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denas and his suite a public dinner as a manifestation of the local sentiment in favor of those engaged in "the holy cause of liberty." Many of those attending the meeting were merchants whose business was suffering from the re-establishment of Centralist control in the north Mexican states and the elimination of the French blockade. A committee composed of J. J. H. Gramment, H. J. Moore, J. T. O'Reilly, merchant, and Captain John T. Price, from the Federal army, was appointed to officially welcome and to extend to "His Excellency" the freedom of the city and to invite him and his staff to a public dinner at a time most convenient to the refugees.[83] The dinner was apparently scheduled for the 9th, but was later postponed a day "for the purpose of receiving further expected intelligence." On the 8th Canales was reported to be at Béxar and was expected to reach Victoria on the 10th.[84] It seems likely that the hope of having Canales also present at the dinner was the principal cause for its postponement. In the meantime, Cárdenas addressed a letter on the 8th to Lamar, "President of the Republic of Texas," requesting asylum, peace, commercial relations, and aid from the Texas government in the resumption of the Federalist war against Mexico.[85] He informed Lamar that he presumably in December 1839. If any such agreement was made, it must have been in March or April 1840, but it certainly was not made with any authorized agent of the Texas government. Young gives the terms of the treaty as follows: The President of the Republic of the Río Grande pledges himself to declare and establish the Federal Constitution of 1824, as soon as he shall have established his headquarters within the territory claimed by the said Republic.In fulfillment of this treaty, Young declares that a volunteer force was raised at Béxar and marched under Colonel Jordan to join the Federal army. No formal treaty was ever made by the Texan government with the Federalists. See Winkler (ed.), Secret Journals of the Senate: Republic of Texas, 1836-1845. 83. Account of the Reception given to the Leaders of the New Government of the Río Grande by the Citizens of Victoria, April 13 [sic], 1840, in Telegraph and Texas Register, April 29, 1840; J. J. H. Gramment and Others to Jesús Cárdenas, President of the Federal Government, of the Frontier of the Río del Norte, and Officers of the same, Victoria, April 8, 1840, in ibid.; Jesús Cárdenas to J. J. H. Gramment and Others, [April 8, 1840], in ibid. 84. R. B. T. to the Editor of the Colorado Gazette, Victoria, April 8, 1840, in Colorado Gazette and Advertiser, April 18, 1840. 85. Jesús Cárdenas to M. B. Lamar, Villa de Victoria, April 8, 1840, in Lamar |