from Southampton on board the brig Spring[1] accompanied by his wife and two younger sons, padres Lopez and Treviño, Malo, and Beneski, a Pole, who had served under Iturbide in Mexico and now followed him as his aide-de-camp. On the 14th of July the vessel came to anchor off the bar at Soto la Marina.
The Mexican liberator's days were now numbered and few in count. Beneski was sent ashore to gain information about the later occurrences in Mexico, and presented himself to Garza, who was still comandante at Soto la Marina. Provided with a letter from Padre Treviño, he represented himself as having come with a companion as the agent of commercial houses in London, to propose to the government a plan for the establishment of an English colony, and having received permission to land, and a written answer to Trevino's communication, he returned on board.[2] Beneski's report of his reception by Garza was so favorable that on the following day Iturbide landed with the intention of visiting him in person. He was accompanied only by Beneski, and arrived a little before sunset at the
- ↑ Commanded by Jacob Quelch, the same captain who had conveyed Iturbide to Leghorn. Malo, Apunt. Hist., 35. Before his departure he addressed a letter to the English minister, Canning, which is somewhat in contradiction to that sent to the congress. He therein states that he went with the object of consolidating a government which would render his country happy, and that be had received frequent invitations to return to Mexico. 'He sido llamado de diversos puntos repetidamente, y no puedo hacerme sordo por mas tiempo.' At the same time he asserts that he does not go to seek an empire. One of his first cares would be to promote friendly relations with Great Britain. Manifesto, 136-7.
- ↑ Beneski in his narrative pp. 4-7 states that at the interview Garza expressed great regard for Iturbide, and assured him that if the ex-emperor should ever return to Mexico he might rely upon his assistance; that in 15 days he could place himself at the head of 2,000 cavalry, with ten pieces of ordnance, and that every confidence could be reposed in the troops. He further states that Garza gave him a letter for Iturbide whom he supposed to be in London imploring him 'to hasten from London to save Mexico, his country, from ruin and devastation.' The statement with regard to the letter is disproved by the evidence of Padre Treviño and Malo, Bustamante, Garza Vindicado, 74-5, and the latter only makes mention in his narrative of the one to Treviño. He conjectures, however, that Garza, suspecting who was on board, hoodwinked Beneski by protestations of adherence to Iturbide, and thus obtained the secret from him. Nevertheless, the note to Treviño expressed both the wishes and offers of Garza as told by Beneski, and Bustamante's vindication of Garza is virtually without point. Apunt. Hist., 37-8.
