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Show 78 Al'PENUIX TO fJAHT lll. [ No. 14. 1 Chilwalwn, l 'J1h .'lj1ril, 1807 . ON my mnrclting- from Santa Fe, f.;O \'CI'I1\)r Allcncnstc·t· i11 formed me tllat my papers wo11lcl be considered ns a ~ac t·~cl d<' pot until my ani\·al at thi-; pi:lc!', when your ·xcdlenry would examine ond take them into con~idc!'"tioll. \Vflcn they were ·xamincd and taken pos->cssion of, I explain cl witho11t cli!.jjUisc the 11atut·c and contents of ('{lr/i, crmccirittg· that t/wn· only \\ hich had any relation to the object of my t'XlWdition {:ould be interc:..tinp;, :u1el that nwrcly a Cl)py of' tltc chart and transbtion of tltc oflicial papt·rs won lei be taken. You must he conscious, f,ir, th:tl it was in my pow ·t· to have ~ccrctc d or dehtroycd every tl'acc M my vorage and plans previous to nty arrival at Chihuahua, but rc~ tin~~ ~a tisfl c cl th ut no l'upture had tak en plare b tween his catholic m ajesty and the tatcs 1 have the honot· to se n e, which woulcl he a justili catiou fur the ~eizure of nty papers; I pn.: fercd lca vin l; them in statu quo, to usinf!; duplicity, which in hOIIH! degree always iu1pl icatc~ the chamcteJ· of' a rnilitary man. Adtnittin g- the cou ntry which I explored to he contehtcd bctwe<. ·n the two g-o \'CI'Ilmcms, each 11aturallr '' ishin g· to gain so111C .in fornwtion as to its ~cog-raphic.~t sit\wtioll, in ol'<lcr that they ll):ty fortH correct iril as as to '' h,t.t would be th<.'ir m1ltll il l interests, l'uundt'd on justice and the honot· and the dig nity of the natiou in t'onning· the line of dc1uarndion. This was tltc ,icw of the United State:; go' Cl'llllH' Hl lll the t '\ fleclition which I had the honor to command, ~l tHI llle lo:-.s o[ tltt' .~ <:<>g raphical hketchcs tak ·n, mig-ht be the ocra!' liOII of <1 S i ~ pUl :O.IOil Of the ftna\ )inc of litHits, and CO!l!lCCjUCiltly the dcl~1}' o! <I ll <l llliC.. t b)e adj uStHICllt of the IJOW existing uifl'crence!> bel\\ e ~.:n the two g<H ernlllcnts. Your excellency 111ay not have an intention of dt:taining- my papns, which I had 01dy began to h11ppose from your t•etul'l\l ll!j part by lit·uH' IHtllt \Vul k('r, in which case you will please to excuse this in- 1'\tsion; but I n ill add, that if you ha\'c it in view to d<·tain the paver!>, I I'C' (jUC5t you will be pleased to ·xumine them with parti clll:.tr < ,1rc, and ) ou wi ll fitHl thal tlJCJ'e arc le ~tcrs from ~~e ncr,d • iiJ, inson, us " l'Jl •1s his son to me, also froll! the latte r to his {~\tll e l' uncl mother and ot hct·s which arc hy no means of a political nat urc, Ot' at lca!:.t not rcl,ltive to the relations cxitilljj between the ~ovcmmc nt of Spain ,md tllc Cnited States, anu therefore can by uo means b ' APPENDIX TO PART IIL interesting to your excell ency. The hook which contains my clt iu'ts ~lso conta ins pan of the blotte t''l or a voyag t) to the sou rce or tltU Mis..,issippi, which I prcsunH! cannot be inte resti ng to the Sp:.mi:;h gov rn men t. But to concluck, l h ~~\'C only to requ est of you1· excellency to I\ now if it i:-; yotn· intention to clct:.~in my p:1pcrs now in yout· po:-;se'l · sio11; if so, that you nwy cause me to be furllish cd (or suffer me to take ) a copy of tlH·Jll, :1n cl tltatl lll ;\y n.:ccive a certificate from tlll < ln )Our hand, of the number, nattlr ·, &r. or the said papers, aud tho rca•,ons fot· tltcit· seizure and detention, ill onlct· that my ~·ovc rrt mcnl may he enabled to make the proper application to the Spa· ni-;h ro u1t lot· an explallatio n. My reason f() t' applyin~~ to yout· ex_ celltncy so early on thin :;ubj ·ct, js that on the ttiTivul or my men, who a rc ~ till in the rear, I mi ~~ht be pt·cparcd to mar·ch in a slt OI't pe ri od or time, ( for unde1· the present aspe<.:t or afl',\in;) [ feel COilsciotiS th ,ll r i.lll\ as :tn xious to uni ve on the territories of the Uni ted St:.~ tcc;. as } ou t· exce llency must be lot· tne to <1uit the dominion!> of his c.t tholic maj esty. In all cv<·nts. 1 hope you will believe me to be \\'lth the highc'-t sentiments or personal respe ct, Yout· most obedient Se1·vnnt, (Sip;ncd) z. M. l'na:. 1 fis exrc• ll cnry, brigad iet· g ·ncral Don Nirn sio Salcedo, command ~ llli'"-II"Cncral or the interior I1rovinc:c of the kino·dom or New ~ ,., ,., Spain . [ No. 15. 'l'H,\N ~ LATIO N. 0 F tlw papers cotmcct cd with the expedition, which by order:; or the Unit<:d States grnc l'lllll e lll, you have ll!Hc!c flOlllthe St. Louis or the I llilloi s, llllt() the scttlt:nt<..nts or Nc;w 1\lt..:xico, antl which }Oll yout st:ll' * separated fromtlto~e which you llrolq; ht here aucl put into my 11-.nds the clay youarri\'ed in th i:; town. There h:\s lle<.:ll fiJrmed au inventol'y aud cctti!i catc re sp t.:c tin t~ cads ot'tltetll acwmpanyi11g it to you, nud deposited itt the otlicc, the 17th cutTClll1 {(Jr the purpo!>c • Sec n1y account of rJu: sci1urc of my p.1pcrs, ·~pril I :.t, 1 80~ |