ing that immense desert, the largest pairt of it sand, another
large portion mud, ungrateful and ulproductive in almost all the
places where there is Wot, aorhas been, asettlementof any consideration,
and where,tle thatdi4 t beforethe devastation, rendered
the scanty -idaibitants rdlty diishable from the
wandering tribes.i When I see tiat it has bbtt oposed to recognize
such a nation as independent, in the senate of. the United
States, . am inclined to eieve that they were not ppekiUng
seriously, pr that they had ultejior views, because Texas eihlr
has nor will have for a.ongtine, theelements necessary to constitutc
it. a state wuder the federal ystem, or a department or
regular province under the present poiitical[sytem of our republie.
To have the illusion, that tbiscun try isa-ew El Dorado,as
romantic or interested peopleat a distance have wished to judge
it, will be again falling into great faults attended with sldonsequences,
A neighboring nation may covet tlfs territery,i-which
will be a garden in coarpanon to another soil more unproductive;
but it can gever be said in good faiththat Texas posees all the
elements which are rquired toi consitute a nation, separated
from all other g4venpeat o the universe.-Th ismy opinion;
but I do not tbinl t4 iu every official commuaicai.a I am
obliged to lay down princil togpve definitions or i ie a patriotic
grammar or dictionary, and there is much letsine for it
on the field of battle or on the march, and general F. V. Fernandez
will perhaps he convinced by the present explanation,
ithat I have not endangered, and much less injured our republic,
'by using in my offiil ote to said geaeral, theord government,
with respect to the colias,of Texas, as i ponjured by
the.government in the des:patch of 15th May.fl the minister
ot' war, whea he used the term general to the ring-leader Houston.
Without doubt, sir, it is greater shame to occupy ourselves
about words whej we ought in preferece to view thi4gs asthey
are in reality. ,
Let ussee now, your Excellency, if the services rch i r.
Urrea attributes to himself to my prejudice and to that of my
oiher companions of the army, also the charges which flqw
against me from his secret iaformation dated May lllhb, ve
;more foundation than the foaeer.
First: Tikt he covered the rear of the army, that be saved
the artillery .
