In the few years before the beginning of the Texas Revolution, there was a fact-finding trip made by the central government of Mexico. If memory serves, it was called the Teran commission. One recollection from that report was that the observation that the American colonists kept their "constitutions in their hip pockets."
What this meant was that the Texans were considered to be a bad influence upon their people. Imagine that one. If your bill of rights is a bad influence, what does that say about your own intentions and attitude towards your own people?
Anyway, the Teran report resulted in a number of measures that were meant to restrict the Texans. This resulted in a number of protest conventions that eventually led to even greater hostility between the Mexican central government and the residents of Texas.
The uprising in Texas wasn't the only place in Mexico where there was opposition to the regime. It was the only successful one, however.
Eventually, the government of Mexico decided that they wanted a cannon back from Gonzales. By the way, Gonzales is just about an hour's drive from San Antonio. The cannon was to be used a protection against the fierce Indian raids that were visited upon the area from time to time. It was these fierce Indians that prevented the Mexican population from settling in Texas in the first place. So, the Mexicans invited the Americans in, and now they were trying to disarm the Americans and leave them defenseless against the Indians.
The first shot of the Texas Revolution occurred in Gonzales when the Texans refused to give up the cannon.
It is reminiscent of what happened in the USA itself at Lexington and Concord.
It is also a reminder of what has happened in the past and could happen again. Actually, it is happening again. It has been said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Is anyone paying attention?
No comments:
Post a Comment