The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-09-29

. III "AOH SAC oAlA uOn On GhO S$lGAo'
is designed to provide. There are M
more than eight thousand of these age
, veterans still alive, and this little battl
SCARED remnant of the once superb an
inyinclble invading armies of the ma
tion are swiftly passing away to that VI
discovered bourne whence no travele
returns, and aIe answering to thei
names "at the roll-call of eternity.
Alas, sir, what sad change has tn
sweep of one third of a century wrough
in the personnel of the Army and Nav
that brought down the pride of Mexic
to the dust! One by one they hav
Obeyed the silent summons and gon
to the grand court-martiaI. Scot, WHIT
served his country in three great wars
has fallen asleep beneath the folds o
the flag he loYed so we'll. The heroic
Taylor has departed from the scenes O.
life Most of the officers of lesser rank
and four-fifths Of the soldiers have sunk
into the cold embrace of death And
now these their few surviving comrades
stand like solitary oaks scattered. in a
fallen forest, bearing the marks and
scars of a stormy past, hoary with age,
and glorious as the living monuments
of the heroic days of the Republic.
do not propose here to enter into a
discussion of the question as to the JUS
tice or injustice of the war with Mexico.
That is a question in which the Ameri-
can Army who fought it had no respon-
sibiiity and which must be left for set
tlemcnt to the judgment of impartial
history. 1t is quite sufficient for pres
ent purposes to know that these brave
men rendered great and meritorious ser
vices to the country in that memorable
conflict which, in some respects, may
be Justly cIassed among the most won
derful of ancient or modern times. In
deed the history of the whole war seems
more like a splendid romance than a So
Der narrative of facts. The history of
nations is a record checkered with sue
cesses and reverses, and few, if any, Of
the great generals and conqueriug arm
les of the world have uniformly wOa
Iaurels unminglcd with symbol or dIS-
sster, but to our armies invading Mexi-
90 there was no such thing as defeat.
Even the embattled walls OF the gulf
,ity, sentineled and guarded by the
Forld-renowned castle of San Juan with
is hundred frownins embrazures beIch- !
ng hurricanes of shot and shell, pre-
ented no obstruction. Their reduction
vas but twelve days jubilant celebra-
ion Of the opening of the most magnif-
ent campaign that illumines our his
ory. The thundcrs OF Cerre GordO /
lealed forth the martial melodies to /
which our. resistless battahous kept time /
s they scaled the embattlcd escarp- Z
nents to the lofty valley of XaIapa and /
he fertile plateaus of Pueblo; thence /
weeping down through the mountain
asses they sbeleaguered the defenses of {
he capital with bristling steel and
treams of fire, and with the strength of
,iants and the courage of gods that little
and of nine thousand heroes, canopied
With smoke, torn with musket balls and
hot and shell from hill and plain, from
TOnt and flank, deafened with the rat
lie of musketry, the clang of steel, and
he thunders of artillery, hurled forty
housand Mexican warriors from their
ields and fortresses, wrung from the
onquerors of the Aztees nearly one
alf of their domain for our country,
nd wen for themselves the admiration
f the world and immortality.
Sir, in this war we conquered from
ur sister republic more than imperial
calm, spanning the continent from the
reat gulf to the Pacific Ocean, and
more than six hundred thous-
nd square miles, and nearly one half of
fexico. tits true that in part consider
tion for this magnificent acquisition
ur Government paid Mexico some six
cen millions, including something over
l 900, 900 due from Mexico to Ameri-
an citizens But it is not less true that
lis immense territorial concession. was
xtorted from Mexico by our conquer
lg soldiers. Mexico was at the feet Of
ur armies subjugated and humbled in
he dust, her entire territory was at the
lercY of our Government, which, had
he chosen so to do, could have swept
Lexico from the map of the world.
his vast domain embraces over two
undred millions of acres, more than
le area of the thirteen original States
this Union. And, sir, a reasonable
Stimate of the present cash value of its
lrming lands, improved and unimprev-
i, is not less than $780, 200, 600. The
rport trade, foreign and domestic, of
alifornia and Texas, not to mention
-ew Mexico and Arizona, amounts to
early one hundred millions each per
lnum. But, sir, since we took pos
,ssion of these regions they have yield
/ us of gold and silver not less than
800, 000,0 900. Now, to this stupendous
I'm we must add the estimated sum of
lie values of the opened and unopened
eposits of mineral wealth of all this
oundless domain. And hesitate not
believe, sir, that these are and will
3 worth to the American people $8, ,O0O,-
70, 600. Summing these estimates all
,gether, we are eonfounded at the
nazing magnitude of the value of our
,quisitions from Mexico. Nearly $1O,-
20, 600, ,0O0-a suna SO vast as to tran
,end our powers Of computation-haye s
cen laid in the lap of our Government.
And now, with these facts before US,
IN We afford to 50 far forget gratitude,
more patriotism, trample upon honor,
nd disregard humanity as to vote no
.lief to these benefactors of the nation?
hey come not to the doors of your Cap
ol to challenge your charity and beg
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