The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1913-05-01

CdWpdtSuS 0&nluoI Tue EOy ollSIS ouu uA0
downfall and death, and of the long
struggle of the Mexican's to gain their
independence from Spain, would require
series of articles. will only say that
during their wars for independence, and
especially during the closing years, quite
number of Americans Joined their
standard and fought bravely to free
Mexico from the rule of Spain. Among
them was the brave Colonel Young, the
American officer who was second in COM
mand at the battle of Sombrero, said by
Herbert Howe Bancroft and other his
torians to have been one of the most
bloody battles during the Revolutionary
wars, Only so of the revolutionists es-
capped, but whether the gallant colonel
was among this number do not know.
He served under E'spozy Nina, who es-
capped and whose deeds of daring made
his name forever famous in history. He
visited the United States in 1916 and
chartered several vessels and also enlist
ed recruits. He was executed in sight of
the garrison of Los Remectoos in 1918.
Three years later Mexico gained her in
dependence under such brave leaders as
Victoria, Guerrero and 1turbide, al
though the name of Iturbide should never
be mentioned with these brave and I'M
selfish patriots, any more than the name
of Santa Anna should be mentioned with
those of Victoria, Herrara and that poor
boy born in the obscure Province of
Oapacee, Benito Pablo Juarez, who be-
come by his own efforts great lawyer
and President of the Supreme Court of
Mexico in 1858. and twice in succession,
in 1867 and 1870, was President of his
country.
l will close this paper with a brief
statement of our war with Mexico in
1913; war that should not have been
begun on our part because our govern
ment was in the wrong. No American
can explain, or has ever attempted to do
so successfully, by what right our nation
annexed Texas after the Sabine River
had been agreed upon by our govern
ment as the boundary line between Mex
leo and the United States. President
Polk, in ordering troops into Mexico as
he did, assumed powers, as all historians
know, not vested in him by law, and
later was censured for this act by Con-
gress. A war at this time by our gov
eminent with Mexico would mean an
armed conflict without just cause, and
would have as little real support among
the rank and file of our people as did our
last war with our southern neighbor.
They would look upon such conflict to-
day as they did over half century ago,
as one prompted by the spirit of "selfish
and ruthless aggrandizement. Those
who favor Intervention, or the annexa-
ton of Mexico to the United States, had
better stop and count the cost of such
long and bloody war as the invasion of
this southern republic would bring upon
our nation. All the horrors and caiami-
ties OF such conflict would be made a
thousand times greater in case Latin
America should unite with Mexico in
their hatred of our people. That there
would be grave danger in this quarter in
case our government takes up arms
against Mexico every careful student of
history must admit Not until there
should be brutal murders of Americans
and wholesale destruction of our proper
ty by the Mexican government should
the United States declare war against
that unhappy and battle-scarred republic
OF such vast and unlimited resources.