The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-26

curious document he reviews the critical
condition or the Confederate cause At thar
time, calls attention to the fact that me
Union armies were then In possession Of
the greater part Of the South except some
OF the territory west OF the Mississippi
and Texas; that very soon Texas would be
Invaded; that little or no hope OF succor
or recognition could be expected from the
leading nations of Europe. as the CONNER
cial interests Of England Russia and Ger
many were directly favorable to continu-
alton OF the war and the ACKNOWLEDGMENT
OF the Union; that even II they did inter-
fere 1t would be by armed Intervention
and on the doctrine of ''uti possidetis. .
which would be fatal to the South. as II
would Involve the surrender to the North
OF all tbs territory that had been con-
quered by the Federal armies. He then
reyerts to the situation of Texas, still free
from Federal Invasion; recltes the proyi-
sions oil the treaty of 1903 under which
Louisiana was acquired by the express
terms OF which Napoleon had bound the
United States to forever guarantee that
THE Inhabitants of the ceded district or
territory shall be maintained and protect :
ed by the United States in the free and
full enjoyment OF their liberty, property
and the religion they may profress;" EN-
pnasizes the fact that slaves were part OF
the recognized property Of the inhabitants
OF the territory at the time OF its cession
by France and were fairly included In
this guarantee OF security; then calls at
tention to the fact, admitted by all men.
that the United States Is levyng war upon
the inhabitants OF the original territory OF
Louisiana, killing its people, attacking
their liberties, destroying or attempting to
destroy their property and in every posi-
BILE way violating the terms and guaran-
n af ,,i4
Texas to call for the intervention of Ma
poleon III to ENFORCE the violated sane
tions and guarantees OF his great uncles
compact with Mr.. Jefferson and to relieve
the people of the former territory of Louis
lana from the horrors and expressions with
which they are being afflicted and threat
ened. To this remarkable and interest
ing document there is no written reply ex-
tant, but Governor Lubbock, who was then
chief executive of this State, is said to
have responded to its suggestions by say
ing to Mr.. Tyler that he was not prepared
to admit that the cause OF the South was
hopeless, that In any event Texas could
not afford to separate her destiny from
that of her sister States in the Confeder-
acy, and that II the worst came to the
worst, the people of Texas would prefer
the rule of Abraham Lincoln to that of a
French EMPEROR reply truly patriotic
About the same time that the Tyler
memorial was presented the Spanish
consul at Galveston also addressed COM
munication to Governor Lubbock, in which
he likewise recalled the terms of the treaty
OF 1903 and suggested that Spain as well
as France, by reason of the fact that the
territory of Louisiana once belonged to
Spain, would no doubt respond to request
by Texas for Intervention to enforce the
violated guarantees of that instrument
This communication was referred by the
governor to President Davis at Richmond
who very promptly directed the Spanish
consul to withdraw his presence from tbs
Confederscy, as he was taking an unwar.
ranted interest in the domestic affairs OF
the government to which he was accredit.
ed thus following the precedent of the ia.
nous Genet affair in General Washing
toms administration.
These two incidents furnish curious IL.
Illustrations of how far and how intimatel,
ancient history may be mingled with the
events and influences of our own time
| little as we may ordinarily recognize tn,
connection between one generation and III
| successors.