TEXAS CONSTITUTIONAL MILITIA

SOUTHERN REGION

5525 Blanco Road, Suite 112

San Antonio, Texas 78216

(210)525-0693       FAX:  (210)342-4867



September 28, 1994



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Info:  Bill Utterback  (210)525-0693





STATEWIDE MILITIA MUSTER AND PATRIOT RALLY AT THE ALAMO ON

NOVEMBER 12, 1994



     San Antonio, Texas, September 28, 1994 -- Bill  Utterback, 

Coordinator  for units of  the Southern Region of the Texas

Constitutional Militia and project coordinator for the Alamo

Rally today announced the first statewide militia muster to be

held  in Texas since 1836.  At noon on November 12,  1994, 

volunteers  from Texas Constitutional Militia units across the

state will muster at a patriot rally open  to  all American

patriots.

     Under the slogan, 'In 1836 a messenger rode from the Alamo

for help -- in 1994 a messenger rode to the Alamo for help', a

five day Freedom Ride from Cuero, Texas to San Antonio, Texas by

a militia unit will terminate at  the  Alamo  with  a messenger

bringing a Statement of Grievances for  presentation  to  the 

government. John Hamilton, Commander of the De Witt County

Volunteers unit of the  Texas  Constitutional Militia and federal

congressional candidate,  will  be  that  messenger. The route of

the Freedom Ride passes through Gonzales, Texas,  where  the 

first  shot of the Texas Revolution was fired on October 2, 1835. 

At that time the Mexican Army demanded the return of a cannon in

the possession of the Texas militia. The militia, defiantly

flying a banner inscribed 'Come and Take it', sent  the  Mexican

Army detachment running back to the Alamo without the cannon.

     Held on Veterans' Day plus one, the purposes of the rally

are to  honor  the Alamo heroes plus all  the  other  American 

patriots  who  responded  to  the  call  of duty in the two

hundred and  twenty  years  since  1774  and  to  petition  the 

government  for  redress  of  grievances.  "It  is  interesting 

to  note",  said  Utterback, "that the Alamo defenders never knew 

that  the  Republic  of  Texas  had  declared  independence from

Mexico.  They  were  fighting  in  an  attempt  to  force  the 

Mexican government to operate under  the  limitations  in  the 

Mexican  Constitution  of  1824, which is why their flag was  the 

Mexican  tri-color  with  the  national  emblem  replaced by the

numbers '1824'.  Similarly, the goal of  the  Texas 

Constitutional Militia is to return  both  the  Texas  and 

United  States  governments  to  Constitutional republics".

     "The militia will  carry  no  weapons  at  this  muster", 

continued  Utterback, "to empathize that we  believe  our  goal 

can  be  met  without  a  shot  being  fired. The option of the 

militia  engaging  in  defensive  combat  would  be  a  last 

resort action  in  response  to  criminal  and/or 

unconstitutional  aggression  by  enemies  of the Constitution".

     Speakers will include Larry Pratt  of  Gun  Owners  of 

America  and  Larry  Dodge of the Fully  Informed  Jury 

Association.  Also  speaking  will  be  Gary  Graham  and J. C.

Van Kirk of Take  Texas  Back,  Tinker  Spain  of  the  Committee 

to  Repeal  War and Emergency Rule, and Alex De Pena, San Antonio

political activist.



STATEWIDE MILITIA MUSTER AND PATRIOT RALLY AT THE ALAMO ON

NOVEMBER 12, 1994



page 2 of 2



      Except for a few public officials,  the  militia  of  Texas 

is  composed  of  the adult Texans who are not serving in the

United States military forces.  Units of the Texas Constitutional 

Militia  (T.C.M.)  are Texans  who  have  chosen  to become 

active  in  the  militia.  Volunteers  of  the  T.C.M. 

absolutely  support  and defend both the Texas and United  States

Constitutions and  will  take  an  oath  to that effect at the

Alamo.  Divided presently into a Northern and Southern Region,

the T.C.M. is organized by counties with each county unit

operating under the authority of the people of that county.

     The right of the people of Texas to form a militia is a

natural and common law right, protected by the First and Second

Amendments of the United States Constitution and by Article 1,

Sections 23 and 27 of the Texas Constitution.  In the current

Texas Constitution, adopted in 1876, the people of Texas

delegated to the Texas Legislature the authority to organize and

discipline the Militia,  In 1969 the people of Texas took back

this delegated authority by repealing Article 16, Section 46 of

the Texas Constitution.  In Texas, the authority to form a

militia is once again held by the people without the Texas

Legislature being involved.