John Taylor to Mirabeau Lamar, July 28, 1840

Summary: Taylor wrote to Lamar asking him to clear up a misunderstanding concerning his black servants. The British government filed a protest against him in Barbados and seized his slaves because they believed he was trying to export them to Texas. Although Taylor claimed his servants were freemen, the British interpreted Texas law as stating that any blacks brought into Texas after a certain date were automatically slaves. Taylor asked Lamar to clear up this misinterpretation and get his servants back from the British.

BARBADOS July 28th 1840.

SIR,

I take the liberty of calling your attention to certain matters which were brought under your notice in the early part of the present year

by the Governor of this Island through Captain Hamilton under a commission from the British Government, respecting some coloured servants who arrived in Texas on the 6th December 1835, and whose indentures were disposed of by me to certain gentlemen of Texas in May 1836. I consider it unnecessary to enter into details, as you have, no doubt informed yourself fully of this transaction before to day. I have become the victim of a prosecution which has been instituted against me "for transferring these persons at Texas in order to their being dealt with as Slaves." It appears that the foundation of this charge is the fact that these transfers bear a later date than the Declaration of Independence of Texas, and the presumption that this Declaration had made slaves of ALL coloured persons in Texas at that time held by Indenture, and farther substantiated by Mr. Joseph Grigsby's deposition to the effect that "that these coloured people were introduced to Texas as free persons, but under the New Constitution of 1836 they become Slaves," I was myself under the same false impression from the time of the Congress in October 1836 until I saw the Law respecting coloured persons dated June 1837. I trust that you will at once see, and be willing to put down this mistake in the meaning and intention of the Declaration of Independence, the consequences of which are equally unjust to the good fame of the Republic, as they are oppressive to me. I trust Sir that you will never allow this blot to attach itself to the reputation of the country, over which you at present preside, that you will feel the propriety of adopting such measures as may be necessary to wipe off from it the stigma which this incorrect interpretation of a fundamental part of your Constitution seems likely to affix to it. If not so, I would urge it on your consideration, that by this affair Texas has been brought into a friendly contact with the English Government in a manner which has occasioned her to appear to much advantage, and in which there has been throughout no other than the most honorable proceeding, and which although they are now made to appear otherwise by the misinterpretation of your laws, yet it is in your own power to rectify this error in the fullest manner, and by so doing not only relieve an Innocent individual from misery and ignominy, but also bring forward to the English Government in the most favorable light the just enactment of your Republic.

If on these or any other considerations, you feel disposed to exercise your powers in the rectifying of this mistake, I would take the liberty of suggesting, that you do issue a commission of enquiry into this affair [whether these persons] (whose names I annex) were at any time during their stay in Texas, held 'de jure' or 'de facto' for or as slaves or were so entered and recorded, and also that you make or cause to be made on the part of Texas, a Declaration or Protest, against this erroneous acceptation of your Constitutional enact-

ments, and forward it together with report of your commissioner, to the Right Honorable Lord John Russell, Her Brittanic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, at the Colonial Office, Downing Street London:--under whose notice this affair is at present lying:--and also, (if I may be pardoned the boldness of the request) that you will furnish my agent in London, with a similar Document or a certified copy, to the direction attached hereto, to whom also any other communication relative to this affair may be forwarded.

In thus addressing you on this subject, I must be allowed to claim the privilege of necessity, and hope that you will be pleased to admit this plea for what may otherwise appear improper or presuming, and, I have the honor to be

(In, dependence on your favor)

Most humbly and respectfully

Your Obt. Servt.

JOHN TAYLOR

To

His Excellency

M.B. LAMAR.

The following are the names of the colored persons who are mentioned in the Indictment---

April Sashly, transferred to Judge William Hardin.

William Gunsil, do to William Moore.

Edward Whittaker do to Ditto

Henry Small, left by me with Joseph Grigsby Esquire

Samuel Redman do with Ditto.

William Thomas left by Mr Jones with Ditto.

The following is the address of my agent in London--

William Barron Esqr.

4--Upper Charles Street

Westminster--London.

Source Copy Consulted: John Taylor to Mirabeau Lamar, July 28, 1840, George Garrison, ed., Diplomatic Correspondence of the Republic of Texas, Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1908, (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1911), 3 vols., 3: 900-902