If State Monuments Reveal What We’re Made Of, Don’t Mess With Texas
Each civilization has monuments that represent the celebrations it wants to honor. Sometimes it is a good idea to stop and think about these monuments, and the things they portray. It can be revealing of a lot about the people in whom we live.
Texas is a different sort of place — while it’s now a state, it was once a nation for almost 10 years. Other states have also tried nationhood.
Vermont has a long and troubled history. It was founded by a collection of New York rebel counties, who were known for their reputation for feathering and tarring New York tax collectors. The republic existed from 14 years to 1791, but it was not recognized by any nation. As the Revolutionary War started to turn against America, the state started to negotiate to rejoin the British empire as part of the Province of Quebec during the Haldimand Affair — but the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 put an end to that.
In present-day Southwest Mississippi, the Republic of West Florida existed for two months. The Republic was then an independent nation until 1810 when it was annexed. After the overthrow of its monarchy in 1893 by some U.S. Marines, Hawaii was able to become a republic for just a few more years.
California was an independent republic until 25 days later, when it was transferred to the U.S. military governor. This was during the Mexican-American War of 1846.
In late 2011, my family moved from California into Texas. Before that I served six years as California’s state assemblyman. Prior to that I also served in the California Army National Guard. In 2007, my retirement from reserve service, I retired in lieutenant colonel.
My work with the Texas Public Policy Foundation has me regularly visiting the Texas Capitol, and the grounds. It is only two blocks from my office. Recently, coming back from testifying before a committee, I noticed that Texas’ monuments had a decidedly martial air — with rifles, swords, pistols, and even several cannons.
However, it was not until the last day of February that I started to seriously consider armed statues. After returning from a meeting of legislative staff, I noticed an anti Second Amendment rally at the Texas State Capitol.
As I was recalling the California Capitol state park, my thoughts turned to the possibility that Texas Capitol’s massive denizens could easily outnumber California’s statuary if it animated. As a history buff, I tried to recall the statuary around the Capitols of America’s most populous two states.
Four of the 12 life-sized monuments on California’s Capitol grounds depicting animals, people or things were actually armed. Of 26 life-size depictions on the Texas state grounds, fully 19 were armed or were actual weapons — giving Texas almost a 5-to-1 advantage in this department.
States represent the lives of those who call them home. Many American states are both larger and more populous that many European ones.
Texas had many American settlers before it. Tennesseans are a large part of that group. They were an ebullient bunch.
In its war against Mexico, Texas participated in 12 battles. After winning the first six, it lost five more, including at Alamo. Then, Texas won San Jacinto’s last battle. Texas was then an independent republic that lasted almost 10 years.
California’s struggle for independence from Mexico lasted all of 10 days and, after much scheming and maneuvering, resulted in the sole battle of Bear Flag Revolt at the Battle of Olómpali in which 20 militiamen of the California Republic defeated a force of 50 Mexican infantry backed up by 20 irregulars in what is now Marin County. California was able to hold on for less than one month.
What would happen if California won the battle for its Capitol?
Coming from the West, you will find the California Peace Officers Memorial with its four officers armed with handguns right across from the Capitol.
The advance up the steps would be uncontested, and as the living statues broke into the rotunda, where once a statue of Christopher Columbus accepting his commission from Queen Isabella might have given pause — Columbus had a fine sword — alas, the statue, donated in 1883In 2020, he was released from police custody following the violence that followed George Floyd’s death.
Outside the governor’s office, a large bronze grizzly bear might take a bite out of the attack — it was donated in 2009 by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Texas statues are most likely to be resisted as you travel through the Capitol and onto the 40-acres of California State Capitol Park. “El Soldado” The California Mexican-American Veterans Memorial is equipped with a rifle. However, soldiers at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial have two rifles as well as a grenade. “Hiker” A rifle is used in the Spanish American War Memorial. Although the battleship USS California is represented, this representation only includes its bell and not its twelve 14-inch guns.
After a quick fight, they can surrender to California in the World Peace Rose Garden.
An attack on the Texas Capitol, on the other hand, would result in a devastating loss of life for any attackers, regardless of whether they were marble, granite or bronze.
As you approach the Capitol, from the south and up Congress Avenue the first signs of trouble come from a lady holding a cannon. Angelina Eberly was an Austin innkeeper who uncovered Sam Houston’s secret plot to remove the state archives from Austin to safekeeping in Washington-on-the-Brazos. Eberly realized that losing the archives could be disastrous for businesses and fired the cannon in order to excite Austinites into the Texas Archive War. They were quickly retrieved.
Moving past Eberly and her six-pounder, a tremendous cannonade ensues — from real cannons! Two 12-pounder brass cannons, one 12-pounder cannon made of wrought iron, are on display at the Texas Capitol Grounds. The other cannon is a 12-pounder, while the Texas Revolution has two 12-pounder cannons.
Next, the small arms fire begins. Six monuments are included: Terry’s Texas Rangers Heroes, Texas African American History Tejano and Hood’s Texas Brigade. They each have 12 rifles and two pistols. A sword, a knife, a saber and bayonet can also be found. With two rifles each, another monument, the Spanish American War Memorial and Gold Star Mothers provides flanking fire for the west: the Spanish American War Memorial and Gold Star Mothers. The Goddess of Liberty, armed with a huge sword, coordinates the battle from the Capitol dome.
The attacker was defeated once he reached the Capitol. Now, Sam Houston is angry and Stephen F. Austin has a gun.
A whole Vietnam-era fire force could enter the Capitol from the north with two M-16s, two M-16s or an M79 rocket launcher.
The 9-11-era Price of Liberty Memorial will offer an ending shot if all the fussillade at the Vietnam Veterans Monument was not enough.
As a reminder, the monuments that surround the Texas Capitol remind us of how liberty is only possible through constant vigilance.
Simply put, don’t mess around with Texas.
Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer of Texas Public Policy Foundation and vice chairman, Golden State Policy Council is a former California legislator. He’s also a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. DeVore is the author of “The Crisis of the House Never United—A Novel of Early America.”
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