Please note that Texas is the only state with a legal right to secede from the Union (please refer to the Texas-American Annexation Treaty of1848). Don't you remember me telling you that this treaty was not ratified by the US and it also had a provision to allow Texas to divide into 5 states. When the State Department of the US was asked what Texas would have to do to divide up as per that treaty, they said the treaty was never ratified. So, what really made Texas a State in the union was a Joint Resolution signed December 29, 1845. A resolution is not a treaty, nor is it law, but mealy an opinion of those that made the resolution. In that treaty, the Texans believed the only way Texas could leave, was a vote of the people. They held a reforendum vote in February of 1861 to leave, and did. They did not secede, because they never ceded all of Texas to the US. The only part of Texas that became US Territory was that part of New Mexico to the Rio Grande, a strip that went north threw all the ski resorts into a piece of Montana and a small chunk of Oklahoma. The Confederate States of American were formed and then Texas allied with them. After the Civil War, Texas was occupied by US troops for 10 years until the Texas Constitution of 1976 went into effect. A military government ruled Texas. People were jailed without trials and did not have rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. The writ of hebius corpus was suspended much the same way it has been for "combatants" of today's War on Terrorism. Texas held elections in 1875 and the military governor lost the election for Governor. The elected governor went to Austin to be sworn in and the military governor would not give up the capital. He called up the Texas Long Rifle militia to protect the capital from the elected people of Texas. After a little discussion, the Long Rifles changed sides and the military governor wired Washington, DC to ask what to do. President Grant told him to give it up, it wasn't worth the blood shed. Thus, Texans took back their country from the US military government by force of arms without firing a shot.In the present Texas Constitution (of 1876 amended many times) the writ of hebius corpus shall never be suspended again in Texas. Just thouth you might like a little (REAL) Texas history lesson. Sincerely,Tom, Jr.
