WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 184-2
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the home of freemen; it is the land of promise; it is the garden of America. Every citizen of Texas was born a freeman, and he would be a recreant to the principles imbibed from his ancestry, if he would not freely peril his life, in defence of his home, his liberty, and his country. Although you are pleased to characterize our occupation of Texas and defense of our impescriptible right, as "the most scandalous robbery of the present age," it is not one- fourth of a century since Mexico perpetrated a similar robbery upon the rights of the crown of Spain. The magnitude of the theft may give dignity to the robbery; in that you have the ad- vantage. That you should thus have characterized a whole na- tion I can readily account for. Heretofore you entertained the opinion that Mexico could never conquer Texas; that, if it were possible to drive every Texian from the soil, Mexico could not maintain her position on the Sabine; and the retreat of her army would be the signal for the return of the Anglo-Saxon race, who would re-occupy their homes, and pursue the Mexicans as far as the Rio Grande; and that Mexico, in preservation of the integrity of the territory she then possessed would gain an ad- vantage by abandoning all hope of conquering Texas, and direct- ing her attention to the improvement of her internal condition. Your recent opinions, as declared by you, appear to be at variance with these speculations; and are most vehemently avowed. It is an attribute of wisdom to change opinions upon conviction of error; and perhaps for it you are justifiable - at least I dis- cover you have one attribute of a new convert; you are quite zealous and wordy in the promulgation of the doctrine you have espoused. Sir, from your lenity and power Texas expects nothing- from your humanity less; and when you invade Texas you will not find thorns to wound the foot of the traveler; but you will find opposed to Mexi_can breasts, arms wielded by freemen, of unerring certainty, and directed for a purpose not to be eluded. Texians are not for gewgaws and titles. They battle not to sustain dictators or despots. They do not march to the field unwillingly; nor are they dragged to the army in chains, with the mock title of volunteers. For a while they lay by the imple- ments of husbandry and seize their rifles. They rally in defense of their rights, and when victory has been achieved they return to the cultivation of the soil. They have laws to protect their rights; their property is their own. They do not bow to the will
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