The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-25
Washington, Thursday, July %, 1850.

u =. N.
of the North, and to solicit the guaranty of that
government for the fulfilment, by the contract
ing parties respectively, Of their several engage
ments; the said parties Pledging themselves, in
case Of any disagreement or defalcation, to sub
NIT all matters in controversy TO the final de-
cision and adjustment of that government. For
this purpose, the contracting parties SHALL as
as practicable after the ratification Of said treaty
depute one or more commissioners to the court
of Washington, invested with plenary powers to
perfect the object of this stipulation.
18th. Any act of hostility on the part of the
retreating Mexican troops, or any depreciation
upon public or private property committed by
those troops, or any impedimeut presented to
the occupation of any part of the territory Of
Texas, by the forces thereof, on the part of the
Mexican troops, shall be considered a violation
of this agreement"
Santa Anna was not alone in the execution OF
this treaty. Genaral Filisola was the second in
command, and was some forty GRITTY miles of,
with large body of the Mexican army, mt the
time that Santa Anna was made prisoner. The
treaty was begun AS between Gen. Sarta Anna
and the Mexican generals on the one part, and
the government Of Texas on the other. 1t goes
on in the names of Gen. Santa Anna and half a
dozen other generals, among them Gen. Fisola,
who had succeeded to the entire command of
the Mexican army then in Texas. This treaty
was Immediately communicated to General Fill
sofa, and by him sanctioned; and under its pro-
visions about five or six thousand Mexican
troops, with their munitions ofwar, were saved.
Allow me, sir in proof of this and to show that
the Mexican Government also sanctioned this
treaty, to read an extract from communica-
ton: a @
From the Secretaryof War Of Merico, dated May
10, 1886, and addressed to General Filisola,
then second in command.
/" SEcRETARY's OFFICE OF WAR AND MARINE,
4 :" Central Section, Isl Bureau, May Is, 1886.
EXCELLENT Sir With the most profound
sorrow, his excelency the President pro tenn. has
learned, by the official letter of your excelency
of the 25th of last month, the defeat suffered on
the 2lst of the same month by the division com
manded in person by the President General-in-
chief of the army, (Santa Anna,) and the very
lamentable misfortune that his excelency should
be made prisoner with other chiefs and officers
His excellency the President pro tenn, is in
some measure consoled, that general so expe-
rienced as your excellency, should be the one
who obtains the command, which he expressly
confirms.
The first desire that his excelency has is, that
you address the enemy's General, exacting from
him, By decorous means, The liberty of the Presi-
dent, General-in-chief, or at least, during the
time this point can be regulated, the consdera-
ton due his high dignity, and to person SO dis
tinguished in the annals of American history,
and for nhose preservation the. entire nation is
interested by gratitude, and because he is chief
of il.
g His excellcncy the President pro tenn counts
upon your excellency's directing all his efforts 10
saring The remainder Of The army by concentrating
it, so as to render it more respectable, placing
it in convenient place for receiving provisions,
for which the most efficacious measures are
adopted. The preservation of Bexar is of abso-
lutte necessity, in order that the Government,
according to circumstances, may act as they see
fit
"'The fate Of all the prisoners is very interest
ing to the nation; and it is recommended to
your eXcelency to endeavor to alleviate it, Civ
ing authority from this moment to propose ex-
changes and to preserve for this purpose, and
because humanity exacts it, the lives Of the pri-
soners made, and that may be made, from the
enemy. Your excelency knows the circum-
stances, which may result from an imprudeDce
committed in this affair; but the Government
fears nothing MS regards this, because it knows
how great. is the skill and zeal of your excel
lency for the best service of the country"
General Filisola obeyed the directions here
given him by the Secretary Of War; he saved
the life of the President, some eight hundred
prisoners, and, what was Of still greater conse-
quence to the Mexican Government, he saved
the army upon which its very existence DEEPEN
ded. All this was done by his sanctioning the
treaty. Here is what he says on the subject at
various times. In his defence, dated 10th of
June, 1886, among other things he said
His excellency, Santa Anna, in my humble
opinion, in the treaties he agreed upon, and that
/ had the honor to send your excellency acted
with entire liberty, and had nothing more in
view than the interest of his country"
In a previous despatch to his government, he
says:
:" If the enemy, under these critical circum-
stances, should have met us on the only road
that was left, nothing would remain but to die
or surrender at discretion. The army is with
out clothing, the arms ruined, ammunition of
every kind is a very bad condition, and horses
and mules badly used in the extreme. We
have neither physician or apothecary we are
threatened with the epidemic of the season,
added to the innumerable sufferings which the
army has undergone; and should this misfor-
tune take place, the men will perish without the
least assistance, in the midst of discouragement,
and abandoned without even the consolation Of
spiritual assistance; for we hare not a single
chaplain TO sag Mass for as. Cavalry sick, bag
gage, mules, everything that accompanied the
army, was confused mass, without any distinc-
ton and without being able to move from the
place where they were caught"
In his dispatch of May 81, 1886, abiding to
this treaty, General Filisola says
lido not mention other reasons, perhaps more
convincing; and, in fine, ] think have saved
the whole army from dsasaster, and the ma
tional decorum from positive disgrace"
This, then, sir, was the condition Of General
Fiisola; this was the condition of the Mexican
army, and part of the terms of the treaty was
the salvation Of that army; the life of the Presi-
was to be saved, and the prisoners we had in our
camp were to be saved These were the terms !;
and the conditions being made known to Cen
eral Fiisola, were sanctioned by him, the
Mexican Government directing him, and giving
him full power and authority for these objects,
and directing his attention to the accomplishment