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WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1848
fainter. But notwithstanding all this, it was not until 1836, when Santa Anna marched against us with his myrmidons, threatening our destruction, and devastating our fields and our country-it was not until the day of the Alamo, when a brave and Spartan band was sacrificed by the sanguinary hordes-I say not until then, when, driven by desperation and oppression, did we declare the Declaration of Texan Independence. Then it was we made that declaration. vVe made it in the face of Heaven. We then pledged our lives, our property, (that, indeed, was but little,) and our sacred honor, that we would vindicate our just and mutual rights against the despot and oppressor. vVe did this; and after the tyrant lay manacled at our feet, we liberated the captive. It was after the declaration of Texian independence-after that the despot was in the military control of the country, when victory had justified our cause, and triumph and success had crowned our declaration of independence-it was then that the tyrant directed the order and sent the mandate to his general, (Filisola,) to vacate the territory which was now the independent territory of a nation which had risen up and declared its independence. The mandate went the next morning to Filisola, ordering him to retire with his troops from the soil of Texas, and where did he retire? Where did he stop? They did not stop at the Nueces. That was not the boundary of Texas. They did not stop at the Rio Grande. That was not the boundary. But they marched on, in pursuance of the mandate to leave Texas, and they first stopped at Monterey, leaving all Texas behind them, and leaving it free. The govern- ment agreed with Santa Anna afterwards upon the Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas, and no question ever arose as to the Nueces being its boundary pending the negotiations for annexa- tion; but it is only since this war began, that this question has been raised by its enemies. But still more. By a law passed in 1836, it was promulgated to all the civilized world that the Rio Grande was the boundary of Texas. This boundary was then defined and strictly laid out as beginning at the mouth of the river of that name; then running a northeast course up the middle of the river; from thence, crossing in a line particularly defined over the territory of the United States, on to the ocean. This was then declared by law to be the boundary of Texas. This was not done in a corner-it ·was not hid under a bushel; but it was pro- mulgated in the face of all the civilized world. This was in 1836. This was then recognized as being our boundary by the United States; this was then recognized as being our boundary by France;
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