The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-05
MExICO'S FIGHTING STRENGTH

nat length.
MEXICOS FIGHTING STRENGTH
Can Put $50 OO0 in the Field a,
Once.
The New York Herald, ANTICIPATING
possible trouble with Mexico, has hat
prepared an article upon the military
strength OF the sister Republic, from
which we learn that SHOULD the Uni5
ed States be compelled to whip Mexico
into compliance with her international
obligations, we would find the task a
much more difficult one than people
appear to suppose. Some of orr mil.
itary men and others who may be
looked upon as leaders of public opin-
ion laugh to scorn the idea that the
sister Republic could offer any consid.
cradle resistance to an American armed
force, and in support of their opinions
they are fond of repeating the fact that
Gen. Scott captured the City of Mex.
leo with a field force of about 1900
men. People who think that such an
undertaking could be successfully at
tempted now are quite astray in their
calculation Wnen the American
army occupied Mexico it had only to
deal with the thoroughly unpopular,
corrupt and tyrannical DiCta! or,
Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa
Ana. So very much disguised
were the Mexicans with the ruinous
ri OF this despot that the majority of
them looked upon the invading
Americans rather in the light of
friends aud deliverers from b ondsge
than OF national enemies. This con.
diticn it now changed together
Mexico has fought her way to fed
eral cons tuition. She dsfsatei the
French invading army Of about $4,000
men. She speedily put down the
monarchical conspiracy to establish an
empire within her b,rders, and has
succeeded wonderfully during the last
ten or fifteen years in con solidating
her political institutions and in or.
gambling most effic ent, well equipped
army.
ABLE TO PUT 100000 MEN UNDER ARMS.
Mexico contains al the present time
a population OF 100000. 1t is true
that seven-tenths of this population
are COMPOSED OF docile Indians or hat.
breeds, but it must not be forgotten
that this came class OF people furnishes
most excellent fighting mater al. They
can live on the smell OF an oil rag,
march almost incredible distances, sui
fer all sorts of hardships uucomplain-
ingly, and are, as rule, fearless OF
death. II Mexico could apply to her
people the same principles of military
organization that are applied in Ger
many, France and some other Euro
pean nations, she could place in line
an army of not less than 100000 fight
ing men. The financial resources OF
the country would not, however, adj
NIT of the calling to arms Of more than
one-half OF this number OF men at one
time. Thus, while the resisting power
of Mexico might be set down at about
100000 men, to be employed success.
lively, rs occasion might require, she
could hardly by her greatest effort
place in campaign at any one
period over 100000 soldiers. Dur
iug the wars with France and
with Macmillan the government
OF Juarez had under arms about 81, 600
poorly equipped troops; but this was
at a period when the cd Church
party had at lesst $4,000 Mexican men
under arms in the service of France
and of the Archduke Macmillan.
This shows that even in those days,
when scarcity OF arms, and not lack
OF men, afforded an inadequate meas
ure OF MeXico's fighting power, she
had arrayed under one or the other of
the contending parties an aggregate of
$4,000 men.
EXPERIENCED MILITARY LRADERs.
The army OF Mexico was organized
in a method analogous to that of
France. 1t is 10 four divisions, each
under the command OF a general of
division, rank that corresponds to
that Of major general in the American
service, the highest grade that can be
attained in the Mex can army. Some
of the best known generals OF division |
ave Porfirio Diaz, Pre- sident OF the Re- !
public; Mariana Escobedo, the con-
qusrlr of Macmillan; Ramon Co ono,
Felipe b BerrioZabal, Sostenes Rocha,
Pedro Hinojosa, the Minister of |
War; Manuel Gonzalez, ex. President;
Geronimo Trevino, Jose Justo Alvarez, |
Ignacio Aniilon and dozen Others
more or less. Some of these general |
officers, such as Sostenes Rocha, Jose
Justo Alvarez aud IgDaco Antillon
are graduates Of the Chapultepec Ma.
tional Military Academy, while the
Others attained their rank through long
continued aud distinguished services.
EscDbedo is now on the retired list,
and Corona and GONZALEZ are now on
very cordial terms with the present
government. Porfirio Disz is by far
the mcst bri ant and successful COM
mander that his country can boast of
He lie revolutionist by pro ession and
prediction and somewhat of tyrant
by nature. Some of his operations in
aud around the city of Pu4bla during
the last days of Maximiisn's reign
were OF sucn a character, although on
smaller scale, as 10 entitls them to
be compared with Blnaparte's first
Italian campaign.
WIDE SCOPE OF EXECUTIVE POWER
The President Of Mexico il, under
the cons tuition Of 1857, commander
iu-chief OF the national army and
navy. The latter branch of the ser
vice is yet in it's infancy, composed as
il is OF only four gunboats, two of
these to guard the Atlantic and the
others the Pacifj coast of the Repub.
lie. The Minister OF War holds SINH
lar relations to the President as does
our oxn Secretary of War to Mr..
G evelsnd, with this difference, that
in Mexico the powers OF the War Min
lister are much more extended aud alb
Eolute than ia the csss in this country,
In Mexico the Minister OF War does
not, to certain extent, care much
what Congress may think or say OF his
in Office. The Mipis'er
makes his estimates aud Congress
generally adopts them without vino.
ing or inquiring wherefore they are
made. Congress is, for the most part,
The servant of the Executive, The
estimates are expended without refer
eAce to public opinion, this unimpor-
liant item being manufactured to order
by the subsidized press of the govern
ment Aud be it understood that in