Consultation
Encyclopedia
The Consultation served as the provisional government of Mexican Texas
from November 1835 through March 1836 during the Texas Revolution
. Tensions rose in Texas during early 1835 as throughout Mexico federalists
began to oppose the increasingly centralist
policies of the government. In the summer, Texans elected delegates to a political convention to be held in Gonzales
in mid-October. Weeks before the convention began, settlers took up arms against Mexican soldiers at the Battle of Gonzales
. The convention was postponed until November 1 after many of the delegates joined the newly organized volunteer Texan Army to initiate a siege of the Mexican garrison at San Antonio de Bexar
. On November 3, a quorum was reached in San Felipe de Austin.
Within days, the delegates passed a resolution to define why Texans
were fighting. They expressed allegiance to the deposed Constitution of 1824 and maintained their right to form an independent government while this document was not in effect. Henry Smith
was elected governor of the new provisional government and the remaining delegates formed a General Council. In the next weeks, the council authorized the creation of a new regular army
to be commanded by Sam Houston
. As Houston worked to establish an army independent from the existing volunteer army, the council repeatedly interfered in military matters.
After authorizing an expedition
to take Matamoros, Mexico
, the council named several men, simultaneously, to organize and lead the assault. Angry at the effect the expedition was having on existing Texian garrisons, Smith dissolved the council. Alleging that Smith did not have the authority to disband them, council members impeached him and lieutenant governor James W. Robinson was named acting governor.
and centralists
. The delegates would convene in Gonzales in mid-October. Each municipality in Texas would have three delegates to the convention.
In the interim, hostilities between Mexican soldiers and Texas colonists increased, and in early October a group of Texans attacked a Mexican army contingent which had been sent to retrieve a cannon that had previously been loaned to Gonzales. This Battle of Gonzales
marked the official start of the Texas Revolution
. Gonzales became a rallying point for Texas settlers who opposed the centralist policies, and men flocked to the town. On October 11, the men formed themselves into a volunteer Texan Army and elected Stephen F. Austin
as their commander. Many of the Consultation delegates had also gathered in Gonzales, and rather than wait for the session to begin, they joined the army on a march against the Mexican garrison at San Antonio de Bexar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas).
In response to the low turnout, the Consultation was rescheduled for November 1, and would be held instead at San Felipe de Austin. The siege of Bexar
began in late October. Newly arrived immigrant Sam Houston
traveled to San Antonio to exhort the delegates to leave the siege and come to the consultation. In a compromise, the officers voted to allow delegates who were members of the rank-and-file or were line officers to leave the siege, while those who were staff officers would remain to oversee military operations. William B. Travis
, William Wharton
, and Stephen F. Austin
remained behind, while James Bowie accompanied Houston to San Felipe.
A quorum finally formed on November 3. Branch Tanner Archer
of Brazoria
was elected to preside over the gathering.
. Although Austin was unable to attend, he did send a letter to the consultation, asking them to follow the Constitution of 1824 and to make it clear to Mexico that the hostilities were not an attempt for independence but instead a determination to fight for their rights as Mexican citizens. The turning point of the discussion came when Houston, who many believed to be a staunch member of the War Party, asked the fellow delegates to refrain from declaring independence. Such a declaration would likely cause many of the people who supported the Constitution of 1824 in other parts of Mexico to refrain from supporting the Texans. Because Austin and many of his Peace Party supporters were still with the army at Bexar, they were unable to provide as much influence to the gathering as expected.
The Consultation compromised. On November 7, they released a resolution declaring that "The people of Texas, availing themselves of their natural rights, solemnly declare that they have taken up arms in defense of their rights and liberties which were threatened by the encroachments of military despots and in defense of the Republican principles of the federal constitution of Mexico of 1824." The resolution further specified that Texas reserved the right to create an independent government as long as Mexico was not governed by that document. The members hoped that this wording would allow them to gain support from both federalists within Mexico and from the United States. The resolution passed 33–14.
The delegates then created the post of governor. Although Austin was nominated, he lost to Henry Smith
31–22. James Robinson was elected lieutenant governor. The remaining delegates formed the General Council.
