The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 13, July 1909 - April, 1910 Page: 274
341 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
vested constitutional rights, which such a change involved; and that
a consultation would enable them to answer the question with
calmness and deliberation. While Santa Anna had repeatedly
called himself the friend of the Texans and promised to use his
influence to secure for them in the new constitution "a special or-
ganization suited to their education, habits, and situation," Austin
plainly put little faith in his promise. He closed his speech with
these words:
My friends, I can truely say that no one has been, or now is more
anxious than myself to keep trouble away from this country, no
one has been or now is more faithful to his duty as a Mexican citi-
zen, and no one has personally sacrificed or suffered more to dis-
charge this duty. I have uniformly opposed having anything to
do with the family political quarrels of the Mexicans. Texas needs
peace and a local Government; its inhabitants are farmers, they
need a calm and quiet life. But . . . the crisis is certainly
such as to bring it home to the judgement of every man that some-
thing must be done and that without delay. . . . Let all per-
sonalities, or divisions, or excitements, or passions, or violence be
banished from among us. Let a general Consultation of the peo-
ple of Texas be convened as speedily as possible, to be composed of
the best, the most calm, and intelligent, and firm men in the coun-
try, and let them decide what representations ought to be made to
the general government, and what ought to be done in the future.'
Four days later (September 12) Austin presided over a meeting
at San Felipe which endorsed the consultation and elected him a
member of the local committee of vigilance and correspondence.2
Thereafter he was the recognized head of Texas, hearing reports,
answering questions, offering suggestions, and even issuing orders
that were obeyed He turned first to the task of ensuring the
consultation, and a circular letter of September 13 shows that he
interpreted the meaning of the word literally-the delegates were
to consult and recommend measures for the definitive action of a
subsequent convention. Measures advised by such a meeting would
"carry with them the weight of being the voice of all Texas instead
of the opinion of a few," and could not fail "to produce unanimity
tThe Texas Republican, September 19, 1835. The speech may also be
read in Foote, Texas and the Texans, II, 60-65.
'The Texas Republican, September 19, 1835.274
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 13, July 1909 - April, 1910, periodical, 1910; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101051/m1/300/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.