The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911 Page: 156

156

Texas Historical Association Quarterly.

to be the most propitious time that could have been chosen,-as
there are many persons yet living among us, from whom informa-
tion of the greatest value for your purpose may now be derived
and whom a few years of the ordinary course of Nature may re-
move beyond the reach of enquiry. I may add, too, in support of
your undertaking an assurance I feel of the interest its successful
execution can not fail to excite in all minds that have a relish for
the achievements of enterprise and a turn to contemplate with
curiosity and pleasure the rude beginnings of infant settlements-
their progressive improvements, and final advance to the condi-
tion of States.
As you are no doubt well informed of the circumstances which
called the subject of the Life you are writing to the City of Mex-
ico, with his long stay there, on the business of his mission-its
unsuccessful termination, and the cause of his subsequent arrest
at Saltillo, on his way home, it will be unnecessary for me to go
into any detail of these particulars--my purpose being merely to
give you in this account what I know of the treatment he received,
from the time of his arrest at Saltillo up to the time of his final
release in Mexico.
As he informed me, on the occasion of his arrest, which I think
took place some time in Jany' 1834, he was unable to learn from
any source whatever, the particular cause which had led to so
unexpected a procedure and was consequently left to conjecture
merely what it might be. The officer, who came to take custody
of his person, could only inform him that he was acting in obedi-
ence to the orders of the Vice President, Farias, then Acting
President of the Republic, which, as he said, were to conduct him
back to Mexico and deliver him over to the authorities there.
This was accordingly done after a journey of some twenty-five
days, over a distance of about 700 miles, passing somewhat out of
the direct way to Mexico.
On his arrival there,2 he was taken to the famous prison of the
Exinquisition, in front of which he sat upon his horse for some time,
tune to complete either; but as a monument to his patriotic efforts he
bequeathed to posterity the large collection of historical manuscripts, now
known as the Lamar Papers, of which this letter forms a part.
'January 3, 1834.
2February 13, 1834.