Revotution: Flares Again
65
against England. Our Southern defensive force can take the Floridas, volunteers for a Mexican army will flock to our Standards..." 5 On the eve of war with Great Britain, Monroe seems to have been anxious for the early return of Gutierrez to help stir revolution in Texas and the other Interior Provinces of New Spain. He no longer advised remaining in Washington until he received proper credentials from a revolutionary government. Perhaps the news of the dismal failure of the Menchaca expedition had been communicated to him. He dosed the conference by urging Gutierrez to return to Texas as soon as possible and to make known to Republican leaders in his country the favorable attitude of the United States. He gave instructions to assist the Mexican envoy in making an early departure. Plans of Gutierrez and Toledo. But Gutierrez remained in Washing- ton until the end of December, and frequently visited the office of Chief Clerk Graham. One day as he read the Federal Gazette, he came upon an article written by a certain Jose Alvarez Toledo. In a note to the editor, the author generously offered to sacrifice his life, if need be, to help the Spanish colonies obtain their freedom. Here was a kindred spirit, thought Gutierrez, and hurried to ask his friend Graham if he knew Toledo.' Toledo, a native Cuban, had been elected a representative of Santo Domingo in the Cortes de Cadiz. His ardent defense of the rights of the Spanish colonies and his advice that they seek security and happiness independent of Spain had brought about an order for his arrest. He fortunately succeeded in escaping and fleeing to America. The article which Gutierrez had read was an explanation to Toledo's constituents in Santo Domingo of the reasons for his hasty departure from Cadiz. · A few days after Gutierrez read the article, Toledo left Philadelphia for Washington to make a confidential report to Secretary Monroe. 7 He added that there was a party in the islands who desired to form an inde- pendent confederation with the aid of the United States. The Secretary of State became interested at once. The establishment of an independent government in the islands would defeat any plan of the British to gain SJ. Fred Rippy, RivaJ,-y of the United States and Great Britai11 Over Lati11 Ame,-ica, 1808-1830, 72. 'Gutierrez, "Diary," The Anze,-ican Hi.sto,-ictd Review, XXXIV, 76; Federal Gazette and Baltimo,-e Daily Adve,-ti.ser, Baltimore, December 17, 1811. 1 Toledo had written Secretary Monroe that he had some confidential Information he did not dare trust to writing. He reported to Monroe a British plan · to seize Cuba, Porto Rico and Santo Domingo with the consent of the Cortes. See I. J. COJC, "Monroe and the Early Mexican Revolutionary Agents," ,Am4,-ican Historical As- sociati<J11 Re,;ort, 1911, I, 202.
' !
I I I I i I ' . I
I I I I j
Powered by FlippingBook