The Ottawa free trader., 1874-03-07
The Mexican Veterans.

The Chicago Post d MAJ opposes INC pre-
ject of granting pensions to the Mexican We
Grams in this wise:
If the claims of the Mexican veterans ar
of the same nature and deserving as those c
: the war of 1912 and of the late rebellion, an
discrimination against them would be man
Il fest Injustice. There is however, diilcrenc
p which amounts to Il sentiment, if not to a
absolute principle. The soldiers of 1912 AM
of the rebellion fought in defense OF thci
homes, of their country, and of their sacre'
honor. Those of Mexico fought simply in
0 war of aggression by strong power agains
} a weak one, and, as many consider, in an un
holy and unworthy crusade. 1t was wa
J for the acquisition of territory, for materla
ACKNOWLEDGMENT and in the interest OF gov
ernment robbery Towards the soldiers fight
! ing in such cause the people do not fee
that sentiment of chivalric devotion and ten
der solctude which goes out toward the de
Tenders of their home-the repelers of foreign
Iinvasion-thc preservers of country and o
fame This may be fine point, perhaps
but it is needless to deny that it is very wide
| ly and very naturally entertained.
As one of the aforesaid veterans, the writer
of this, though making no pretencc of being
in position to despise small things, is i'm
portunlng his dear Uncle Samuel for no ad
dtional compensation for the years inditier
ent service he rendered him in that mcmora
bic campaign. Uncle S. paid him good dcal
bigger wages than the subscriber" agreed tc
serve for and then, at the close Of the year
generously flung in three months extra pay and
a quarter section Of land. We signed re
ceipt IN full long ago, and have no desire tc
go behind it.
But we protest Numerically and decidedly
against the aboYe reasons for denying the
proposed pension The war with Mexico
was no more commenced for purposes of ma.
terial aggrandzement than the war to crush
the rebellion was commenced destroy slavery,
though both wars, liks such contests general,
ly, were more far.rcaChing in their cOnse-
qucnces than their origin contemplated In
the case of Mexico, an insolent foreigner had
dared to invade our sacred soil' and muir
der its innocent inhabitants, claiming to own
the land; and when promptly driven off, in
stead Of being satisfied and making a suita
BILE apology, began to muster his armies with
the purpose of returning and renewing the
contest To have cravenly submitted to the
indgnity may accord with the Post G HaHS
ideas of national honor, but TO Uncle Samuel,
and we suspect the world generally, such
conduct would have looked like pusillarim.
ity At all events, our government called for
volunteers to 60 forth and defend what the
regularly appointed authoritlcs-the prcsi.
dent and the continental congress s--had de
clarcd to be the national honor, and it was no
part of a high private in the ranks of death"
to dispute their word. The field of strife was
not an inviting one TO enter The regions of
the Rio Grande and Vera Cruz were anything
but attractive to risk ones life in--not on ac
count of the greasers or yellow-bellied sol
dicrs to be encountered; but disease and
death in the form Of dysentery and black
vomIt stalkcd there in infinitely more hld.
eous form than they ever assume amid the
glitter Of bayonets, the rattle of muskctry or
the thunder Of arhllcy. TO jump on board
railroad train and ride to Cairo, and thence
down the Mississippi or up the Tennessee in
ly within mail and telegraph reach Of friends
and home, and the sanitary commission and
all kinds OF supplies, was very different af
fair from Il 1900 mile foot tramp over the
flint hills and through the barren and wafer
less gorges of the Sierra in Tamauipas and
Nucva Leon, or Tlaxacala and Puebla Law
ing aside the sentimental swash about Gag
grandiZcment" on the one side and the "sa
cred. cause of human rights" on the other
the Mexican volunteers, in the rough, were
impellcd by motives quite as lofty and patri,
otic, and in most cases cyinced higher and
no5lcr spirit of selisaCrifice, than ever actu-
atcd the mass Of the soldiers that fought in
the war of 1913 or the war of the rebellion.
To make distinction between the soldiers of
the Mexican and our other great wars on the
grounds suggested by the Post 81 NaH would
be hdcously unjust, and none but mummy
headed, shrivel- -brained bigOt would suggest
IT,