The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 101

Notes and Documents

comment. It is the plain unvarnished statement of a gallant sailor
repelling with honest indignation a tissue of calumnies circulated
against him in his absence. He has met these calumnies with the
same manly independence and frankness, that he met his country's
foes, and his countrymen we doubt not will return a triumphant
verdict in his favor.
Francis Moore (no relation to E. W. Moore), editor of the
Telegraph and Texas Register, then summarized the situation
from his viewpoint.
Since the return of our national vessels from the coast of Yucatan, a
general desire has been manifested by all parties, to sustain this main
arm of national defense. The friends of the Executive seem to have
laid aside their hostility and evince a most laudible and patriotic
interest for its preservation. All admit that disastrous consequences
would attend the sale of the Navy at this crisis, and all express the most
earnest hope that the President will not dispose of it in accordance
with the provisions of the secret act of Congress. To sell the Navy
at this juncture would be to bind the country "hand and foot"
and place her almost at the mercy of the enemy. The efficiency of
our little Navy has been fully tested during the late cruize. The two
vessels under Commodore Moore were absent only three months,
and within that short period, the whole expedition against Yucatan,
which cost Mexico about five millions of dollars was completely defeat-
ed, and the Mexican government was compelled to sue for peace.
Twice did our two vessels encounter the whole Mexican fleet,
and twice did they compel them to retreat with disgrace. It is
in vain to deny the fact. The Mexican government was so fully
convinced that their fleet was worsted in the first engagement, when
Com. Moore fought his way directly through the fleet into the harbor
of Campeche, that they immediately dispatched orders, to displace
Com. Lopez, and called Com. Marine to the command. In the second
engagement the whole Mexican fleet was driven from its moorings,
and their anchorage ground occupied by our vessels. The propositions
of General Ampudia for permission to evacuate the territory of
Yucatan, were made so immediately after this battle, that it is conclu-
sive proof that he no longer considered his position safe before Cam-
peche. That our fleet induced the Mexican government to send the
propositions for armistice may be inferred from the following facts. On
the 19th of April Com. Moore set sail from the Balize for the coast
of Yucatan. On the loth of April Santa Anna issued a circular declar-
ing that all foreigners in Texas should be "treated as real invaders and
enemies, and punished accordingly." He declared also that "foreign
Consuls in Texas would not be allowed any other rights than those of

101