The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921 Page: 12
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The Southwestern. Historical Quarterly
more Baird found himself waiting for a new opportunity to move.
In the meantime his communications of the previous fall were
beginning to reach the officials in Texas, and on April 14, Wash-
ington D. Miller, secretary of state in Texas, informed him that
it was expected that the obstacles presented as a result of the mili-
tary occupation would soon be removed. He was therefore told to
"labor to conciliate the people of that remote frontier," in order
that they would be ready to consent to the organization of the
region as soon as the military officials were out of the way.39 A
new proclamation for calling an election in Santa FP county was
then forwarded to him, and on June 18, he prepared this for cir-
culation. In it the people were informed of the legislative act
creating the county, and were told that "henceforward, the civil
and criminal jurisdiction over said county, legitimately, will be
assumed and exercised by the authorities of the State of Texas
only, and the citizens will be required to yield obedience thereto.'40
Before circulating the proclamation, however, he notified Colonel
Washington of its receipt, and of his plans to issue writs of elec-
tion immediately. In the personal conference which followed,
Washington convinced him that he could not possibly make the
returns of an election in time to prevent all except the votes for
county officers from being null, and that this fact would have a
bad effect upon those who voted.4' He agreed, therefore, to sus-
pend operations until he could be further advised,42 and in return,
Washington assured him that nothing should be authorized by the
military governor "which would wrongly prejudice the claims of
Texas.""4
Feeling that he had accomplished all that was possible under
the circumstances, and relying upon Washington's assurances,
Baird now decided to leave Santa FP for a time. To his own
government he reported that the men who were opposed to the
claims of Texas in the region were "actuated solely from a desire
"Miller to Baird, April 14, 1849, in Ibid.
40A copy of this proclamation is in the Santa F6 Papers.
4Baird to Miller, September 21, 1849, in Ibid.
42Baird to Washington, July 4, 1849, in Ibid.
48Washington to Baird, July 4, 1849, in Ibid. In reporting this answer
to Miller, Baird says, "I felicitate myself that I am advanced in the
Colonel's estimation since my first communication, from an Esquire to a
Judge, and from that you may form perhaps a correct estimate of the
rise of Texas stock during the winter." Baird to Miller, September 21,
1849, in Ibid.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 24, July 1920 - April, 1921, periodical, 1921; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101078/m1/18/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.