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was warmly opposed by myself in the Judiciary the Committe in a speech which I shall shortly lay before the world. The committee voted down the proposition by a small majority. But Mr Childress who together with Ellis Hamilton Robertson & others were deeply in- terested in defeating these claims, modified the measure so as to make all grants for more than eleven leagues void and all eleven league claims not located in strict conformity with law void as to their loca- tion (·See Constitution). During the short space of [ ] 80 days the present Constition was formed and the late government ad interim or- ganized. You know all about that. Bu.net & Carson were run for President Carson then was elected Secretary of State. Rusk beat Pot- ter for Secy of Wa:r Potter then beat Fisher for Seer. of the Navy. All the candidates nominated for atty genl offered to name their claims in my favor if I would accept which I declined upon the ground that a battle decisive of the existence of the Country was obliged soon to 81 fought as I then &tated when the lives of my friends & the exist- ence my Country was to be peri]ed I chose to be with them. I shall never forget the alarm manifested by many honorable members of the Convention the night the news arrived of the fall of the Alimo. The venerable President of that body rose in his seat with much trepeda- tion and pulling a small pistol from his pocket proposed adjourning to Bradshaws, as the enemy would [be] upon us before morning. This was objected .to & overruled. But the news of the fall of the alimo was umpleasing music to the ears of these aforesaid land speculators •and they were willing to lead the retreat & abandon for a time their unhallowed speculations. And when now [sic] they when the souls of men were tried. The Commander in Chief was also appointed by the Convention and as Chairman of the Committee on military affairs I re- ported a resolution appointing San Houston &C.- This met with but little opposition except from Robert Potter who opposed it in a long & animated speech in which he urged many ob- jections. (I wish you could ~et Farris notes & journal as it would throw much light on this subject.) My return to Brazoria and subsequ\)ntly rejoing [sic] the army and all the subsequent operations are as well known to youself as to me all of which you saw & part of which you was My health from the time I came to the Country had precluded me from taking any part in the proceedin~s that led to, and what was done in the Consultation, hence y(lu .will be enabled to get better in- formation ,from others. And in the San Antonio expedition there were few things of much interest except the battle of Conception our demands surrender prom- ises to that effect chasing the white crane and sundry little anecdotes of which I have occasionally spoken to. [Endorsed] From Judge Collingsworth 00 Blank in document. 81 The writer must have meant to say "eoon to be fought."
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