The soldiers currently fighting near Bexar were volunteers, who joined the army to accomplish a specific task and staunchly maintained their right to elect their own leaders. On November 13, the council officially established a regular army
. Houston was appointed to command this new Provisional Army of Texas, subject to the orders of the governor. Houston was instructed to raise an army from scratch; because the volunteers had organized before the Consultation convened, they could not be forced to accept Houston as their commander. The new army should consist of 2,500 men, who would enlist for 2-year terms in exchange for land grants.
After consulting with some of the officers currently at the siege of Bexar, notably James W. Fannin and William B. Travis
, the council chose to expand the army. On December 5 they created a Corps of Permanent Volunteers, which would have a shorter enlistment period and more autonomy. This move hindered Houston's efforts to fill his regular army; most citizens preferred to join the Permanent Volunteers.
Houston was also appointed to the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, as he had spent much of his career dealing with Indian nations. The Texans needed the support of the Indians (or at least their neutrality) to win their fight against Mexico.
In December, the council recommended the Matamoros Expedition
, in which Texian soldiers would attack Matamoros, Mexico
. The planned expedition was expected to draw support from federalists within other Mexican states, perhaps inspiring armed uprisings throughout Mexico. The governor initially supported the plan, and asked Houston to organize the expedition; Houston appointed James Bowie to lead the expedition, but Bowie did not receive his orders for several weeks. The council asked Edward Burleson
, the commander of the volunteers at Bexar, to lead the expedition. Burleson had already resigned, and his elected replacement, Frank W. Johnson
, instead received the message. On December 30, Johnson and 200 men left Bexar to travel to Presidio La Bahia
in Goliad to prepare for the expedition. When the council received Johnson's note detailing his plans, they authorized him to lead the expedition. Johnson initially declined the commission, but changed his mind the following day. Without revoking Johnson's commission, the council elected Fannin to lead the mission instead.
. Neill was disgusted that Johnson had stripped the Alamo of almost all provisions and the majority of the men and sent a strong message to Houston asking for reinforcements and more supplies. Houston forwarded the letter to Smith, with an added note that he believed the Johnson mission was illegal, as the council had not had a quorum when it was authorized. In response, Smith denounced the expedition as idiocy and labelled its supporters either fools or traitors. He then disbanded the council until March 1 unless they agreed to renounce the Matamoros Expedition. The council determined that Smith had no authority to dismiss them. They soon impeached Smith and named the lieutenant governor, Robinson, as the new governor. The documents forming the provisional government, however, did not grant the council the authority to impeach the governor.
On January 12, Smith wrote a conciliatory letter to the council: "I admit that I [used] language beyond the rules of decorum", and declared that if the council would admit that their actions regarding the Matamoros Expedition were wrong he would reinstate them so that "the two branches [would] again harmonize to the promotion of the true interests of the country".
For the next two months, few in Texas were sure who was in charge, and little was accomplished. On March 1, the Convention of 1836
opened with new delegates. This convention quickly issued a declaration of independence
and formed the Republic of Texas
.
Mexican Texas
Mexican Texas is the name given by Texas history scholars to the period between 1821 and 1836, when Texas was an integral part of Mexico. The period began with Mexico's victory over Spain in its war of independence in 1821. For the first several years of its existence, Mexican Texas operated very...
from November 1835 through March 1836 during the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Tensions rose in Texas during early 1835 as throughout Mexico federalists
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
began to oppose the increasingly centralist
Centralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
policies of the government. In the summer, Texans elected delegates to a political convention to be held in Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...
in mid-October. Weeks before the convention began, settlers took up arms against Mexican soldiers at the Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....
. The convention was postponed until November 1 after many of the delegates joined the newly organized volunteer Texan Army to initiate a siege of the Mexican garrison at San Antonio de Bexar
Siege of Bexar
The Siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar . Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly...
. On November 3, a quorum was reached in San Felipe de Austin.
Within days, the delegates passed a resolution to define why Texans
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
were fighting. They expressed allegiance to the deposed Constitution of 1824 and maintained their right to form an independent government while this document was not in effect. Henry Smith
Henry Smith (Texas Governor)
Henry Smith was first American-born Governor of the Mexican territory of Texas and briefly presided over the revolution there.-Early life:...
was elected governor of the new provisional government and the remaining delegates formed a General Council. In the next weeks, the council authorized the creation of a new regular army
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
to be commanded by Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
. As Houston worked to establish an army independent from the existing volunteer army, the council repeatedly interfered in military matters.
