The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-03-28

Highly Important from Texas...The diff
Guilty Between Gov. Houston and the
Convention. t
The Texas Convention adopted an
ordinance instructing the Delegates
from that State to the Montgomery
Convention to apply for its admission
to the Southern Confederacy. A cor
respondent of the Boston Is1sgraph
writes:
Mr.. Roberts, Washington, intro
duced a resolution to appoint COM
mittee of five to wait on the Governor
and ask his cooperation, and the Elk
ecutive OF the State, with the Conven-
ton.
The introduction of the resolution
caused great excitement. The follow
ing substitute, offered by Mr.. Mont
gomery, of Washington, was adopted:
Resolced, that a committee of FIVE
be appointed by the President to wait
on his Exeelleney the Governor, and
inform him that the convention has re-
assembled-that the ordinance of Sc
cessien has been ratified by the people,
and that the State of Texas is and has
been, from the I'd of this currentmonth,
a free, sovereign and independent State.
That there were plenty of work for
such Committee, will be seen from
the following bold and determined let
ter, in which the Governor refuses to
recognize the Convention: .ss
f-a 10 EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
AUSTIN, Texas, March 9th, 1861 I
w. p. Rogers and others, Committee
Gentleman; In reply to your com
munication of the 5th, can say, when
the Legislature authorized the Conven-
tian to submit the proposition to the
people of Texas, on the subject of Sc.
cession from the Federal Government
of the United States, it was understood
that the performance of that act, when
done, would terminate the existence of
the Convention. The Executive ap-
proved the same, with a protest against
the shortness of the time allowed,
owing to the great limits of the State.
BY subsequent act of the Legislature
it was required that the returns of the
votes should be made at the office of
the Secretary of State, and counted in
the presence of the Governor and At
torney-Gcneral. The votes were
counted, and the result declared, by
proclamation, that a majority of the
votes cast We're for secession. by an
act of the Legislature, the Convention
was empowered only to submit the
question Of secession TO the vote of the
people. The Convention performed
the functions assigned it by the Legis-
lature, and in the opinion of the Ex-
ecutive, its powers were then exhaust
ed. The Executive will recommend
to the Legislature, which is to re-as-
semble on the 18th inst, to take into
consideration the important issues aris-
ing out of the severance of our con-
nection with the United States, with
such recommendation and suggestions
as he may think proper in the discharge
of his duty. 1t twill then be the province
of the Legislature to take such action
on the subject as they may think
proper; and also, to call a Convention,
directly from the people, who will fair
ly represent their wishes and opinions,
and who will have authority to make
such changes in the Constitution of the
State as her present and future reIa-
tons to the world at large may require.
Until then, it will be the duty of the
Executive, as we'll as all other State
officers, to continue in the lawful dis
charge of their functions, confirming
their action to the sphere of Texas only.
The Executive tenders his respects
to the gentlemen of the Convention,
and assures you, gentlemen, indiyidu-
ally. of his esteem. i
Very truly your obedient servant, sas
r.a SAM HOUSTON.
The effect of the above epistle was
not at all tranquilizing. On the Sth,
the Convention adopted resolution,
asserting that it had not only the power
to pass and submit the ordinance of
secession, but also the right on behalf
Of the people of Texas, to do whatever
is incidental to the said ordinance and
the defense of the State, and that, as
soon as possible it would consumate the
union of Texas with the Southern Con-
federacy.
EW One of the Representatives of
this State in Congress reports an =, ;s ,stfr-
esting and rather fun NV incident of the
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