Restoration of Royal A ut/writy
37
were now quickly forgotten. Zambrano notified Don Nemesio of the suc- cessful outcome of the expedition and assured him that the treasure ,vas being placed in the royal coffers in San Antonio to await his disposition. 26 Zambrano was ready to return. But it was decided that the final dis- position of Arocha's case should be settled before departing. If he were to be exiled, now was the time to put the sentence into execution. Zambrano was instructed to tell the Padre that he was never to set foot on Texas soil again. Arocha broke down and begged Zambrano to be merciful, for he could not bear the thought of being banished forever from Texas. Moved, Zambrano relented and pardoned the erring cleric. The expedi- tion, followed by their valuable prize, left the next day for San Antonio, where they arrived on April 2 . 27 All hope had not been abandoned by the defenders of the cause of freedom. With the glance of his burning, penetrating, black eyes fixed on the triumph of liberty, with the passion that impelled him to join the Revolution, Father Salazar continued to work in the absence of the Junta. From his prison cell in Valero he con- tacted various officers of the auxiliary troops of Nuevo Leon and Nuevo Santander left behind because of their doubtful loyalty. He knew that revolution and counterrevolution breed distrust. These men, dissatisfied at having been denied the opportunity of going to the Rio Grande, where they would have been so much nearer home, might be converted to the cause of liberty. T lie last sparks of the Revolt~tion. The zealous Padre selected Lieutenant Francisco Ignacio Escamilla as the most likely leader for the surprise attack designed to gain control of the government of the province before the Junta could return. His plan was simple. He knew that there were two small cannon at Mission Valero, headquarters of the Alamo Company. Father Salazar sug- gested that these cannon be seized by the troops, the prisoners liberated, and the ad interim governor and his companions removed from office. Those participating _in the enterprise would be richly rewarded not only with positions of trust and power but also with wealth and treasure. Escamilla was flattered, but he was not a patriot by conviction. He weighed the personal advantages against the disadvantages. He finally concluded that the cause of the Revolution was dead, that, therefore, there was little sense in sponsoring the lost cause. Chances for success were 26 Goveming Junta to Commandant General Nemesio Salcedo, April 3, 1811, Bexar Archives; Parte General, April 29, 1811, Nacogdoc/ies Arcnives. 21 Parte General, April 29, 18n, Nacogdocl,es Arcl,ives.
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