipe to warn them and keep their constituents cons[tantly] advised of whatever might be going on Dr~ Jas. B. Miller the P. Chief [issued at?] this time his proclamation, calling on the [people?] to elect councelors to advise with him upon the critical state of the country, but before these could meet he was compelled on acct. of his weakness of character to sur- render his office to Wiley Martin, who could have no more claim or pretention to it than any other third person, but so anxious was he to carry his favorite measure of putting down the war party, that he left untried nothing that could tend in the least degree -to this desired object, He completely bullied Miller out of office and bullied himself in, His first measure [was] to open a correspondence with Genl. Cos who was then at Matamoras, and tender to him the submission of this country, accor[di]ngly D. C. Barrett and Edward Gritten were dis- patched to see Cos, and to hand him letters the contents of which are unknown to this day, or known to but few - They did not proceed farther than to San Antonio, when Barret returned leaving Gritton, in Sn. Antonio, a correspondence was kept up between Martin, and the military But there were in the country some who would not submit and a most villanous measure was adopted to remove them, The names of all these were sent on to the secretary - with advise how to pro- ceed. It was recommended, to [denounce] "a few at a time say [four or five"] J. H E Miller who was Mar[tin's] adviser, recommended that R M. Williamson Jr. [ ?] William B. Travis, Mosely Baker, Francis W. Johnson, & Samuel M Williams Lorenzo de Zavala should be first called for, Col. Ugartechea with a spirit of candor and mag- nanimity seldom equaled by a Mexican, returned the letter [fromJ Miller to the P. Chief About this time August I was sent_ down to this place to try fo get up another meeting but found on my arrival that a meeting- of the whole county was called, I here published Wiley Martin in a card as an usurper, a petty Tyrant and a traitor to the county, There was a good deal of excitement at the meeting, But strong and patriotic resolutions were adopted, One was that ·no Citizen should be deliveren up to the military for trial no matter what might .the offence &c Wiley Martin's power was now beginning to decline, and the return of J. H. C Millers letters occasioned fmch indignation in the mind of the people against him, that he found it necessary to fly from San Felipe and afterwarn from thP co1mtrv . The war party was now gaining strength, Miller had fled & Col
..The word ''by" seems to have been omitted here.
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