Look some of those interested in the topic of this thread just aren't getting what is being explained, while some on the other hand are. For the most part those who are not getting it simply don't want to as these folks will never entertain anything outside of their own personal romances. So for the purpose of adding a little more clarity for those who are getting it let me explain some more of those complications and circumstances that existed in the association's move to Galveston Island.
South America and Mexico were both Spanish territories under revolt by various “recognized rebel forms of governments” Without this the move to Galveston Island could have never worked and here's why. This all goes back to the questionable letters of marque that those doing business at Galveston Island often produced, for without these letters of marque the operations at Galveston Island could not have been undertaken by any other means then straight out piracy. However, with these questionable letters of marque this Galveston enterprise was at least operating under a very gray and uncertain veil. This is another reason for that April 15[SUP]th[/SUP], 1817 meeting in which things were reorganized, new officers named, and minutes kept.
You see it worked like this, in order to issue legal letters of marque the issuer had to be commissioned by “a recognized form of government” rebel or otherwise. In other words, and using Mexico as example, if “the republic of Mexico had a dozen recognized rebel forms of government” then any one of them could legally issue letters of marque, this being the exact reason why the interest at Galveston Island immediately set out to make contact with these different entities. It didn't matter, and actually even served their purposes better, that these loosely formed entities were constantly seeing changes in their leadership, or even entire reorganizations. This existing element only adding to the confusion and uncertainty whenever an alleged letter of marque was brought into scrutiny, at the better for the privateers as long as it prevented the authorities from being able to pass certain judgment, which it did.
Also, operating in this gray provided them the option of forming their own island form of Government that they could in turn claim to be an extension of those recognized rebel governments, which in turn allowed them to form their own admiralty court so that all of the contraband entering their port could be determined to be legal plunder. Once this was in place these privateers could then take their plunder into US ports and sell it legally, even if they had to pay taxes as they were getting their merchandise free and could still sell their merchandise a lot cheaper then their competitors who had to buy their products. Also, while they still dealt in slaves and other merchandise, just like always, they did make a concerted effort to start targeting vessels carrying spice and hard currency, which they succeeded in doing. (And no, none of this is from the memoirs, it's all from documented sources.)
So this is what I'm talking about when I reference the complicated nature of this beast, the many different interest involved creating a pool of different opportunities and schemes that were being acted upon by these, “opportunist”, one opportunity leading to another and a lot of required tolerance in between.
Now here's something else you may find interesting as it echoes the statements made in the Beale narration, banks were not trusted and were never used, the cash assets of this enterprise always being maintained in account with associate merchants and associate business people. It was only later that bank notes were finally accepted but these were only accepted at certain sales that contained third party merchandise and these banks notes then transferred to these same “associates” just as with the cash. At Galveston Island all merchandise was passed through their admiralty court and a certain portion of it unloaded there and taken to markets by overland routes, other merchandise remained on the ship so it could be transported to its intended destinations, some of these destinations even being along the east coast, including places like Charleston, Norfolk, and even New York, Philly, ect.
This was a huge enterprise, indeed, Galveston Island at the very heart of it all.
So tell us, can you prove that Laflin didn't write the Memoirs of Jean Lafitte or those other diaries that he sold?
It ain't easy or quick but it is required a great deal of the time if you want to try to remain as accurate as possible.
