The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 13, July 1909 - April, 1910 Page: 284
341 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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284 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
of his influence to uniting the people in opposition to the govern-
ment. He could not have prevented the Texas revolution if he
had tried, because Santa Anna in 1835 was determined upon meas-
ures to which the Texans would not have submitted; he did not
hasten it because the Mexican troops that precipitated the revolu-
tion were already in the country when he returned from his long
detention in Mexico; what he did do was to prepare the people in
some degree to meet the inevitable, approaching danger. The
clash of arms necessitated the organization of a provisional govern-
ment in T'exas, and by Austin's influence it issued a declaration
on November 7, 1835, in favor of the Mexican constitution of 1824.
Probably loyalty to Mexico not less than expediency for Texas dic-
tated this measure. There is grave doubt whether at that time the
majority of the Texans would have acquiesced in a declaration of
independence, and moreover, many Mexican Republicans were op-
posed to Santa Anna's centralization of the government and a
declaration such as that of November 7 might draw their support
to Texas; if they won, and succeeded in maintaining a republi-
can government, the Texans would be content. During the winter,
however, it became increasingly evident that help was not to be
expected from the Mexican Liberals; the public tone hardened; and
Austin, with William H. Wharton and Branch T. Archer, was
sent to the United States to negotiate a loan and solicit assistance.
At New Orleans he found capitalists unwilling to advance money
unless Texas would declare independence. The declaration of No-
vember 7 had failed to bring Mexican support, and repelled the
Americans. The time had clearly arrived to sever Texas in its
own interest from the Mexican system, and from January, 1836,
until March 2 Austin was one of the most outspoken advocates of
independence.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 13, July 1909 - April, 1910, periodical, 1910; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101051/m1/310/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.