El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-05
Cradle of Texas Liberty

Louisiana and Mississippi, from the
Carolinas and from even New Eng
land, from Scotland and England. and
, from Ireland of course. for where in
the history of the world when men
were known to fight and die for liberty
was not some son of Erin there to bear
a hand Travis drew line across the
floor of the church. "All who desire
to remain and die, cross over, he said
and he crossed first. Bowie was lying
on a stretcher. wounded. He asked
his companions TO carry him across.
Crockett helped him. One man put
his hands before his face and thought.
Life was precious to him. No man
jeered and as he went away no man
helped him with curse or good wish.
Then the attack began. Every man IN
the Alamo was killed Around Bow
les cot Mexicans were ricked up as
wood. For every Texan that died, ten
Mexicans were killed or wounded
Some one said Thermopylae sent its
messenger: the Alamo sent none
Probably the garrison might have been
saved: certain it is that the garrison
saved Texas for soon after the supreme
struggle was fought. Santa Ana was
made a prisoner. taken to Washing
ton. where in the presence of Andrew
Jackson he acknowledged the indie
pendence of Texas. The charge of the
Light Brigade was foolhardy. glorious,
and food for poetry. but the Alamo
teaches a greater lesson; the charge at
Gettysburg was heroic, but some sol
diers returned.
After the battle of the Alamo was
over the Texans were taken from the
building and piled in heaps where the
beautiful Alamo plaza now is. and
burned by the MexicanS.
There were survivors of the old
guard: none of the defenders of the
Alamo lived to tell the story. Hobson
blew up his ship at Santiago, but he
and his associates survived. In every
deed of daring of men from Sanguntum
to Lucknow and to the sea fight at
Manila there was a chance for life
In the Alamo the prospect of life was
by choice eliminated before the SUI
preme act of resistance was entered up
on There was chance for life.
certainty of death, and those of the
Alamo chose death. Run through the
books you may read from day to day
you trudged not eagerly to school I'M
til old age dims your eyes, and find if
you can a parallel case. Ney at
Waterloo attempted to seduce a bullet
into his heart. but the angel of death
kept him for another day. Travis. at
the Alamo. offered the supreme sacri-
flee. 1t was pleasing and the angel
accepted it as a supreme tribute
The walls of the Alamo, thick. and
grim. and gray, are still intact: the
side rooms are vacant and Sombre; the
air within seems charged with the
breathings of heroes, and he who goes
to see looks neither to the right nor
left. nor up. nor down. but pauses and
thinks. and remembers.
There are yet other things in San
Antonio. There is he old palace of
the governor. In it the rulers sent
out from Spain lived and died. From
it Bowie took bride. the daughter of
a grardee Against it milan and his
forces charged, and near it Milan died.
not far from it in front of a ohspital,
vixen softly stepping nuns soothe the
brows of those who come to die. Mi
lam sleeps But Milam's career is an
other story: read it. you who want
story calculating love of the country
that you may teach it to your boys
Memphis Commercial.