The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907 Page: 89
ix, 354 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Land Speculation as a Cause of the Texas Revolution. 89
After the dispersion of the legislature and the arrest
of the governor by the federal troops, the political chief,
J. B. Miller, called for volunteers to march to the latter's relief.
His proclomation was received in Columbia June 23, and the
citizens immediately met to consider it. A writer in The Texas
Republican of June 27, said concerning this meeting that however
much the citizens might differ on some points they all agreed upon
the necessity for union and organization. "One act of the late
governor and congress," he continues, "is highly obnoxious, . .
the selling of the public land. This shameful bartering
calls . . . for the indignation of every patriotic citizen. If
the purchasers could be induced to abrogate that sale, it would be
like 'pouring oil upon the troubled waters;' it would secure union,
organization, and success. But perhaps this would be asking too
much of poor, blind human nature, and perhaps they are yet des-
tined to experience the fate of the boy, who in attempting to take
preserves from the jar grasped so many that he could not extract
his hand. After all, I fear (if dissension is to rise amongst us)
that this will be the rock upon which we will split." The writer,
however, was of the opinion that the measures of the general gov-
ernment had been rather rigorous and were probably actuated by
some motive other than the simple desire to quash the speculations.
In any event, he thought that nothing could be lost by "union and
organization."
This extract suggests the attitude of most Texans who were not
entirely indifferent. General Cos had explained that the march of
troops to Monclova was for the purpose of settling the quarrel be-
tween that place and Saltillo concerning the location of the govern-
ment, and of stopping the squandering of the public lands. The
law of March 14, he said, was passed by the Federalists-without,
he erroneously declared, subjecting the sale of the four hundred
leagues to the general laws-with the object of pleasing the col-
onists of Texas and securing their support against the Centralists.'
The comparatively small war party saw in this avowal merely a
pretext to cover the real object of furthering Santa Anna's plan
of Centralism, but most of the colonists took it in good faith and
1Written by Cos from Matamoras in May, 1835. A clipping with no
date from The Texas Republican, in the Austin Papers.
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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/m1/97/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.