. 28
THE AUSTIN PAPERS· -
We distinctly avow our decided disapprobation of the attempt, made by the political chief, to obtain an election of members to a revolutionary Congress-without calling for the sense of the _people, or even consulting the Central Committee, appointed by a convention to ,~am the People of political dangers- Because we view the measure as an unwarantable assumption of authority TO DICTATE to the people Because we deem the measure to be fraught with the most ruinous con- sequences to the people of Texas; as directly at variance with the true interests of our adopted country, tending to confirm all the unfounded suspicions (which have been created by evil minded persons,) of our revolutionary and rebellious dispositions, and destructive of all confidence, both at home and abroad, in the stability and security of political rights and in the rights of person and property in Texas; Which we Consider to be the basis of all public and private prosperity- Because we conceive that the Gen 1 Govt· by the repeal of the 11 art. of the obnoxious 6 April law-and leaving us until this late period exempt- from the payment of imposts [and] duties, paid by the people of all other parts of the republic, has shown a most paternal regard for our pros- perity- Because we believe that the State Congress has given us all the Elements of good government order and Security under the law, by enacting laws establishing a system of Jurisprudence adapted to our situation with tryal by jury, which if carried out according to the provisions of the law and sustained by the people, would place Justice within the reach of every Citizen, ACCORDING TO THE JUDGEMENT OF HIS PEERS; HIS OWN NEIGHBORS OR EQUALS: Because we believe that the arrest and cruel imprisonment of our envoy to the Gen 1 Govt·-(Col Austin) has been occasioned not by any hostile feeling on the part of the members of Govt·-but by false and malicious charges, made by evil minded, malignant persons, resident in Texas and laid before the Govt· in such a shape that it became its imperious duty to take notice of them • Because we are convinced that however desirable a state Govt· may be if obtainable by moral force (constitutional and legal means) that it has become less necessary to our prosperity since the establishment of a system of Jurisprudence which is calculated to give us most of the benefits without the enormous expense of sustaining a state govt· Because we conscientiously believe, that the frequent agitations of po• litical revolutionary measures in Texas, tends not only to bring us into collision with the state and gent Govta· without a chance of success in a Contest in arms; but by passing to the United States of the north with exaggeration destroys all confidence there in the security of property in
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