Newspaper Page Text
AMERICAN AnvorA-rir
NO. X-3
PUBLISHED ZV EHr THURSDAY?
Morning, by Georce W.
Wheeler & James Clarke,
AT THREE DOLLARS A YEAR
ONE IN ADVANCE-’
~ ‘ r “ “’ “’ ——P———— II 0
} Jose Alva re 2de Toledo.
From the Louisiana Courier,
[Printed atNew-Grleans ]
The article published in the
newspapers of this city, extracted
from a letter written by Mr. B
Roberson, did not excite my sur -
prise.
That I should befir ought into
pnblicview by the Chevalier Onis,
and selected as a conspicuous vie
tim to the hatred Und Vengeance
of the Spanish government, will
not appear extraordinary to those
acquainted with my principles be
career. ‘
I had the honor to be among
the members of the Cortes*at Ca
diz that were animated with zeal 1
for the freedom and glory of our
country, and desirous of breaking
the fetters and dissipating the
prejudices which for ages had
loaded and disgraced the Spanish
character. It is for those exer-
tions at a memorable epoch, that
myself and collegues have be
come obnoxioDsto the despot Fer
dinand and his fanatic counsel
lors. The same Ferdinand who
owes his life and his throne to the
patriotism of a few members of
the Cortes during the most stor
my reason of the revolution; this
same Ferdinand since his return
to the throne, has already immo
lated on the altars of revenge and
ingratitude, almost every inciivid-,
wai of the cortes that thought,
spoke, or acted as I have done ;
and had I not taken the resolu
tion of departing from that land
of despotism at the period I did,
there is no doubt that my name
long ere this would have been ad
ded to the catalogue of sacrifices.
I came to America with a de-
termination to use all my efforts to
effect its separation from a gov
ernment, that for three centuries
had filled the new world with
chains, with groans, and with
tears. When I undertook this
enterprise, I knew the fate that
awaited me in case I did not suc
ceed; but to those who are in
spired with a love of country, who
feel that their actions are groud
ed on the freedom and happiness
of their fellow citizens, it is not
likely they are to be deterred
from pursuing those patriotic
; views, merely because they are
Exposed to death and persecu
iicn. If Washington and his as
sociates had trembled at the me
naces of despotism, the United
States would never have become
independent.
Assassins have been hired to
jnurder me, as can be proved b)
aupiemjp documents in tny pos
sessions Attempts on my life
J',. .4 ft r *■ d11,.;.'!
LOUISVILLE, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, istS.
Have been made more than once
trrr • Un “ e<i Statcs< Ferdinand
VII, it appears, has demanded me
< the American government, in
order to increase the Vast number
of victims already immolated in
honor of his return to the Spanish
throne ; and I suppose the next
thing we shaft hear is a bull from
‘“ e Pope, hurling the thunders
ot the Vatican against the repub
lic of the United States for hav
ing granted me the rights of hos.
pitaiity.
It does not become me to an
ticipate the conduct of the Am er
ican government on this occa
sion, further than to remark, 1
feel perfectly tranquil under the
guardianship of the laws of na
tions as Well as those of the Uni
ted estates 5 and much do I wish
tnat I had nothing else to disturb
my serenity than the Quixotic
menaces cf a fanatic monarch.
During the campaign -against
•the British in Louisiana, I had
the honor to act as a soldier, and
I should be proud of any future
occasion to manifest my zeal m
the service of the United States:
and if during my residence in this
country, I should be so fortunate
as to inspire this government or
the people with a disposition to
aid my fellow citizens of Mexico
|in their struggles for liberty, I
shall not, I hope, on this account,
be considered criminal either by
this nation or in the eyes of the
universe*
If I am not mistaken we are
fast aproaching that epoch when
the legitimate monarchs of Eu
rope will ‘openly avow their hos
tility to the American Republic.
Alieady are they maturing a fu
ture crusade against the liberties
of the human race in the western
hemisphere, and the first step in
this holy enterprize has been taken
by the pious and magnanimous
Ferdinand.
The progress of liberty in the
new World is filling the potentates
of Europe with dismay. The
vicinage of the United States to |
the Mexican empire, excites not
only the fears of Spain but Great
Britain, if six million ofMexr
cans become identified in interest
and feeling with the citizens of
the United States, we might then
bid defiance to the machinations
of the old world. The vast and
growingpopiilation of the western
parts ot |lnited States would
find in the internal provinces of
Mexico a vast and permanent vent
for their surplus industry.
