Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
History Lesson
RECEIVED Tue., Oct. 23, 2018
Dear Editor,
In the Oct. 19 issue there was a letter called "But Wait …" The author said that it was good to change the Confederate-named schools because they were named for slave-supporting traitors. He then went on to say that José Antonio Menchaca was also a traitor (to Mexico by fighting against the dictatorship of Santa Anna) and further, that Menchaca fought to maintain slavery.
He's correct that Menchaca was a traitor to Mexico as are ALL revolutionaries traitors to their original governments – the barons who revolted against King John in 1215 winning the first rights of the people against the King (Magna Carta – 6/15/1215 at Runnymede); Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads winning more rights for Englishmen in the 1600s; our own Revolution against the British because they would not respect those rights; Hidalgo who revolted against Spain in 1810, to name a few. Menchaca was joined by many Tejanos (Hispanics born in Texas) like Juan Seguín, Plácido Benavides, Fernando De León, who came from every Hispanic population center in Texas (San Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches).
The letter writer is incorrect in saying that Menchaca fought to maintain slavery. Menchaca opposed slavery, opposed secession, and never took the oath to support the Confederacy (which is one reason why he was allowed to register to vote during Reconstruction). In addition, in either 1851 or 1852, Menchaca testified in court in favor of a former slave who had been set free but whose alleged owner was seeking to have her re-enslaved. The court, after hearing the evidence, decided in favor of her freedom in part based on Menchaca's testimony (See Volume XL, p. 97 of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly).
In the Oct. 19 issue there was a letter called "But Wait …" The author said that it was good to change the Confederate-named schools because they were named for slave-supporting traitors. He then went on to say that José Antonio Menchaca was also a traitor (to Mexico by fighting against the dictatorship of Santa Anna) and further, that Menchaca fought to maintain slavery.
He's correct that Menchaca was a traitor to Mexico as are ALL revolutionaries traitors to their original governments – the barons who revolted against King John in 1215 winning the first rights of the people against the King (Magna Carta – 6/15/1215 at Runnymede); Oliver Cromwell and the Roundheads winning more rights for Englishmen in the 1600s; our own Revolution against the British because they would not respect those rights; Hidalgo who revolted against Spain in 1810, to name a few. Menchaca was joined by many Tejanos (Hispanics born in Texas) like Juan Seguín, Plácido Benavides, Fernando De León, who came from every Hispanic population center in Texas (San Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches).
The letter writer is incorrect in saying that Menchaca fought to maintain slavery. Menchaca opposed slavery, opposed secession, and never took the oath to support the Confederacy (which is one reason why he was allowed to register to vote during Reconstruction). In addition, in either 1851 or 1852, Menchaca testified in court in favor of a former slave who had been set free but whose alleged owner was seeking to have her re-enslaved. The court, after hearing the evidence, decided in favor of her freedom in part based on Menchaca's testimony (See Volume XL, p. 97 of the Southwestern Historical Quarterly).
Bob Perkins
