On December 29, 1845, Texas formally joined the United States. The Republic of Texas, facing mounting debts and external pressures, made what seemed like a pragmatic choice at the time. But looking at the fundamental transformation of the Federal system over the past 178 years begs an obvious question – if Texas were already an independent nation today, would Texans vote to surrender our independence and join the current American union?
The Texas that joined the union in 1845 entered a Federal system that respected state sovereignty and limited Federal power. States maintained control over their domestic affairs while the Federal government focused on specific enumerated powers like national defense and interstate commerce. The Federal bureaucracy was minimal, with the entire Federal workforce numbering only around 6,000 employees.
Today’s Federal system bears little resemblance to that arrangement. We now live under 180,000 pages of Federal laws administered by 440 separate Federal agencies employing over 2.5 million unelected bureaucrats. These agencies issue thousands of new regulations annually that directly impact the daily lives of Texans without our consent or input.
The fiscal picture is even more stark. The Federal debt has spiraled beyond $36 trillion with no end in sight. Each Texas taxpayer’s share of this debt now exceeds $200,000. This massive debt will eventually force devastating choices – either slash services and benefits that people have been forced to depend on, or dramatically raise taxes. Neither option serves the interests of Texans.
Meanwhile, Texas sends approximately $103-160 billion more to Washington annually than we receive back in Federal spending. Our tax dollars are redistributed to other states while our own needs go unmet. The Federal government shows no interest in securing our border or addressing the costs that their failed immigration policies impose on Texas communities.
The ultimate indignity is that Texans have virtually no say in Federal policy despite the massive impact it has on our lives. With only 38 representatives in a 435-member House and two senators out of 100, Texas lacks the votes to protect our interests. The wishes of Texans are routinely ignored or overridden by representatives from states that benefit from our wealth redistribution.
Why would any self-governing nation willingly submit to such an arrangement? What sovereign people would vote to surrender control over their destiny to a distant bureaucracy that demonstrably does not serve their interests?
Texas has proven we can thrive on our own. We have the world’s 8th largest economy – larger than Canada, Russia or South Korea. We lead the U.S. in exports and energy production. We have our own power grid, a diverse economic base, and abundant natural resources. Our business climate consistently ranks as one of the best globally.
The Texas Military Department already maintains robust army and air components. We have major ports, international airports, and modern infrastructure. Texas has every element required for success as an independent nation – as we already proved from 1836 to 1845.
Most importantly, Texans have maintained our unique identity and culture despite nearly two centuries in the union. We still see ourselves as Texans first. Our state motto isn’t “Federal Government Friendship” – it’s “Friendship.” The pledge of allegiance to the Texas flag doesn’t reference the union – it declares Texas “one and indivisible.”
The early Texians who debated joining the union in 1845 could not have envisioned what that union would become. They entered a voluntary association of sovereign states, not a centrally-controlled bureaucratic superstate that would gradually usurp state authority and self-governance.
If Texans today were asked to vote on joining such a system, knowing what we know now, the outcome would be clear. No self-respecting people would willingly surrender their independence to a government that has strayed so far from its founding principles and proven itself hostile to state sovereignty and individual liberty.
The real question isn’t whether Texans would vote to join – it’s why we continue to accept this arrangement when we have both the right and capability to restore our independence. The Texas Constitution still declares that “all political power is inherent in the people” and we retain the “inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.”
It’s past time we gave Texans that choice.
