l.
Suppose the consultative junta peacefuUy installed and that it elects its Speaker anti its Clerks and that it begins its deliberations. At this moment two parl ies arise, each necessarily ardent in support of its position, for the interests at stake are of the greatest importance. One will maintain that the junta has the powers to legislate and lo create a new republic: it will demand the absolute independence of Texas, and in the end will try to complete the task in one day. The other will restrict itself lo the literal title of Consultation and to those powers clothed with speech, and will consider its mission accomplished by the drafting of three or four reports. It would be satisfied to adjourn leaving [Texas] in its present difficulties and its present anarchy. You can see that both parties are dangerous and that the second is mortal. My opinion is that the question of absolute independence should not be treated in these moments; that the junta should create public powers; ... that il should draft a Declaration slating the reasons for this action; that Texas as a state of the Mexican Federation will defend it rights under the social contract; that it will offer an asylum lo all persecuted Mexicans; that it will rejoin the Mexican confederation as a free and independent state if the Mexican states display sufficient virtue and patriotism to recover their lost rights. But since a provisional state always lives in considerable danger, Texas will take independent action if after the passage of a certain period (say two years) the Mexican stales do not recover their independence. Finally [the junta should declare] that since the military power which the people of Texas have acquired and with the customs, education, and principles of its citizens, it organizes itself, in specific language, into a stale of provisional independence of the government of Mexico. I am in no way in agreement with your opinion to support the Constitution of 1824 ... I maintain that it is possible to make a declaration in support of the federal bases of the Constitution of 1824 and nothing more. Do not forget that besides the army Santa Anna can count on the support only of the priests and a few undependable rich men; bayonets can support him only for a lime. His whole army scarcley numbers 20,000 [scallercd throughout Mexico.] ... [Of these there is] a flying column of three throusancl for urgent necessities and two thousand for the eastern provinces. . . . An uprising may occur al any lime that will make him
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