The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-12

would have been beaten but for the
Mexican war els too plain to need dis
CUSTOM" He then declares that ''the
the men. MOI trained soldiers had it not
been for that war; whereas, the South
had them ALP Here, in a single SEN
tence. MIR. Langsdale has wiped out all
history and statistics showing that pre-
vious to the Mexican war there existed
north of Mason and Dixon's line more
than a dozen vigorous States, with a
population of millions. large industries
and extensive trade, and asserts, in eff
feet, that there would have been neither
money nor population III the North but
for the Mexican war! On the other
haad, regardless of the Mexican war,
the South had money, population and
trained soldiers!
No n doubts that the war with
Mexico, while originally designed to
nationalize human slavery, has resulted
in great good to the Republic. Its i'm
mediate result, however. was to
strengthen the slave power; but the
conquest gave US California with its
gold, of which, with other specie, there
was only 1895. 900. 900 in the whole coun-
try nine months before the war broke
out. The rest had been sent abroad to
pay adverse trade balances. The greater
part of that none was in the NORTH,
while, If the South had paid it's debts to
the North before going into the strug-
gle, there would have been no money
left for war. 1t was usually a year be-
advances in money and merchandise
from the North. The South could not
manufacture a locomotive, it had
scarcely a cotton factory, it could not
manufacture q musket. The North was
in q condition to make guns, equip
railroads and clothe troops. And yet
MIR. Langsdale flies into the face of all
history and declares that the North
would not have had money or eve men
without the Mexican war, while the
South had all at hand ready for use!
The South was SO rich in men and ma
terrell that the twenty thousand Mex
lean veterans within her borders are of
little consequence to her; but in vain
would have been the efforts of the
2.4O0,00 0 men who represented 1865, 900
enlistments in the Union army to save
the Republic if O portion of the five or
six thousand survivors of the Mexican
war who had seen field service had not
proceeded to lead them! All honor to
those Mexican veterans who entered the
Union army; but they were confined to
a few States. and their patriotic service
was offset In part by the Mexican vet
Grams who turned copperheads and or
ganized the Golden Circle.
Hereafter be not surprised at any ut
terance which Commissioner LangsdGle
may make. He seems to be the victim
Of Mexico-mania. When the delirium
is on he may yet declare that the Mex
lean war was so far-reachinR and potent
in its influence that the war for the
Union was an unnecessary waste of life
and treasure, and thereupon direct the
removal of the figures 1661-1S65. Then
he will have fully completed the aeonc
spiracy to divert from it's original pur-
| pose the monument which was not de-
signed to show the warlike spirit of In
diana, but the part which her sons, in
the field and in the council, performed
in one of the greatest crises through
which human liberty and popular gov
eminent have ever passed.