After authorizing an expedition
Matamoros Expedition
The Matamoros Expedition was a planned 1836 invasion of the Mexican port town of Matamoros by rebellious Texians. As the Mexican government transitioned from federalism to a centralized government in 1835, many federalists offered armed opposition. In Mexican Texas, settlers launched a full...
to take Matamoros, Mexico
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, the council named several men, simultaneously, to organize and lead the assault. Angry at the effect the expedition was having on existing Texian garrisons, Smith dissolved the council. Alleging that Smith did not have the authority to disband them, council members impeached him and lieutenant governor James W. Robinson was named acting governor.
Background
In the summer of 1835, Texas settlers had elected delegates to a political convention, which they called the Consultation. This convention would decide what steps the area should take in response to the unrest and the civil war being fought between federalistsFederalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
and centralists
Centralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
. The delegates would convene in Gonzales in mid-October. Each municipality in Texas would have three delegates to the convention.
In the interim, hostilities between Mexican soldiers and Texas colonists increased, and in early October a group of Texans attacked a Mexican army contingent which had been sent to retrieve a cannon that had previously been loaned to Gonzales. This Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....
marked the official start of the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Gonzales became a rallying point for Texas settlers who opposed the centralist policies, and men flocked to the town. On October 11, the men formed themselves into a volunteer Texan Army and elected Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
as their commander. Many of the Consultation delegates had also gathered in Gonzales, and rather than wait for the session to begin, they joined the army on a march against the Mexican garrison at San Antonio de Bexar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas).
In response to the low turnout, the Consultation was rescheduled for November 1, and would be held instead at San Felipe de Austin. The siege of Bexar
Siege of Bexar
The Siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar . Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly...
began in late October. Newly arrived immigrant Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
traveled to San Antonio to exhort the delegates to leave the siege and come to the consultation. In a compromise, the officers voted to allow delegates who were members of the rank-and-file or were line officers to leave the siege, while those who were staff officers would remain to oversee military operations. William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...
, William Wharton
William Wharton
William Wharton may refer to:* William Wharton * William F. Wharton, politician* William H. Wharton, politician* Admiral Sir William Wharton , , hydrographer to the Royal Navy 1884-1904...
, and Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
remained behind, while James Bowie accompanied Houston to San Felipe.
A quorum finally formed on November 3. Branch Tanner Archer
Branch Tanner Archer
Branch Tanner Archer was a Texan who served as Commissioner to the United States and Speaker of the House of the Republic of Texas House of Representatives and Secretary of War of the Republic of Texas.-Early life:...
of Brazoria
Brazoria County, Texas
Brazoria County[p] is a county in the U.S. state of Texas, located on the Gulf Coast within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. Regionally, parts of the county are within the extreme southern-most fringe of the regions locally known as Southeast Texas. Brazoria County is among a...
was elected to preside over the gathering.
Formation of government
The Consultation's main purpose was to decide the overall goals of the revolution. Members of the War Party advocated for complete independence from Mexico, while Peace Party representatives wished for Texas to remain part of Mexico, but under the 1824 Constitution of Mexico1824 Constitution of Mexico
The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new constitution, the republic took the name of United Mexican States, and was defined as a representative federal republic, with...
. Although Austin was unable to attend, he did send a letter to the consultation, asking them to follow the Constitution of 1824 and to make it clear to Mexico that the hostilities were not an attempt for independence but instead a determination to fight for their rights as Mexican citizens. The turning point of the discussion came when Houston, who many believed to be a staunch member of the War Party, asked the fellow delegates to refrain from declaring independence. Such a declaration would likely cause many of the people who supported the Constitution of 1824 in other parts of Mexico to refrain from supporting the Texans. Because Austin and many of his Peace Party supporters were still with the army at Bexar, they were unable to provide as much influence to the gathering as expected.
The delegates then created the post of governor. Although Austin was nominated, he lost to Henry Smith
Henry Smith (Texas Governor)
Henry Smith was first American-born Governor of the Mexican territory of Texas and briefly presided over the revolution there.-Early life:...
31–22. James Robinson was elected lieutenant governor. The remaining delegates formed the General Council.
Military
Regular army
A regular army consists of the permanent force of a country's army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.Countries that use the term include:*Australian Army*British Army*Canadian Forces, specifically "Regular Force"*Egyptian army*Indian Army...
