[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 2, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1001-H1002]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because this is a unique 
day in

[[Page H1002]]

the history of the great State of Texas. Today, March 2, marks Texas 
Independence Day; and on this day 174 years ago, Texas declared its 
independence from Mexico and its dictator, Santa Anna.
  In 1836, in the small farm village of Washington-on-the-Brazos, 54 
Texians--as they called themselves--gathered to do something bold and 
courageous: they signed the Texas Declaration of Independence from 
Mexico and once and for all declared that the people of Texas do now 
constitute a free, sovereign and independent republic.
  As these determined delegates met to declare independence, Santa Anna 
and his 6,000 enemy troops were marching on an old beat-up Spanish 
fort, a mission that we call the Alamo. There, Texas defenders stood 
defiant and stood determined. They were led by a 27-year-old lawyer by 
the name of William Barrett Travis. The Alamo and its 187 Texans were 
all that stood between the invaders and the Republic of Texas. And 
behind the cold, dark, damp walls of that Alamo, Commander William 
Barrett Travis sent the following letter to Texas requesting aid. Here 
is what this appeal said in part:
  ``To all the people of Texas and Americans throughout the world, I am 
besieged by a thousand or more of the enemy under Santa Anna. I have 
sustained a continual bombardment and cannon fire for over 24 hours, 
but I have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded surrender at its 
discretion, otherwise the fort will be put to the sword. I have 
answered that demand with a cannon shot, and the flag still waves 
proudly over the wall.
  ``I shall never surrender or retreat. I call upon you in the name of 
liberty and patriotism and everything dear to our character to come to 
our aid with all dispatch. If this call is neglected, I am determined 
to sustain myself for as long as possible and die like a soldier who 
never forgets what is due his honor and that of his country. Victory or 
death.''--William Barrett Travis, Colonel, Texas Army.
  After 13 days of glory at the Alamo, Commander Travis and his men 
sacrificed their lives on the altar of freedom. However, those lives 
would not be lost in vain. Their determination did pay off, and because 
heroes like Travis, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie held out so long, Santa 
Anna's forces took such great losses they became battered and 
demoralized. As Travis said, ``Victory will cost them more dearly than 
defeat.''
  The Alamo defenders were from every State and 13 foreign countries. 
They were black, brown, and white. Their ages were 16 through 67, and 
they were all volunteers. They were mavericks, revolutionaries, 
farmers, shopkeepers, and freedom fighters; and they came together to 
fight for something they believed in: freedom and independence.

                              {time}  1930

  General Sam Houston, in turn, had the time he needed to devise a 
strategy to rally other Texas volunteers to ultimately defeat Santa 
Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.
  The war was over, and the Lone Star flag was visible all across the 
broad, bold, brazen plains of Texas.
  Texas remained a nation for 9 years and claimed land that now 
includes part of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, even 
up to the Canadian border.
  In 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union by only one vote when a 
Louisiana Senator changed his mind. By treaty with the United States, 
Texas may divide into five States, and the Texas flag is to fly even 
with the U.S. flag and not below it.
  So, today, we remember that Texas was a glorious nation once and won 
freedom and independence because some fierce volunteers fought to the 
death for liberty over tyranny.
  One of my grandsons is named Barrett Houston in honor of Travis and 
General Sam.
  In Colonel Travis' final letter from the Alamo, he signed off with 3 
words: God and Texas, God and Texas, God and Texas.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. POE of Texas. I will yield.
  Mr. BARTON of Texas. As a sixth-generation native Texan, I want to 
commend you for honoring Texas Independence Day, March 2, the 174th 
birthday of the Republic of Texas. I commend you for the fine work that 
you do, not just for your constituency in the Houston area, but for the 
entire State and America.
  God bless you, Congressman Poe.
  Mr. POE of Texas. In reclaiming my time, thank you.
  And that's just the way it is, Mr. Speaker.

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