The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 70, July 1966 - April, 1967 Page: 425

The Publication of Austin's Louisville Address

majority of the delegates belonged to Austin's "peace party,"
which advocated armed opposition to Santa Anna, but favored
remaining in the Mexican state if the Mexican Federalists (lib-
erals) would join in restoring the liberal constitution of 1824.
Austin was not present at the Consultation since he was in active
command of the Texas volunteers who were fighting against
Santa Anna's forces near San Antonio. The other delegates,
headed by John A. Wharton,3 favored the "war party," which
demanded immediate independence from Mexico without legal
technicalities or negotiations for reform within the Mexican
government. Wharton was a young Tennessean who had prac-
ticed law in Nashville and New Orleans before coming to Texas
in 1833. The chairman of the Consultation was Dr. Branch T.
Archer,4 physician and experienced politician from Virginia,
who strongly favored independence but who presided so fairly
over the divided assembly that both sides were served. The all
important resolution was indefinite and capable of different in-
terpretations. The Declaration of November 7 was, on the one
hand, a decision to remain within the Mexican nation and, on
the other, a threat to protect the rights of the Texas people by
force of arms if necessary and to declare immediate independence
from Mexico if that government did not preserve the Consti-
tution of 1824.
The Consultation set up a provisional government to func-
tion as a separate Mexican state (not united with Coahuila, as
formerly) and under its hastily devised powers named three com-
missioners to proceed at once to the United States to raise "men,
money and means" to defeat Santa Anna's forces and drive them
out of Texas. The commissioners were Austin, Archer, and Wil-
liam H. Wharton,5 the older brother of John Wharton. William
was an able lawyer who had left a career in Tennessee politics
to come to Texas in 1827. He was so strong an advocate of inde-
pendence that he at first declined the appointment as commis-
sioner because of the ambiguous terms of the Declaration of
November 7, insisting that any position short of absolute inde-
"lbid., II, 888-889.
4Ibid., I, 63-
5Ibid., II, 889-89o.

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