Texas Secession? Perry, One Third of Texans Are Wrong: Texas Can't Secede
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
As if their current governor and his predecessor have not done enough damage to Texans' reputation for Constitutional acuity, nearly 1 in 3 Texas voters think that their state has the legal right to secede from the Union, according to a new Rasmussen Poll.
Umm, no.
On the bright side (such as it is), only 1 in 5 Texas voters would actually like to break off from the Union. Fully three quarters of Texas voters are content to remain part of these United States. Gee, thanks.
This discussion was sparked by Texas Gov. Rick Perry's assertion that Texas has the unique right to secede from the U.S. of A. (Side question: Why the quiescence of the hyper-patriotic right? Why are they not demanding that Perry love this country or leave it—and reminding him he can't take his state with him?)
It is of course an old urban legend that since Texas entered the Union as a sovereign Republic, it has reserved the right to reclaim its old status. Horse-hockey.
Two points to consider. First, there's this brief history of the Lone Star State's 1845 entry into the Union, emphasis added:
When all attempts to arrive at a formal annexation treaty failed, the United States Congress passed—after much debate and only a simple majority—a Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States. Under these terms, Texas would keep both its public lands and its public debt, it would have the power to divide into four additional states "of convenient size" in the future if it so desired, and it would deliver all military, postal, and customs facilities and authority to the United States government. (Neither this joint resolution or the ordinance passed by the Republic of Texas ' Annexation Convention gave Texas the right to secede.)
That paragraph comes from what I can only assume to be an authoritative source on the matter: the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (Tip of my cowboy hat to an old college pal—from Texas—who posted the link on Facebook.)
Second point: We fought a war over this. Lots of Americans died. The secessionists lost—including the ones in Texas. Secession is no more legal now than it was then.
And while talking about secession undoubtedly plays well among the 3 in 10 Texas voters ill-informed enough to think it's a serious political statement, it also makes the rest of the country (and likely the rest of the state) roll our eyes in bewilderment at the Lone Star Clown.
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Reader Comments
Secession
I believe it was illegal for the the 13 colonies to rebel too.
Like the others, I'm not really impressed with your thinking. You seem to think that might makes right.
Go back and study some real American History.
If Texas wants to secede it will. The only thing that will stop it is another blood bath that the Federal Government will inflict on innocents.
TEXAS SECESSION
The time for Texas to seceede is not yet here but as the Communistic Obama and ( left wing bleeding heart liberal idiot)Democrats in Washington don't seem to have sense enough to reign in their stupidity and spending the time is fast aproaching where not only Texas but some other states will come to that opinion and action, I believe there was at one time some written agreement about Texas Secession and Abraham lincon sent a letter or Telegram to Texas recognizing the right of Texas to seceede but asking them not to join the CSA ( unfortunately they did join the CSA and them became a belligerant state.
In any case the constitution of the USA does not prohibit a state from seceeding and the Union was wrong under the constitution to not accept the CSA after they seceeded.
In the case of Texas which was a recognized independant nation when it joined then the right to seceed is self evident whether a specific document was executed for that reason or not.
A million man march on Washington DC may be necessary where we leave out pitchforks and guns home but take a good supply of tar and feathers with us, if that dosn't work a second march with 5 million people who take their pitchforks and guns with them will then happen.
Too many of us have been asleep for too long and let the left wing bleeding heart atheast liberals get into too many positions of authority, responsibility and pass laws, they have done this insidously, like termites.
Texas may chose to avoid this mess by seceeding from the Union, we could do a lot better on our own as we have always contributed more to the US than we have recieved back.
This will cause great disruptions and it will be best if it can be avoided,
MAY COMMON SENSE RETURN TO GOVERNMENT AND GET THE POLITIONS BACK TO BEING SUBJECT TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE .
Declaration of Independence
I agree. This America, today, is not what our men and women died to protect. They died to end tyranny in all forms, and what did we do, we elected a tyrannical president. To the author of this article, who is going to stop a state from secedding? You? America was founded on principles and morals. I have never seen a country so close to the verge of self destruction. I guarrentee you, if a state as a good, sound reason to secede, it will. As for robert, you need take your head out from where the sun don't shine, and realize what is going on. Good night and GOD (not allah) Bless.
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