The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939 Page: 46
446 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Council was being conducted by the "lobby members" and the
office of governor had lost much of its importance. "I was also
well satisfied, that by intrigue and management . . . the gov-
ernor would be rendered as powerless as he would be useless," and
consequently the governor attempted to dissolve the Council.43
Smith expressed himself somewhat freely in a letter to W. G.
Hill, January 17, 1836, in which he went so far as to admit that
all of the "strong men of the country combined against me."
He said:
The mob have shifted their ground, and joined my council;
and instead of threats used means more persuasive, I mean
their money. My council became corrupt, and determined
on mischief. They have given me much trouble, with all
the strong men of the country combined against me. I found
they were determined to ruin the interest of the country.
And "Necessity compelled me to do what I have done, or give
up all. . . . A veto from me was useless, and instead of a veto
I sent them the Devil in the shape of an address," and then the
"damned corrupt Council" impeached him.44
Perhaps ten days before Smith wrote to Hill, he wrote a similar
letter to Major Ward. This letter was read by Fannin, who
reported to the Council:
I have seen a letter from His Excellency, Henry Smith,
Govr. of Texas to an officer commanding the Volunteers,
urging him and his men to attend particularly to the Elec-
tion-and to suspect and distrust all who were in any wise
opposed to their voting, and an immediate Declaration of
Independence. - All such were denounced in the bitterest
terms as traitors to the country-and your own honorable
body was declared a corrupt, unprincipled set of men, who
had sold themselves to the opposition, or Anti-Administration
men-The following is nearly, if not the precise language
used. "There is a deep laid plan to confuse me and my Govt.-
but I am aware of all their movements-and have anticipated
them-and will counteract them-The opposition are strong
and have money & means, and My Council are needy and cor-
rupt-They are engaged in it."
43Henry Smith, "Reminiscences of Henry Smith," in The Quarterly of the
Texas State Historical Association, XIV, 24-74. See particularly pp. 50,
51, 53, 60, 66.
44Smither, Lamar Papers, VI, 304.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939, periodical, 1939; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101107/m1/54/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.