The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-03-10

ton Of IMerico.
"These Declarations we solemnly avow
. to the world, and call God To witness their
! truth and sincerity, and invoked defeat and
: disgrace upon our heads, should we prove
guilty Of duplicity."
The first army sent across the Rio
: Grande by Santa Anna to conquer Texas,
(under Gen. Cos)got as far as San Antonio,
where it was met by the Texans, and after
bloody fight, was obliged TO capi!ula,e to
: Gen. Bur,eson, the Texan leader, under,
among others, the following conditions:
"lst That Gen. Cos and his officers re-
|, tire with their arms and private property.
into the interior of the republic, under their
parol Of honor; that they will not in any
way oppose the re-establishment Of the fe-
deral constitution of 1924.
''3d. That the general take the convicts
brought in by Col. Ugartechea, beyond the
Rio Grdade.
"l4th. Gen. Burleson will furnish Gen.
7 Cos with such provisions as can be obtain
ed, necessary for his troops to the Rio
Grdnds, at the ordinary price of the coun-
try"
Thus ended the first invasion Of Texas.
and after Gen. Cos had retired, not MeXi-
can soldier was left on the east side of the
Rio Grande. The people of Texas now,
finding the federal constitution of Mexico
completely overthrow, on the "a of March,
1886, adopted in congress their unanimous
"declafation ofindependence, thus placing
themselves, as indeed the revolutionary
movements of Santa Anna in Mexico had
already done, in exactly the same position
they occupied before they joined the Mex-
can conlederacy. And it's TO be noted that
this unanimous declaration was signed
among others by six delegates from counties
lying between the Nueces and the Rio
Grande.
In 1896 Santa Anna again invaded Texas,
in two columns, the one in the direction Of
San Antonio and the other upon Goliad
The slaughter of Travis in the Alamo, and
the murder Of Fannin and his whole COM
mand, forsliadowed the fate of all who might
fal!into Santa Annals hands. The work OF
until the two hostile armies met at San ia
cinto, where, the little Texan army, under
Cen. Houston literally annihilated the Mex
leans. They killed about one half, and took
the balance prisoners, not allowing even one
to escape TO tell the tale of the terrible retri-
buti.n which the God OF battle had inflicted
upon them for their merciless crimes.
TWAS after this decisive battle that Santa
anna, then prisoner in the hands Of the
Texans, entered into articles Of agreement
and solemn compact with the government
of Texas. that im consideration that lie and
his whole army should be released, he, in
behalf of Mexico, acknowledged the indie
pendencc of Texas, with the Rio Grande as
its western boundary, and agreed that all
the forces of Mexico should retire beyond
that stream-himsclf to remain prisoner
until Don Vncente Fiisola, the next in com
mand 10 lin, and the rest of his generals.
who had all been released, should ratify the
treaty. The treaty was ratified, in due
course, and Santa Anna released.
II will be borne in mind that the generals
named in the ninth article were not prso.
ners. and that after the capture OF Santa An
ia, General Fisola succeeded TO his pow
ers as commander-in-chiefo of the Mexican
army. But, sir, am well aware
that, while no Senator will controveit the
truth Of any one material fact which have
stated, or the impariality with which all
my facts have been presented, yet il will
be said that the treaty 10 which have al
luded was not binding uron the Mexican
nation. because Santa Anna was aprisoneI
Of war, in captivity, at the same time Of it,
execution. / DO not deem II necessary Il
make an argument ON this point, so far a.
Santa Anna is himself concerned; for il
makes no difference with the result. Gen
; eral Filisola, and the ether generals who
subsequently, signed and ratified that treaty
in conjunction with him, were not prisoners
of war--wcre not in duress or captivity
! when they executed il. They were at the
head oltheir respective commands, in the
full enjoyment of all their faculties, and the
free eNcersise of all their rights, when they
signed and ratified the instrument. They
acted upon their own Judgment and oftheil
oWl NUlllloll, anu ho NulSss
: or coercion. If, then, the captivity of San
Ia Anna deprived him OF the faculties Of vo
] liton and action, Filisola succeeded to hi,
, position Of commander-in- chief ofthe army
and was duly invested with all the power
of which he had been deprived. But, SIR
: cannot concede that the acts OF Santa Ann;
were not binding upon himself and his gov
, ernment. We must bear in mind that tn
I government of Mexico at that time was
military despoism, erected upon the ruin
of the republic, after the federal consttutr
had been abolished. Santa Anna was tn
: head of that government, (ifindeed he wa
not the government itself: y and the p-opl
were responsible for his acts, because the
had submitted to his rule, and acyuicsccd i
, his authority.
e Texas was now permitted 10 remain i
I undisturbed possession ofthe territory, Mex
e leo never pretending any other but the ri
{ Grandc as the boundary. and declaring he
: intention TO reconqucr the whole country
t but making no attempt until 1912, whc
/ Gen. Nascus crossed the Rio Grandc. an
: by rapid movement, succeeded in plundcl
Y ing San Antonio. lie was, however, in
= mcdiately metby Gen. Burleson, aud drive