The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 14, July 1910 - April, 1911 Page: 70

Texas Historical Association Quarterly.

and fame, and the perpetual record on the Journals, handing down
to future generations the story of his disgrace, were doubtless re-
garded by the framers of all republican constitutions, as the bitter-
est portions, if not the very essence of that punishment. So far
therefore, as some of their most material parts are concerned, the
passage, recording, and promulgation of the resolutions, are an
attempt to bring them on the Governor unauthorised by the organic
law, and all Republican principles. The influence of such pro-
ceedings on the other Departments of the Government, and more
especially on the part of the military, could not fail to be exten-
sively pernicious by producing disorganization and conflict. When
the Council, who in this case set themselves up as judges in the last
resort, for official misconduct, so wantonly and arbitrarily over-
leap the bounds of their authority, as prescribed by the organic
law; what general disregard of its provisions might not their
example be expected to produce? And who does not perceive that
such an outrage and contempt for the Executive Department, by
one of the coordinate branches, would hold out the strongest temp-
tation to resistance on the part of the other dignitaries, whenever
they shall suppose their rights were invaded? Thus all the inde-
pendent Departments of the Government, and even the different
Jurisdictions, instead of attending to their appropriate duties, and
leaving those who may offend to be reclaimed or punished in the
manner pointed out by law, would fall to mutual crimination and
recrimination, and give to the people confusion and anarchy, in-
stead of order and law; until at length some form of aristocratic
power would be established on the ruins of the constitution, or
the Government broken into separate communities. Far be it from
me that any act of mine should in the most distant way, in the
slightest degree tend to encourage any such result. It is not only
the motives and designs, but the evil tendency of their acts of
which it is my duty to speak. It is, if possible, to make coun-
selors themselves sensible of the danger which lurks under the
precedent set in their resolutions; and at any rate to perform my
duty, as the responsible head of one of the coequal Departments of
the Government, that I have been compelled to point out the con-
sequences to which the discussion, passage and promulgation of
the resolutions may lead, if the tendency of the measure be not
checked in its inception.