the republic you are receiving assurances that the liberal party are rallying to the rescue. In Texas, you have gained an important victory; but, at the very moment of success, you arc persuaded to desert your allies; to break the liberal rands. To give to the enemies of the Constitution and of freedom, victory, when defeat would be their portion, did you your duty? Among savages, such desertion would be called "treason:" among christians and freemen, it would be looked on with horror; and you would be treated as a people not to be trusted, as having 110 respect for oaths, or compacts, or honor. Citizens of Texas! be not deceived: suffer not yourselves to be led away by the specious reasoning of individuals, who, from motives of personal aggrandizement, would persuade you that you had the right to declare yourselves a free and independent ·people: who would persuade you, that your fellow-citizens of the United States would sustain you in that course. The liberal and enlightened statesmen of that country will do no such thing. Meetings are held in every city of that republic, and money and men are raising for your assistance, but it is all based on the supposition that you are contending for the same principles as did your fathers of the revolution, and that vou are now fighting lo sustain liberty in this republic. · Those meetings act on principle. and they expect you.to do the same. Your true political situation is not now well understood by them, but they will now say to you that your future course should be in accordance, first, with your constitu- tional obligations. Have you, then, the constitutional right to separate from the Republic of Mexico, and declare yourselves free and independent? The answer to that question will be found in the oath you took when you became citizens of Texas. That oath was, "I swear to support the Constitution of the republican federative Government of Mexico, and the laws of the same." So long as that constitution exists, so long you must sustain it, unless it is so administered as to compel you, in defence of your rights, to do otherwise; and nothing short of that high moral and political necessity which constrains_ opposition _to u~urpalio~s of your rights and liberties, should mduce Y?u to do it._ Su_ch 1s not your ·cnt situation. The supporters of the Const1tuhon among the pres , . . . ·I , · . Mexicans are your fncnds; they all tell you t ml ) our rights shall b t d that e very thing in reason shall be gran led you; they c rcspcc e : . • 1 t abide by your oaths, to sustam the federal imp ore you o
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