. Houston was appointed to command this new Provisional Army of Texas, subject to the orders of the governor. Houston was instructed to raise an army from scratch; because the volunteers had organized before the Consultation convened, they could not be forced to accept Houston as their commander. The new army should consist of 2,500 men, who would enlist for 2-year terms in exchange for land grants.
After consulting with some of the officers currently at the siege of Bexar, notably James W. Fannin and William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...
, the council chose to expand the army. On December 5 they created a Corps of Permanent Volunteers, which would have a shorter enlistment period and more autonomy. This move hindered Houston's efforts to fill his regular army; most citizens preferred to join the Permanent Volunteers.
Houston was also appointed to the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, as he had spent much of his career dealing with Indian nations. The Texans needed the support of the Indians (or at least their neutrality) to win their fight against Mexico.
In December, the council recommended the Matamoros Expedition
Matamoros Expedition
The Matamoros Expedition was a planned 1836 invasion of the Mexican port town of Matamoros by rebellious Texians. As the Mexican government transitioned from federalism to a centralized government in 1835, many federalists offered armed opposition. In Mexican Texas, settlers launched a full...
, in which Texian soldiers would attack Matamoros, Mexico
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
. The planned expedition was expected to draw support from federalists within other Mexican states, perhaps inspiring armed uprisings throughout Mexico. The governor initially supported the plan, and asked Houston to organize the expedition; Houston appointed James Bowie to lead the expedition, but Bowie did not receive his orders for several weeks. The council asked Edward Burleson
Edward Burleson
Edward Burleson was a soldier, general, and statesman in the state of Missouri, the Republic of Texas, and later the U.S. state of Texas....
, the commander of the volunteers at Bexar, to lead the expedition. Burleson had already resigned, and his elected replacement, Frank W. Johnson
Frank W. Johnson
Francis White "Frank" Johnson was a co-commander of the Texian Army from December 1835 through February 1836, during the Texas Revolution. Johnson arrived in Texas in 1826 and worked as a surveyor for several empresarios, including Stephen F. Austin. One of his first activities was to plot the...
, instead received the message. On December 30, Johnson and 200 men left Bexar to travel to Presidio La Bahia
Presidio La Bahía
The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, known more commonly as Presidio La Bahia, or simply La Bahia is a fort constructed by the Spanish Army that became the nucleus of the city of Goliad, Texas, United States. Originally founded in 1721 on the ruins of the failed French Fort Saint...
in Goliad to prepare for the expedition. When the council received Johnson's note detailing his plans, they authorized him to lead the expedition. Johnson initially declined the commission, but changed his mind the following day. Without revoking Johnson's commission, the council elected Fannin to lead the mission instead.
Political confusion
Only 100 Texians remained at the Alamo Mission in Bexar, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James C. NeillJames C. Neill
↔James Clinton Neill was a 19th-century American soldier and politician, most noted for his role in the Texas Revolution and the early defense of the Alamo. He was born in North Carolina.-Early life and career:...
. Neill was disgusted that Johnson had stripped the Alamo of almost all provisions and the majority of the men and sent a strong message to Houston asking for reinforcements and more supplies. Houston forwarded the letter to Smith, with an added note that he believed the Johnson mission was illegal, as the council had not had a quorum when it was authorized. In response, Smith denounced the expedition as idiocy and labelled its supporters either fools or traitors. He then disbanded the council until March 1 unless they agreed to renounce the Matamoros Expedition. The council determined that Smith had no authority to dismiss them. They soon impeached Smith and named the lieutenant governor, Robinson, as the new governor. The documents forming the provisional government, however, did not grant the council the authority to impeach the governor.
On January 12, Smith wrote a conciliatory letter to the council: "I admit that I [used] language beyond the rules of decorum", and declared that if the council would admit that their actions regarding the Matamoros Expedition were wrong he would reinstate them so that "the two branches [would] again harmonize to the promotion of the true interests of the country".
For the next two months, few in Texas were sure who was in charge, and little was accomplished. On March 1, the Convention of 1836
Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether to declare independence from Mexico or pledge to...
opened with new delegates. This convention quickly issued a declaration of independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...
and formed the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
.
External links
- Journals of the Consultation, 1835 from Gammel's Laws of Texas, Vol. I. hosted by the Portal to Texas History.