The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911 Page: 51
348 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reminiscences of Henry Smith.
and they from a natural predisposition were easily corrupted1.
Whether they had received a bribe in money or vain promises I
am not advised, but that they had become basely corrupt I have no
doubt, for I had many and strong proofs of the fact It is not
necessary to say here what their objects were. I could allways
anticipate and often defeated them, before they were matured.
They had now concentrated their strong forces about the Council,
the business [being] all done by the lobby members, exceptions
taken by me amounted to nothing, the power was concentrated
against me and my office was but nominal. They were attempt-
ing to swindle the Government out of two or three hundred thou-
sand dollars by false commissions, with many other base and un-
reasonable acts. They were determined to have controll of the
army and passed an ordina[n]ce confering unlimited power on
one individual as a general army agent and commissioned another
to the command. The general agent was to have also the control
of the Navy and in fact, of the whole Government. I well knew
as an officer I would be screened from censure by taking honest
exceptions to these measures, but I was as well assured that I
would be over ruled, and the country situated as it then was, would
be greatly injured. I therefore determined to strike at the root
of all the evil at once, and either dissolve the Council, or paralize
them until the convention would meet. I was influenced to this,
from the most pure and patriotic motives, as I had no interests to
subserve other than what I deemed to be, the true interests of
the country. Their conduct had been bad, and could not be jus-
tified or paliated, and I accordingly sent them one of the most
severe and cutting communications that was perhaps, ever ad-
dressed to a deliberative body. This communication was put under
a sealed envelope and addressed to a secret session, with a polite
note to their president informing him that the enveloped commu-
nication was intended for a secret session, and to call one for that
purpose. I am proud however to say, that there were but three
1In connection with the following remarks about the General Council
should be read W. Roy Smith, "The Quarrel between Governor Smith
and the Provisional Government of the Republic," in THE QUARTERLY,
V, 269-346; land Brown, Life and Times of Henry Smith.
Dated January 9, 1836, and printed in Journal of the Proceedings of
the General Council, etc., 290-293.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911, periodical, 1911; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101054/m1/59/?rotate=90: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.