the Organic Law the Governor is made the Executive office alone to execute the orders and decrees of the Council, and without the concurrence of both departments no action can be had. The culling off of communication by him, is acquiesced in by the Council, would have been a dissolution of the government, ane was a result which their duty would not suffer them to permit. To attempt an argument shewing that he had no right to order the Council to adjourn, would be an insult upon your understanding Born and reared under the benignant influence and protection of a Free Government, you all know that no such right in him existed. Look back upon the history of your whole lives, and enquire whether you ever heard of the exercise of such a power by the Governor of any one of the slates? Your recollections wiU convince you that none such ever was exercised. And that a claim to such a power avowed by any Governor in that Republic would have hurled him in ignominy from his station. I quote here the remarks of the great American orator, Mr. Clay, as to the relative powers of the Executive and Legislative Departments. "There seems to be, (said Mr. Clay,) a great misconception in reference to the real motives and character of the Legislative & Executive functions. The former is in its nature deliberative, and involves necessarily free discussion and a full expression of opinion on aU subjects of a public interest. The latter is essentially the power of execting, and has no power of deliberation, beyond ascertaining the meaning of the law, and carrying its enactments into execution, and even withing this limited sphere, its construc- tion of powers are formed under responsibility not only to public opinion, but also to the LEGISLATIVE department of the Government." Look, fellow citizens, to the history of other nations, and when do you find such a right claimed? By Cromwell and Bonaparte and Santa Anna. Do you not now recollect with what feelings of indignation you read the account of the driving of Congress from their seals by the military minions of Santa Anna? and can you now sit composed & hear the same doctrines avowed by men high in office in your own country? and patiently and unconcerned witness the commission of the same acts of Despotic outrnge of your own Representatives in your own free Texas? But if the mere claim to such a power is so revolting to your notion of Republican constitutional Government, so monstrous to your sight, so dawning in you estimination, in what light must you view his last communication to the council, threatening their arrest, and transmission to Bejar to be tried by martial law?
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