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QUORUM.
MRS. HUTCHISON: MADAM PRESIDENT?
THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE
SENATOR FROM TEXAS.
MRS. HUTCHISON: MADAM PRESIDENT,
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I SEE THE SENATOR FROM ARKANSAS
ON THE FLOOR.
I WILL FOLLOW THE SENATOR FROM
ARKANSAS ON ANOTHER PIECE OF
LEGISLATION ABOUT WHICH I HOPE
TO SPEAK, BUT I DO WANT TO TAKE
ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO READ THE
LETTER THAT WILLIAM BARRETT
TRAVIS SENT FROM THE ALAMO ON
THE -- TOMORROW IS THE
ANNIVERSARY DATE.
IT WOULD BE MARCH 2, 1836.
-- 176 YEARS AGO TOMORROW.
I AM GOING TO READ THIS LETTER
IN COMMEMORATION OF TEXAS INDZ
PENCE DAY.
BECAUSE IT WAS ON THIS DAY THAT
TEXAS DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE
FROM MEXICO.
59 BRAVE MEN SIGNED THE TEXAS
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
PUTTING THEIR LIVES AND THE
LIVES OF THEIR FAMILY ON THE
LINE TO DECLARE THAT THE PEOPLE
OF TEXAS DO NOW CONSTITUTE A
FREE, SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT
REPUBLIC.
I'M PROUD THAT MY GREAT,
GREAT-GRANDFATHER, CHARLES S.
TAILOR, WAS WILLING TO SIGN THAT
DOCUMENT THAT -- TAYLOR WAS
WILLING TO SIGN THAT DOCUMENT
THAT DECLARED OUR FREEDOM.
IN FACT, OUR SON HOUSTON IS
NAMED HOUSTON TAYLOR HUTCHISON,
FOR THAT TEXAS PATRIOT.
AND I'M HUMBLED TO HOLD THE SEAT
THAT WAS FIRST HELD BY ANOTHER
SIGNER AND ONE OF CHARLES S.
TAYLOR'S BEST FRIENDS AND THAT
WAS THOMAS RUSK, WHO WAS THE
SECRETARY OF WAR WHO DEFENDED
TH DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
BY FIGHTING AT THE BATTLE OF SAN
JUCINTO.
AS WAS THE CASE IN THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION, THE FREEDOM WAS
ULTIMATELY SECURED THROUGH THE
ACTIONS OF THE BRAVE TEXANS WHO
FOUGHT AND DIED ON THE
BATTLEFIELD.
THE LATE SENATOR JOHN TOWER
STARTED THE TRADITION OF A TEXAS
SENATOR READING THE TRAVIS
LETTER.
IT WAS CONTINUED BY PHIL GRAMM
AND I TOOK IT IN 1994 AND THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO TO TELL
MURK -- AMERICA AND TO ASSURE
THAT TEXANS ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS
DAY IN OUR HISTORY.
BECAUSE AFTER THIS, OF COURSE,
WE BECAME A REPUBLIC AND WE WERE
A REPUBLIC FOR TEN YEARS BEFORE
WE BECAME A PART OF THE UNITED
STATES.
SO IT IS WITH PRIDE THAT I READ
FOR THE LAST TIME AS A UNITED
STATES SENATOR REPRESENTING
TEXAS THE WONDERFUL LETTER THAT
WAS WRITTEN BY COLONEL WILLIAM
BARRETT TRAVIS.
HE SAID, "TO THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS
AND ALL AMERICANS AND THE WORLD:
FELLOW CITIZENS AND COMPATRIOTS,
I AM BESIEGED BY A THOUSAND OR
MORE OF THE MEXICANS UNDER SANTA
ANA.
I HAVE SUSTAINED A CONTINUAL
BOMBARDMENT AND CANNONADE FOR 24
HOURS AND 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 AND OUR FLOG STILL
WAVES PROUDLY FROM THE WALLS.
I SHALL NEVER SURRENDER OR
RETREAT.
THEN I CALL ON YOU IN THE NAME
OF LIBERTY, OF PATRIOTISM AND
EVERYTHING DEAR TO THE AMERICAN
CHARACTER TO COME TO OUR AID
WITH ALL DISPATCH.
THE ENEMY IS RECEIVING
REINFORCEMENTS DAILY AND WILL NO
DOUBT INCREASE TO 3,000 OR 4,000
IN FOUR OR FIVE DAYS.
IF THIS CALL IS NEGLECTED, I AM
DETERMINED TO SUSTAIN MYSELF AS
LONG AS POSSIBLE AND DIE LIKE A
SOLDIER WHO NEVER FORGETS WHAT
IS DUE HIS OWN HONOR AND THAT OF
HIS COUNTRY -- VICTORY OR DEATH.
WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS,
LIEUTENANT COLONEL, COMMANDANT,"
AND TRUE TO HIS WORD, HE DID NOT
SURRENDER.
THE MEXICANS DID HAVE THOUSANDS
OF REINFORCEMENTS.
HE DREW THE LINE IN THE SAND AT
THE ALAMO.
ALL BUT ONE MAN BRAVELY CROSSED
THAT LINE OR WAS CARRIED OVER IT
ON A STRETCHER TO ACCEPT THE
CHALLENGE TO STAY AND FIGHT.
THESE MEN KNEW THEY WOULD NEVER
LEAVE THE ALAMO AALIVE BUT THEY
HEROICALLY DEFENDED THE ALAMO
FOR 13 DAYS.
THE 13 DAYS OF GLORY, AS IT IS
KNOWN, AGAINST A FORCE THAT
EVENTUALLY OUTNUMBERED THEM BY
MORE THAN 10-1.
WILLIAM BARRETT TRAVIS, DAVY
CROCKETT, JIM BOUIE AND THE REST
OF THE 89 MEN AT THE ALAMO GAVE
THEIR LIVES FIGHTING FOR
SOMETHING GREATER THAN
THEMSELVES.
AND IT WAS THAT DELAY THAT GAVE
GENERAL SAM HOUSTON THE TIME TO
ORGANIZE HIS MEN AND RETREAT TO
A POINT THAT THEY C OULD DEFEND
WHICH EVENTUALLY BECAME THE
BATTLE OF JANUARY JACINTO.
SEVEN WEEKS FOLLOWED AND ON
APRIL 21, 1836, SAM HOUSTON,
BECAUSE OF THAT DELAY THAT WAS
GIVEN TO THEM BY WILLIAM BARRET
TRAVIS AND THE 189 MEN AT THE
ALAMO WAS ABLE TO TAKE A STAND
IS HE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO AND
TEXAS WAS A REPUBLIC FROM THAT
TIME FORWARD FOR TEN YEARS.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT TEXAS IS
THE ONLY STATE THAT WAS A
REPUBLIC WHEN IT ENTERED THE
UNITED STATES, AND WITH THAT
DISTINCTION, WE LIKE TO SHARE
OUR VIVID HISTORY.
I WANT TO SAY, MADAM PRESIDENT,
THAT IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL
OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO
READ THIS LETTER EVERY YEAR, AND
I FEEL SURE THAT IT WILL BE
CONTINUED BY SENATOR CORNYN OR
MY SUCCESSOR IN THIS SEAT, AND
WE WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE FOUGHT FOR
OUR FREEDOM JUST AS THE AMERICAN
PATRIOTS DID, AND WE ARE VERY
PROUD TO HAVE THAT RICH AND
COLORFUL HISTORY.
SO I THANK THE SENATOR FROM
ARKANSAS AND LOOK FORWARD TO
SERVING THE REST OF MY TERM, BUT
THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME I GET
TO SHARE THAT PIECE OF HISTORY.