What with Sec. of State Clinton making nice with the Mexican government and blaming their ills on "Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs..." (rich irony considering the self-confessed pot-smoking of our President and Ms. Clinton's spouse), I was reminded of relationships with Mexico in an earlier time.
Harken back to 1836 to San Antonio de Bexar, where a small group of Texians are holed up against overwhelming forces of the Mexican Army. Below is an excerpt of one of the letters from Col. William B. Travis, written from inside the Fort of the Alamo, on March 3, 1836.
No particular relevance of this letter to today's situation, I just thought that it was interesting to reflect on our history.
To The President of the Convention:
In the present confusion of the political authorities of the country, and in the absence of the commander-in-chief, I beg leave to communicate to you the situation of this garrison....I look to the colonies alone for aid; unless it arrives soon, I shall have to fight the enemy on his own terms. I will, however, do the best I can under the circumstances, and I feel confident that the determined valour and desperate courage, heretofore evinced by my men, will not fail them in the last struggle, and although they may be sacrifieced to the vengeance of a Gothic enemy, the victory will cost the enemy so dear, that it will be worse for him than a defeat. I hope your honorable body will hasten on reinforcements, ammunition, and provisions to our aid, as soon as possible....
If these things are promptly sent, and large reinforcements are hastened to this frontier, this neighborhood will be the great and decisive battle ground. The power of Santa Anna is to be met here or in the colonies; we had better meet them here, than to suffer a war of desolation to rage our settlements. A blood-red banner waves from the church of Bexar, and in the camp above us, in token that the war is one of vengeance against rebels; they have declared us as such, and demanded that we should surrender at discretion or this garrison should be put to the sword. Their threats have had no influence on me or my men, but to make all fight with desperation, and that high-souled courage which characterizes the patriot, who is willing to die in defense of his country's liberty and his own honour.
The citizens of this municipality are all our enemies except those who have joined us heretofore; we have but three Mexicans now in the fort; those who have not joined us in this extremity, should be declared public enemies, and their property should aid in paying the expenses of the war.
The bearer of this will give you your honorable body, a statement more in detail, should he escape through the enemy's lines. God and Texas! --Victory or Death!!
