The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907 Page: 92
ix, 354 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
against the Mexicans." This is in agreement with a letter from
Travis to Andrew Briscoe, July 6. He says: "The 400 League
Purchase and the authors of it will, I think, sink into insignif-
icance. Public indignation is properly kindled against them."2
Stung by the direct attacks upon himself, Williams published a
statement, July 20, explaining his attitude in the matter of the
speculation. He had no agency, he declared, in the passage of the
law of March 14, which seemed to arouse the greatest indignation;
there was no trickery about it, anyway. The treasury had not
a dollar in it, and a speedy sale of some of the vacant land prom-
ised the quickest relief; "precedent had been given by the previous
legislature in decreeing the alienation of 400 leagues of public
lands, and as the land had been disposed of and no opposition made
to it by the General Government or by those most interested, the
people of Texas," the expedient was resorted to again, though "it
was generally esteemed to be impolitic." "General John T. Ma-
son," he continued, "purchased last year, in the month of May or
June 300 leagues, and no excitement was, or even has been created
by that sale. As an individual I could not conceive that what was
tolerated by the people of Texas in General Mason could in me be
criminal, . . . and although I anticipated realizing a good
profit on my investment, I never did intend that the holding of it
should ever interfere with the improvement and advancement of
the country."8
By the middle of August most of the Texans who thought about
the matter at all had concluded that Santa Anna had other designs
than the punishment of the land speculators in Texas, and greater
unanimity was soon manifested in their call for a consultation.4
And with the actual invasion of Texas and the meeting of the
consultation the question passed into a new stage.
4. The Abrogation of the Questionable Grants.
A central executive committee called the "permanent council"
was organized at San Felipe October 11, and on Sunday, the 18th,
1Gritten to Cos, July 11, 1835. Bexar Archives.
'Brown, Life of Henry Smith, 60.
"The Texas Republican, July 25, 1835.
'Resolutions of the jurisdiction of San Jacinto, August 8, 1830, in the
Texas Republican, September 19, 1835; address to the committee of Co-
lumbia, August 15, in The Texas Republican, August 22 and 29, 1835.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907, periodical, 1907; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101040/m1/100/?rotate=90: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.