Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/63

Rh camp in obedience to his requisition; they had elected him their commander. General Houston rightly thought that a change of commanders at that time would afford a pretext to the seditious and disaffected to abandon the service, and thus defeat the objects of the campaign; but he cordially offered to aid General Austin in any way in his power, in organizing and drilling the command.

A council of war was held; the principal officers and members of the consultation were present. Should a Provisional Government be formed? If so, ought not the delegates to the consultation to be reassembled at San Felipe de Austin? How were these questions which were started to be answered? To answer them the council of war determined to refer them to the army. Accordingly, on the day after the council of war, the troops were drawn up and their vote taken. The army unanimously decided that the consultation should reassemble and form a Provisional Government, to adopt measures to give to Texas credit beyond her limits, and to provide means to maintain the army then in the field.

The army was conducted by General Austin to the Mission of Espada, some ten or twelve miles distant, and the members of the consultation reassembled at San Felipe, reorganized and renewed their deliberations. A provisional declaration, establishing an organic law for the Provisional Government of the Province of Texas, organizing a temporary administration, and exhorting all Mexicans to unite in maintaining the Constitution of 1824, and to pledge their lives, property, and sacred honor in support of its principles, was enacted.

General Houston served on the committee to frame the provisional declaration. Some of the committee advocated a declaration of absolute independence, and succeeded at first in adopting a resolution to this effect. Houston regarded a declaration of absolute independence at that time as ill-judged and ill-timed, and prevailed on one of the majority to move a reconsideration of the vote. The reconsideration was carried. A considerable majority, influenced by one of the ablest efforts of Houston's life, voted in favor of a provisional declaration.

The deliberations which issued in forming the first government of Anglo-Saxon pattern on the soil of Texas, were held in a small framed house of one room, without ceiling or plaster. The costume of the members of that political conference was rude and unsightly, yet they were dressed as well as their means and misfortunes allowed. Houston had worn the costume of the Indian race, among whom he took up his abode, ever since he had entered upon his exile. In dress, he was then an Indian. His friend, Andrew Jackson, commenting upon his strange freak of dress, said he " thanked God that there was one man in Texas who was made by the Almighty and not by