I helped him in some of his
young efforts. The splendid hacienda that he has near Vera Cruz was
bought partly with money that I furnished.
"But our friendship could not last. Vain, ruthless, cruel, but with
genius, Santa Anna can have no friends except those whom he may use.
Unless you submit, unless you do everything that he wishes, you are, in
his opinion, a traitor to him, a malefactor and an enemy, to be crushed
by trickery or force, by fair means or foul. How could I have continued
dealings with such a man?
"I soon saw that instead of being Mexico's best friend he was her worst
enemy. I drew away in time, but barely. I was in Mexico when the break
came, and he would have seized and imprisoned me or had me shot, but I
escaped in disguise.
"I retained, too, a hold upon Santa Anna that he has sought in vain to
break. Such a man as he always needs money, not a few thousands, but
great sums. He has been thrifty. The treasury of Mexico has been
practically at his mercy, but he does not trust the banks of his own
land. He has money not only in the foreign banks of Mexico, but also
large amounts of it in two of the great banks of London. The English
deposits stand as security for the heavy sums that he owes me.
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