Ottr Catliolic Heritage in T cxas
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The disgruntled Vidal, who had neYer forgotten the mock trial· of Nolan in the Territorial Court of Mississippi, warned Elguezabal in October. After fourteen years of faithful service in Louisiana, he was on the point of setting out on a year's vacation. "\,Voe to our possessions in :Mexico with such an order of things!" he wailed. The Americans, in his opinion, were ambitious, restless, treacherous, and their Govern- ment was the "most meddlesome on earth." Inflexibility seemed to be the only way of restraining them. Hypocritical Protestants thought nothing of posing as zealous Catholics in order to obtain land grants and establish new homes within the Spanish dominions. 119 The bishop of Nuevo Leon in 1804 reported directly to Jose Caballero, Secretary of State of Spain, that his frequent visitations to Texas had convinced him that its fertility, wild horses and cattle, and fine rivers were an irresistible magnet drawing to Texas the greedy Anglo-Ameri- cans, particularly those in Louisiana. The few settlers in the vast province were scattered on ranches and haciendas many miles apart. Two years later he reported to Viceroy Jose de lturrigaray that more than 2,000 French and American settlers had established themselves on the eastern frontier where they lived "mtty olvidados de la Religion" (oblivious of religion) . 120 When in June, 1805, Aaron Burr visited New Orleans and was entertained by Daniel Clark, the officials of the city, and Governor Claiborne, he found a host of friends who were in complete accord with his long-meditated plan of leading a filibustering expedition into Mexico. The Mexican Association, headed by no less personages than Mayor John Watkins and James Workman, Judge of the County Court, had been formed for the avowed purpose of collecting Mexican data which would be useful for the United States in the event of war with Spain. The members naturally entered into Burr's scheme with unfeigned enthusiasm. It is worthy of note, too, that Burr brought to New Orleans letters of the strongest recommendation from no other than General Wilkinson himself. Whatever Burr's plans may have been in regard to the disruption of the Union by the withdrawal of the western states, ll9Jose Vidal to Governor of Texas, October 4, 1803. uoprimo, Obispo de Nuevo Leon to Jose Caballero, Secretario de Estado, March 7, 1804. A.G./., A11diencia de Guadalajara, 104-2-19 ; Primo, Obispo de Nuevo Leon to Jose de Iturrigaray, June 20, 1806. A. G. I., Audiencia de Guadalajara, 103-3-19. (Dunn Transcripts, 1800-1819, pp. 66-70, and 152-157.)
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