best excuse and secure him both forgiveness for the past and his country's gratitude. Still, he had but little hope that the father or son, or other insubordinates, could be brought to accept proper discipline.[1]
As Rayon was anxious to procure resources for sustaining his troops, and the merchants in Mexico being on the other hand interested in obtaining a free passage for their merchandise, relations were opened between some of the most prominent and the president. The latter wrote Morelos manifesting his wish that the rich cargo of the China ship lying at Acapulco should be permitted a pass into the interior, as the merchants needed the goods and were willing to pay quite a respectable sum of money. He also consulted the officer who was besieging that town by land on the propriety of acceding to their proposal. Morelos answered in the negative, and the Rey Fernando then went to San Blas where she landed her cargo. Rayon made an arrangement with the marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo, commanding a royalist battalion in Mexico, and whose son, the conde de San Pedro del Álamo, was serving at Valladolid under Trujillo, by which the marqués was allowed to pass into Mexico a large flock of sheep upon paying $20,000, part in clothing and arms for the independent troops and the rest in specie.
Venegas, it has been said, either to render Rayon suspicious in the eyes of his troops or to divert his attention from military operations, or from some other motive, manifested a disposition to enter into negotiations with him. To this effect instructions were given, under solemn guarantees, to a lawyer
- ↑ Rayon wrote Morelos, who answered from Oajaca Dec. 31st, that from Cuautla he had tried to bring the Villagranes to order, and they had replied, 'con pretextos como los demás del Norte,' adding that they all seemed to be acting in accord. Osorno seemed inclined to be obedient, but the others influenced him against subordination, and therefore a heavy hand should be laid on them. He had promised himself to do so at some day; but for the present, 'será ménos malo dejarlos que hagan boruca por su rumbo, instándoles siempre á que llamen la atencion á Máxico miéntras hacemos negocio.' Alaman, Hist. Méj., iii. 351.
