UTSA James Morgan Papers

Translation

Office of the Private Secty. of the President of the Rep of Mexo. General-in Chief of the Army of Operation

I Antonio Lopez de S.A. [?] do appear by means of this Solemn dockument before the Government ad adterim of the People of Texas for the purpose of making known thereby that, I am resolved to publish to the Civilized world the following Protest

I protest against the violation of the faith engaged in the Agreement made between me and the Government of Texas signed on the 14th May ulto and commenced verbally with the General in Chief of the Army of Texas Samuel Houston and T.J. Rusk Secretary at War, wherein the following is stipulated:

Here follows the Treaty of May 14, 1836.

I Protest 1stly. For having been treated more like an ordinary criminal, than as a prisoner of war, the head of a respectable Nation, even after the agreements were commenced

I Protest 2dly. For the treatment as prisoner of war and ill usage received by the Mexican General Adrian Woll, who had come into the Texian camp with a flag of truce, under the safe guardian word of honor of Genl. Houston and with the consent of the members of the Cabinet.

I Protest in the third place against the

received from General Filisola the answer that he had strictly fulfilled that which had been agreed upon. I repeat that I protest against the President and Cabinets consternation in issuing their orders for that measure, thereby making a show of me before those men as in former times was done with the chiefs of conquered nations considering them as trophies of their victories, with the difference that in my case, a solemn treaty already existed.

Finally I Protest against the violence kept up towards me by being placed in a narrow prison, surrounded with sentinels and suffering all the privations which absolutely render life insupportable or tend to hasten death. And finally for being uncertain in regard to my future fate and that of the other prisoners, not withstanding a Solemn Treaty.

Under these circumstances, I appeal to the Judgement of civilized nations, to the consciences of the Citizens who compose the Cabinet and above all to the Supreme Ruller of the distenies of Mortals, who has placed the existence and happiness of nations on the faith of Treaties and punctual fulfillment of engagements.

God & Liberty 9th June 1836. (Signed) Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

His Exey. President David G. Burnett

[On right margin, from top to bottom] Protest

[Above center fold written upside down] St Annas Protest

Executive Department Valesco 10th June 1836.

To His Excellency The President, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

E. Sir

Your Communication of the 9th inst purporting to be a protest to be published to the civilized world has been presented to me.

The Government of Texas cheerfully recognize to your Excellency the right to make known to the world every grievance and injustice that you may have experienced at their hands.

I admit that this government has been constrained, by the influence of a highly excited popular indignation, to deviate for a season, from the terms of that Article of the treaty, made between this Govern ment and your Excellency which relates to your transportation to Vera Cruz And in making this admission I profess a profound mortification, for it does not belong to the spirit of the Government, to make even a slight devia tion from it's solemn engagements. But the causes that have produced the constraint under which this Government have acted, are not unknown to you and I should regret to believe that you were incapable of giving to them a just appreciation. The Citizens and the Citizen Soldiers of Texas, have felt and do feel, a deep, intense and righteous indignation at the many atrocities which have been perpetrated by the troops lately under your Excellencys command, and especially at the barbarous massacre

"Folded File Page"

Down Right Border is written "Answers to Protests"

In the Middle of Page viewed upside down is written:

President Burnets Reply to St Annas Protest