1 he gold and silver of Mexico ’
n place of flowing direct to Great
Britain and Spain, and furnishing
he sinews of ambitious wars,
would find a channel to and thru*
the United States ; anew and
powerful stimulus would be thus
given to the industry and enter*
prize of this country, and the pe
npd is perhaps not remote when
i4piN States coi>ld ■ g.upply
| all tnat Mexico requires, as cheap
! as can at present be done from
Europe.
To promote these objects may
be deemed criminal by despots,
and by those Who affect to think
rhe Mexican population are un
worthy Ue blessings of freedom
•—biit to those who have been
bom and bted in the land of liber
ty, my views and motives, 1 hope, 1
will be appreciated and support-1
ed.
_ It has been said by some politi
cians that the Mexicans are not
yet sufficiently advanced in civili
zation ; be susceptible of rational
freedom. Alas S how little are
these people known or under
stood. I here is not a people un
der the sun es raore menial apti
tude than the Mexicans. This
homage has been paid to them by
every liberal traveller that has
visited them. But the present
state ci the revolution speaks
more decisively in their favor
Without foreign assistance, with
out scarcely a single musket, and
in fact, with only stones atfd clubs
they began the revolution against
their cruel oppressors They
have at last so far succeeded as to
make the cause of freedom felt
and circulated from the Mexican
gulph to the extremities of Cali
fornia. Organization has suc
ceeded tumult, and a constitution
founded on Republican principles,
has been formed ; and notwith
standing a train of difficulties
more serious and numerous than
ever before a people had to en
counter, they have attained a
strength’ihat insures their eman
cipation from Spain. The final
accomplishment of their indepen
dence may be retarded weeks,
months or years, but the issue h
as certain as the rising of to-mor
row’s sun.
Spain may perhaps be enabled
to keep possession of the city of
Mexico arid some few strong
places for a little while longer,
because the republican forces
have not as yet either trains of
artillery or the means of assault
ing fortified places, but the om
nipotence of Spain over the affec
tions andon the fears of the Mex
ican people, is forever lost.**-
There is not a Creole mother
throughout this vast empire that
does not while nourishing her off
spring, secretly or openly chaunt
to the infant ear the song of liber
ty ; nor is there among six mil
lion of people of all classes and
colors, one hundred thousand*
persons sincerely opposed to the
independence of Mexico. It may
be asked, if this is the fact, why
has not the republican party al
ready fixed the destiny of their
country ? The answer is plain
it is because not yet
been supplied, wuh any muni
the oper
ations of a considerable army.—
c ys ry G tU’d pound
of powder in their possession has
been taken from armed men by
an unarmed multitude. Shut ouc
from all intercourse by sea with
any of the nations of the worlds
and deprived of any trade (until
very either by land or
water, e ven with the U. States, is
it not surprizing that the revolu
tion has not long ere this beea
crushed .? and if it has reached
the pome I have stated, is there
not good ground to believe in its
speedy and eventual triumph
ior the developement of these
facts and my opinions, I am in
debted to the chevalier Onis: for
most surely I should not have in
troduced myself to public notice,
if that cavalier had not marked
me out as a victim to Spanish ven*
geance.
Among the inscrutable opera*
tions of the Deity, it appears he
could not have selected a more
smtaole instrument to promote;
the separation of America from
Spain, than in permitting Ferdi*
nand to re-ascend the Spanish
throne. Every act of this imbe
-he mortal has tended to widen
the breach between his Atnericafi
subjects and the Spanish peninsu
lar ; and if among his other fol
lies he will only persist in his
Quixotic demands on the United
States, it will be the happiest e
vent that ever occurred to Mexico
or South-America.
These demands have excited
in me no wonder, for I recollec;
that when I Was in the Cortes, th
Spanish government then intend*
ed to declare war the U.
States, and was only prevented
from so doivo by an exhausted
treasury, and by subserviency to
the British cabinet, who did not
think it politic, at that time , to
promote the rupture. *
Extraordinary vicissitudes
have taken place sipce that time
among the nations of Europe, St
conformably to the legitimate ar®
rangements at Vienna, every bro
ther monarch is to support the
pretensions of each other, more
especially when such pretensions
accord with the views of the Bri
tish government.
Ihe questions brought for
ward by Spain relating to West-
Uorida, did not originate in the
Cabinet of Ferdinand—-its source
springs from a higher and deeper
authority ; if may be traced to the
councils and policy of Great Bri*
tain. That Spain has ceded her
rights to the Fioridas to Great-
Britain, no doubt exists in my
mind, and that the great maritime
port of Havana may likewise be
required by fc ceded to England,
is highly probable.
.. England in possession of the
Fioridas and the port of Havana,
would hold in her hand the keys
of the commerce of the Mississip
pi and the Mexican Gulph, and
would be ready in case of neces
sity or policy to ; a }r ? the empire
[VoI.L