The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 182
438 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
The aggressive leaders of secession, on the other hand, carried
everything before them. The whole movement seems to have been
much more spontaneous than has generally been believed. At
many mass meetings immediately after Lincoln's election such a
convention as the address provided for had been advocated. In
some instances action was taken for the election of delegates to a
convention of the people even before the address was issued. At
a mass meeting in Brazoria County, November 17, 1860, the chief
justice was requested to order an election on December 3 for dele-
gates to a state convention. On that date John A. Wharton was
elected and represented the county in the secession convention.
On November 24, the chief justice of Harrison County was di-
rected by the citizens in mass meeting to order an election the
fourth Monday in December for delegates to a general state con-
vention. The delegates then elected became members of the con-
vention. Some other counties held their elections for delegates be-
fore the appointed time, as Robertson, December 15; Tyler, De-
cember 22; Austin, December 22; Cameron, January 7." So far
as the certificates of elections show, only four counties, Jefferson,
Orange, Anderson, and Trinity gave no returns.
The Eighth Legislature, at the call of Governor Houston, con-
vened in extra session on January 21. The Governor's message,
after reviewing at some length the Indian troubles and the em-
barrassed condition of the treasury, was devoted to the relations of
Texas with the federal government. He deplored the fact that an
aggressive sectional party, hostile to Southern institutions, had
gained control of the general government, and he said that two
alternatives now faced the people-either to abandon the federal
government, which would be tantamount to acknowledging the Con-
stitution a failure, or to maintain while in the Union every con-
stitutional right. He advised the latter, for, ro far, the grievances
had originated with the states and not with the federal govern-
ment. He advised against hasty and unconcerted action and
against immediate separation before having stated grievances and
demanded redress; and he could see in the election of Lincoln no
cause for immediate and separate secession. He also declared that
he believed the time had come when the Southern states should
"According to the certificates of election, Journal of Secession Conven-
tion of Texas, 409-452.182
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915, periodical, 1915; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101064/m1/188/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.