This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X Confused Councils Houston set quickly and sensibly to work. He drew up a plan for the organization of the Texan forces; he appointed his staff; he urged upon council and governor the need for vigorous action. Governor and council were preoccupied with their own squabbles, sometimes rather amusing but always out of place. Houston wanted to get certain necessary measures passed, so that he could start recruiting and at least have the regular army organized at once. He was certain that sooner or later Santa Anna would take up the case of Texas in real earnest, and send an invading force much larger than the Texans had yet had to meet. Although by nature headstrong and impetuous, he not only waited with patience, but did all he could to calm others who were beginning to criticize and denounce the government. Some of these disgruntled persons held a mass-meeting at San Felipe. Mosely Baker offered a violent set of "resolutions," and made a fiery speech in their defense. He wanted a new and more energetic government. Houston, the story goes, was permitted to speak. The consultation, he said, existed by the will of the people of Texas; to put an end to it would be equal to handing Texas over to anarchy, and hence would be nothing less than criminal. Pointing a finger at Mosely Baker, he cried, "I had rather be a slave and grovel in the dust all my life than be a convicted felon!" So powerful was the effect he created that the mass-meeting broke up, and Mosely Baker quietly destroyed the manuscript of his precious resolutions. Again and again Houston, by his wonderful gift of persuasion, swayed popular assemblies. At last the government took the necessary action. Houston's headquarters were at a hamlet named Washington, some fifty miles up the Brazos fr...