The war in Texas; a review of facts and circumstances, showing that this contest is a crusade against Mexico, set on foot by slaveholders, land speculators, & c. in order to re-establish, extend, and perpetuate the system of slavery and the slave trade. Page: 29 of 64
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THE U. S. GOVERNMENT INVOLVED.-MEXICAN TREATY. 29
to enforce the neutral obligations of the na- to each other, reciprocally, timely notice, and the
tion, a claim has been set up-(a claim the claimant paying the expenses incurred in the transmo.t
preposterous that can be imagined-) to mission and maintenance of such person or persons,
a large extent of Mexican territory, witlh the who, in the meantime, shall be treated with the
aviewA of placing anl armed force in thwe vicinity utmost hospitality by the local authorities of the place
view of placing an armed force in the vicinitywe thev may be.-Nor shall it be lawful, under
~~~~of ~ . where they may be.-Nor shall it be lawful, under
of the combatants, to over-awe the aMexican alny pretext whatever, for the citizens of either of
troops and afford opportunities to aid the in- the contracting parties to purchase or hold captive
surgents.* prisoners ma(le by the Indians inhabiting the terriA
false construction also has been given tories of the other."
to a clause in the treaty between the two Under the erroneous construction of the
governments, in relation to the restriction of treaty, aforesaid, General Gaines was authortne
Indian tribes within their respective limits, ized to cross the boundary line with his army;
by virtue of which a large force has been to march sewenty niles into the Mexican ternordered
to the frontiers under the pretence ory; and to occupy the military post of Naof
enforcing the provisions of said treaty. cogdoches, in case he shuld judge it expedient
It is well understood that these troops, col- in order to guard against Indian depredations!
lected from amonig the advocates of slavery -And further; he was likewise authorized to
in the south-western States, will not remain call upon the (Governors of several of the
inactive, "neutral" spectators, when the crisis south-western States for an additional number
arrives in which their participation in the con-. of troops, should he consider it necessary.
test may be desirable to the instigators of the In order to furnish an excuse for the exerwar.
I do not stand alone in the view which cise of the authority thus delegated to him,
is here taken of the subject. By a reference rnany false rumours of Indian depredations andtl
to the speech of John Quincy Adams, from hostile movements were reported to the Conmwhich
I shall hereafter make some extracts, mander of the United States forces, and he did
it will be seen that similar ideas are expressednot neglect the occasion for pushing to the
by him; and it may be addedle, that many of very extent of his conditional instructions.- (His
the most intelligent men among us are fully proceedings in this case are of so recent date,
coinvinced of their general correctness. that they must be familiar to every intelligent
The following is the Article in the Treaty, reader, and need not be here specified.)-He
under the authority of which our Government even went so far that the Executive became
has instructed General Gaines to cross the alarmed, lest the "neutrality" of our Governboundary
line. Who can perceive the warrant ment should be violated !!-and his requisit,ons
that it is supposed to give either party, to go upon thegovernorsof ennessee and Kentucky
beyond the limits of its own territory With an were countermanded. Yet he is still permitted
armed force?-And further,-what authority to keep an impositg force stationed in the
does it give either, to prevent the Indians from Mlexican territory; and it is understood that be
joining the one or the other, as friendly allies? is in regular correspondence with the chiefs of
"ART. 33. It is likewise agreed that the two con- the insurgent armies; also that his men are
tracting parties shall, by all the means in thecir pow- "deserting" and joining them in great numer,
maintain peace and harmony among the several bers.*
Indian nations who inhabit the lands adjacent to the The insurrectionists are fTus indirectly enlines
and rivers which form the boundaries of thecouraged, and assisted, by our Governmenttwo
countries; and the better to attain this object, urage, an ossist ed, by our G overnment.nboth
parties bind themselves expressly to restrain, by And th he hope is entertained, by thoSe conforce,
all hostilities and incursions on the part of t he efforts of the Mexicans ntay
Indian nations being within their respective bounda- be thus paralyzed, and the possession of the
ries: so that the United States of America will not territory retained by the revolutionists. lintil
suffer their Indians to attack the citizens of the Uni- the next meeting of the Congress of the United
ted Mexican States, nor the Indians inhabiting their States, when the independence of the Texiat
territory; nor will the United Mexican States per- Republic may be formally acknowledged, and
mit the Indians residing within their territories to soon thereafter admitted, as an "Independent
commit hostilities against the citizens of the United State," into this confederacy. This the "ComStates
of Anerica, nor against the Indians residing bination" is fully determined upon. It is the
within the limits of the United States in any manner
whatever. * In stating these facts, it may be wtll to accompany
And in the event of any person or persons captur- them with the proof--andhere it is.-How well the plan
ed by the Indians who inhabit the territory of either is devised !-How completely the system works !-What
of the contracting parties, being or having been car- undeniable evidence, too, of a strict " neutrality" on our
ried into the territories of the other, both Govern- part t ! !
ments engage and bind themselves in the most solemn About the From the Penola Gaz.
manner to return them to their country, as soon as About the middle of last month, General Gaines sent
manner to return them to the ry as soon asan officer of the United States army into Texas to reclaim
they know of their being within their respective ter- some deserters. He found them already enlisted in the
ritories, or to deliver them up to the agent or repre- Texian service to the number of two hundred. They
sentative of the Government that claims them, giving still wore the uniform of our army, but refulsed, of course,
to return. The commander of the Texian forces, was ap'-*
-- _ ------ " ----- *-~plied to, to enforce their return; but his only reply was,
One of the deep laid plans of the combination was, to that the soldiers mi ht go, but he had no authority to
send their " volunteers" to the frontier, through the send them back. This is a new view of our Texian reagency
and at the expense of the government. lations.
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Lundy, Benjamin. The war in Texas; a review of facts and circumstances, showing that this contest is a crusade against Mexico, set on foot by slaveholders, land speculators, & c. in order to re-establish, extend, and perpetuate the system of slavery and the slave trade., book, 1837; Philadelphia. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2414/m1/29/: accessed December 17, 2017), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; .