Ottr Catl10lic H e1·itage in Texas
39 2
remember that Louisiana was the nearest source of settlers to populate the vast province of Texas. "As for me," he wrote, "I prefer a more diplomatic policy of tact and judgment to one of excessive rigor." Although all the other officials in Texas agreed on this point, he said, it would be impossible to do anything else until the commandant general changed his mind. He felt, however, that the facts should be brought to the attention of the authorities in Spain in order that they might help determine a more intelligent course for the future. 92 American deserters. Intimately related to the exclusive immigration policy was the official stand on American deserters. It will be remem- bered that early in May, 1809, the commandant.general had issued instruc- tions for sending deserters to San Antonio before admitting them as settlers. Shortly aftenvards the asesor and auditor became apprehensive and advised that it might be better to refuse them admission. Acting on this advice, the commandant general ordered Bonavia on July 9 to admit no more deserters. The order immediately aroused a wave of protest. Governor de Salcedo declared it too drastic. Admitting the difficulty of apprehending French agents who tried to obtain admittance under the guise of American deserters, he believed that the remedy was to be found, not in refusing admission to all deserters, but in framing regulations which would incorporate distinctive provisions for real deserters and French agents. Governor de Salcedo argued that to refuse admission to an American .deserter would be inhuman, because a person in that predicament could not return to the United States without facing severe punishment. If ordered to return to his country, the deserter would, out of despair, do either of two things: join the desperadoes in the Neutral Ground area to swell their ranks in this no man's land, or secretly reenter the province and take refuge among the Indians. In either event, the ultimate effect on New Spain would be worse than admission under well-planned restrictions. Governor de Salcedo suggested, therefore, that all those who presented themselves to Spanish' officials on the frontier as deserters be carefully examined to make certain that they were not impostors. Those found to be impostors were to be arrested; but those who gave satisfactory proof that they had escaped from the American Army were to be sent under guard to Monclova, where they could be kept under strict surveil-
91 Bonavia to Saavedra, September 20, I 809. Ibid., pp. 206-208.
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