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TEXAN GRIEVANCES, 171% 
nions to be sacrificed? Then, after having 
abandoned the Mexicans, or betrayed them to 
‘their enemy—for such an act would have 
been accounted treachery—where would they 
have gone? They could not then have con- 
tinued on into Mexico; and to have returned 
to the United States with their merchandise, 
would have been the ruin of most of them. 
The inhuman outrages suffered by those 
who were captured in New Mexico in 1841, 
among whom were many of the present 
party, have been pleaded in justification of 
this second Texan expedition. When we 
take their grievances into consideration, we 
must admit that they palliate, and indeed jus- 
tify almost any species of revenge consistent 
with the laws of Nature and of nations: yet 
whether, under the existing circumstances, 
this invasion of the Prairies was proper or 
otherwise, I will leave for others to determine, 
as there seems to be a difference of opinion 
on the subject. The following considerations, 
however, will go to demonstrate the unpro- 
pitious consequences which are apt to result 
from a system of indiscriminate revenge. 
The unfortunate Chavez (whose murder, I 
suppose, was perpetrated under pretext of the 
cruelties suffered by the Texans, in the name 
of whom the party of M’Daniel was o 
ized) was of the most wealthy and influential 
family of New Mexico, and one that was any- 
thing but friendly to the ruling governor, 
Gen. Armijo. Don Mariano Chavez, a brother 
to the deceased, is a gentleman of very amia- 
