[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3062]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Conaway) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, today is March 2, 2015. March 2, 1836, 
marked the beginning of what would become the Republic of Texas. Today 
on that day, 59 men signed the Declaration of Independence from Mexico 
and created the Republic of Texas. The events of January through April 
of 1836 are relatively significant, and I will walk through some of 
this history.
  I stand here today to honor the incredible events of those days and 
the 179 years of Texas experience that I am proud to be a part of. It 
is a great honor to be able to have been born in Texas and to claim a 
part of that incredible legacy.
  One of the signature events of the Texas revolution with Mexico, of 
course, was the battle of the Alamo, which began on February 23, 1836, 
where Colonel William Barret Travis began to gather men at the Alamo.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a transcription of his letter 
written to the people of Texas and all Americans on February 24.

       To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World: Fellow 
     citizens & compatriots--I am besieged, by a thousand or more 
     of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a 
     continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not 
     lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, 
     otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the 
     fort is taken--I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, 
     & our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never 
     surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of 
     Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American 
     character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch--The enemy 
     is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to 
     three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is 
     neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as 
     possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due 
     to his own honor & that of his country--Victory or Death.
                                            William Barret Travis,
                                                   Lt. Col. comdt.
       P.S. The Lord is on our side--When the enemy appeared in 
     sight we had not three bushels of corn--We have since found 
     in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 
     or 30 head of Beeves.
       Travis.

  Mr. CONAWAY. Travis and his other fellows stood watch at the Alamo 
from February 23 until March 6. As they were fighting and looking at 
their ultimate death, the Declaration of Independence was signed on 
March 2. Four days later, Santa Anna, with the Mexican Army, overran 
the Alamo and killed every single one of the defenders there.
  There are other events, such as the massacre at Goliad in which Santa 
Anna ordered the murder and execution of 400-plus Texans who had been a 
part of that fight. It was cold-blooded, it was ruthless, and it was 
unnecessary, but Santa Anna chose to take those steps specifically on 
his order on more than one occasion. And then, culminating on the 21st 
of April, the Battle of San Jacinto took place, in which Santa Anna and 
his entire army were surrounded by Texans in a decisive victory in 
which very few Texans lost their lives. Santa Anna was defeated, and 
the Texas experience--our independence--was secured with that battle.
  Mr. Speaker, I honor today the men and women who stood that ground, 
that hallowed ground, at the Alamo, at Goliad, San Jacinto, and other 
battles across Texas. They were stouthearted; they were resolute; they 
were self-sufficient; they were independent; they loved freedom; they 
loved independence; and as a result of that, they created Texas, an 
experience that has now gone on for some 179 years. There were almost 9 
of these years in which Texas was the Republic of Texas, becoming a 
part of the United States in 1846 under that proud Lone Star Flag that 
we still fly today.
  My purpose here this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, is to call attention to 
the Declaration of Independence, and, more importantly, call attention 
to the faith that the men and women had in freedom and liberty and were 
willing to put their lives on the line. Many of those lives were lost 
in the fight for freedom and to create Texas. I am proud to call myself 
a Texan.
  I ask God to continue to bless Texas, and I ask God to continue to 
bless the United States of America.

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