The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 40, July 1936 - April, 1937 Page: 291

The First Constitution of Texas, April 17, 1818

roots which appeared in Texas as early as 1808.6 They prove that
after the Casas fiasco the rebel party remained constant in Texas
until August, 1813, even of sufficient strength to menace Governor
Salcedo to the degree that he spoke of his administration of Texas
as a "grievous task."' Documentary truths liberate the Guti6rrez-
Magee expedition of 1812-1813 from the stigma of being solely
a filibustering enterprise. It was a renewal of the revolution by
Texas republicans, who accepted the aid of Gutierrez and Magee
with the avowed purpose of freeing Texas of Spanish rule, of
uniting with their compatriots in the other provinces of New
Spain in securing independence, and of transforming the colony
of New Spain into the Mexican nation.s
Texas' first constitution was the farce of this revolution. Its
value lies in the fact that it was destructive to Texas liberty, even
a disappointment to men of importance in United States politics.
Except this constitution, all the documents and literature of the
struggle during the years of 1812-1813 were grounded in the
doctrines of the American and French revolutions. Revolutionary
literature was more than a shimmer of words in Texas. The trick
that revived the revolution in August of 1812 was a campaign
of propaganda true to the revolutionary philosophy, which was
directed from the Louisiana frontier to Texas republicans. The
'Manuel Salcedo to Nemesio Salcedo, B6xar, November 21, 1810, in His-
toria Operaciones de Guerra, Salcedo Manuel, 1810-1818, 11-15, Archivo
General de la Naci6n, transcript Bancroft Library (hereafter Archivo
General de la Naci6n cited as A. G. N.; Bancroft Library cited as B. L.).
Nemesio Salcedo to Viceroy, Chihuahua, February 27, 1811, Historia Op-
eraoiones de Guerra, Salcedo, Nemesio y Bonavia, Bernardo, 1810-1812,
MS., doc. 88, A. G. N. John Sibley to General Henry Dearborn, Secre-
tary of War, Natchitoches, August 7, 1808, September 7, 1808, MSS., Old
Records Division, The Adjutant General's Office, Department of War (here-
after cited as MS., War Dept.); Sibley to William Eustis, Secretary of
War, November 30, 1810, February 9, 1911, MSS., War Dept.
'M. Salcedo to Commandant-General Mapimi, August 14, 1811, Oper-
aciones; Salcedo, 66,68, A. G. N., transcript B. L. Sibley to Eustis, July
17, 1811, December 31, 1811, June (?), 1812, MSS., War Dept.
8Jos Bernardo Guti6rrez to John Graham, Natchitoches, March 23,
April 28, 1812, Mewico, Filibustering Empeditions against the Government
of Spain, 1811-1816, MSS., State Department; William Shaler to James
Monroe, Secretary of State, Natchitoches, May 7, 22, 1812, special Agents,
William Shaler, 1810, II, State Dept. (this is a volume of manuscripts
consisting of all Shaler's correspondence to the Secretary of State from
New Orleans and Natchitoches) (hereafter cited as Shaler to Monroe,
MS., State Dept.); M. Salcedo to Viceroy, B~xar, March 10, 1812,
Operaciones; Salcedo, 27-29; Despallier to Captain of the First Company,
1st D. of Nacogdoches, Natchitoches, June 1, 1812, Operaciones; Saledo,
101-102.

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