Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-09
MEXICO'S STRENGTH.
inc Task Of Whipping Onr NeTghbOr
Republic 4 Much More ulniculi one
Than feopls Appear 10 Suppose.
her Army Organized IN n Method Anal.
ogo" 10 That OF Franoe-The Half
Breeds Excellent Fighters.
Vow Yo,l nornId.

Should the United States be compelled
to whip Mexico into compliance with her
International obligations, we would md
the task much more dillcut ono than
people appear TO suppose. Some OF our
military men and others who may be
looked upon as leaders of public
opinion, laugh 10 tcorn the idea that
the sister republic could offer any
considerable resistance to an American
armed force, aud ia support Of their opln-
ions they are fond of repeating the fact
that Gen. Scott captured the City of Mex.
leo with feldIorceN OF about ~ 600
men. People who think that such an I'M
dertaking could be successfully at
tempted now are quite astrsy In their
calculations. When the American army
occupied Mexico 1t had only to deal with
the thoroughly unpopular corrupt aud
tyraDnieal Dictator-General Antonio I.o-
PEI de Santa Anna. SO very much dis
/ guste6 were the Mexicaus with the ruin
GUS rule OF this despot that the majority
OF them looked upon the invading Ameri.
cans rather in the light of friends and
deliverers from bondage than of national
enemies. This condition is now changed
altogether. Mexico has fought her way
TO federal constitution. She defeated
the French invading army OF about As 900
men. She speedily put down the mon
archical conspiracy TO establish an empire
within her borders, and has succeeded
wonderfully during the last ten or fifteen
years in consolidating her political in
stitutions and In organizing most ell
cient, well-equipped army.
Mexico contains at the present time q
/ population of over eleven millions. II Is
true that en.tenths of this population
are composed OF docile Indians or half
breeds, but It must not be forgotten that
this same class Of people furnishes most
! excellent fighting material, They can
live on the smell # an old rag, march al
most incredible distances, suffer all sorts
of hardships uncomplainingly, and are, as
a general rule, fearless of death. II Mex
leo could apply to her people the same
principles of military organizations that
are applied In Germany, France and some
other European nations, she could place
In line an army OF not less than $50, 600
fighting men. The financial resources of
the country would not, however, admit of
the calling 10 arms OF more than ope-hali
OF this number Of men az one time Thus,
while the resisting power of Mexico
might be set down at about 800, 900 men,
to he employed successfully, as occasion
might require, she could hardly by her
greatest effort place In campaign at any
one period over 250, 900 soldiers. During
| the wars with France and with Maximii.
| ian the government OF Juarez had
under arms $4,000 poorly equipped
troops; but this was at period
when the old church party had at least
80, 900 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 mn inadequate
measure OF Mex CO.'S fighting power, she
had arrayed under one or the other Of the
contending parties an aggregate Of 1922 0(
men.
The army of Mexico Is organized in {
method analogous to that OF France. /
is in four divisions, each under the com
mand Of q general of division, rank tina
corresponds to that Of major-general II
the American service, the highest grade
that can be attained in the Mexican army
Some Of the best-known generals of divis
ion are Porfrio Dia2, president OF the
republic; Mariana Escobedo. the
conquerer of Macmillan; Ramon
! RuIOubs ftllpG D. DtEElhLhphlg GUS
tenes Rocha, Pedro TIinoiosa, th,
minister of war; Manuel Gonzalez, ex.
presidents; Geronimo Trevino, Jose JustC
Alvarez, Ignacio Antillon, and a dozen OF
others, more or less. Some Of these gen.
eral officers, such as Sostenes Rocha, Jose
Justo Alvarez and lgnacio Antlllon, are
graduates of the ChOpultepec National
Military academy, while the others at.
tanned their rank through long'contlnued
and distinguished services. Escobrdo II
now ON the retired list, and Corona and
| Gonzalez are not on very cordial terms
with the5 present government, Porflrlo
Disz is by far the most brilliant and sue
cessful commander that his country can
boast OF. lie il Il revolutlonist by pro-
fession and prediction, and somewhat
Of tyrsnt by nature Some OF his oper-
ations In and around the city Of Puebla
during the last days Of MaXlmilian's reign
were of such character, although on a
smaller scale, as to entitle them TO be
compared with these OF Bonaparte's first
| Italian campaign.