359
Frenc/1, Intervention in Spain and Its Reaction in Texas
Agustin Quiroga, an uncle of Manuel Maria de Salcedo in Vera Cruz, informed his nephew on November II of the fate that had overtaken the adventurous and enterprising trader from New Orleans. He re- marked that it was fortunate for the heirs that the treasury officials had repossessed the I9,ooo pesos. 43 Luisa Gertrudis de la Rua, De la Rosa's widow, presented a formal petition to the commandant general for the recovery of the 19,000 pesos that had been taken from her husband by the officers of the treasury: of Vera Cruz. As the case was complicated, it ultimately reached the Council of the Indies, where a decision was rendered in favor of the widow. It was stated in the decision that De la Rosa had flagrantly violated the law by engaging in contraband at a time when all trade with Louisiana had been prohibited, and when no port was open to foreign commerce, in absolute disregard of the express warning by officials in New Orleans against such action. The heirs, therefore, had forfeited all rights to this money. But such merciless enforcement of the law was contrary to the natural clemency of the king, who desired to temper justice with mercy. The authorities in Texas had been derelict in performing their duty and had been guilty of grave indiscretion. Bonavia had exceeded his powers by granting De la Rosa permission to proceed to Vera Cruz, and had acted injudiciously in view of the incriminating evidence available to him. The colonial officials were to be instructed, therefore, to ascertain the value of the goods introduced by De la Rosa, in order to determine the amount of duties due the royal treasury. This sum was to be deducted from the 21,000 pesos (19,000 held by the Vera Cruz treasury and 2,000 posted as bond with the governor of Texas), and the balance was to be turned over to the widow and children of De la Rosa." The commandant general remonstrated with the king's secretary in a letter in which he pointed out that this particular case was illustrative of the deceitful spirit permeating practically every Louisiana petitioner. He called the secretary's attention to the fact that something was obviously wrong: the merchandise which De la Rosa brought was 43 N. Salcedo to Saavedra, November 7, 1809; M. de Salcedo to Bonavia, Decem- ber 17, 1809; Constancias... A.G. I., Audienda de Guadalajara, 104-2-9 (Dunn Transcripts, 1800-1819, pp. 132-133; 260; 276). '-'Luisa Gertrudis de la Rua to N. Salcedo, December 17, 1809: Dictamen de la Contaduria, June 14, 181 I; Informe del Consejo, January 4, 181.1. A. G. / ., A11die11cia de Guadalajara, 104-2-9 (Dunn Transcripts, 1800-1819, pp. 252-263; :177-278).
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