The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-11-12
Maine Men in the Mexican
{ War Of 1867.

at the front, instead of Europe, when it
looked as if war with that country was
nearly certain, my mind reverted back
to our war with Mexico that began In
1845, and to the part taken in it by some
of the people of Waldo county, Maine.
The readers of history will no doubt re-
member that the prime cause OF that
war was for the increase of slave terri
tory for the benefit of the south; and
while it was very popular at the South,
with the acquiescence Of most OF the
western States, some wildly and some
mildly, it was extremely unpopular in
the northern and eastern States, and par
ticulsrly In the New England States.
The records show that while 100, 900 men
took part in that war, New England had
but 1900, and that was one regiment
thai went from Massachusetts. The
situation was this: In 1916 James X.
Polk of Tennessee was elected President
of the United States. He was strong
proslavery man, and with other leading
men of the South, John c. Calhoun being
the leader, and aided by hundreds OF
others. The South was in the saddle,
and had been most of the time since the
adoption of the Constitution, and it saw
yery clearly that it could not hold the
balance of power unless it had more
territory in the South from which to
make slave States. Texas was then an
Independent nation, having gained her
independence from Mexico in 1885, and
had not vet been annexed to the United
States. There were millions OF, square
miles north of Mason's and Dixon's line,
viz, Sc deg, 80 min. north latitude, from
which free States could be made, and for
this reason President Polk stated plainly
in his inaugural address in 1916 that he
wished to acquire territory beyond the
Rio Grande in Mexico. He did not say
what for; but he who ran could read, so
that the war with Mexico for the ac-
qurement of slave territory was I'M
popular at the north, and on that account
no more troops were raised in New Eng
land than the 1900 mentioned above.
Right here, perhaps, it would be we'll
to use that old but trite saying, that
imam proposes but God disposes,' for
notwithstanding that war was waged for
the promotion of human slavery, not
withstanding the armies of the United
States were victorious in every battle
and the territory acquired from Mexico
by conquest and by purchase amounted to
more than 523, 900 square miles, when the
commissioners of the two nations met for
the purpose of ceding that territory to
the United States the commissioners on
the part of Mexico requested that mas
much as slavery had never existed in
that territory it should be written in the
bond that it never should be used as
slave territory. But the commissioner
on the part of the United States, Mr.
Nicholas P. Trist of South Carolina,
made reply which will be read with
amazement by future generations OF
lIG6 AllcIlCd, dlI WhANA "oo sHAS'
Though the territory to be coded to us
by you is upwards of 5000 square
miles, though it was ten times greater,
and every acre of it were covered with
gold a foot thick, l would not accede to
your proposition. Indeed, l would not
dare to 90 to President Polk with such
an idea"
Bnt under the providence of Almighty
God not one acre, not one rod OF that
vast territory, which comprises all OF
the States of California, Arizona, Ne
vada, New Mexico and part of Colora-
do, ever became slave territory. Indeed,
the yery bowels of the earth cried out
against it.
AS soon as this territory was coded to
the United States gold awas discovered
in California and mad rush was made
from all over che country for the gold
mines. The North had the greater num-
Der of adventures, and a large number
of ships, while the South had only the
overland route by OK teams, and so the
rush from the North was much greater
than from the South. And when Call
fornia had enough population for State
hood, after a tremendous wrangle In
which several people were killed, the
State was admitted into the Union as a
free State; and that was the first clang
of the bell that rang the death knell of
human bondage in the United States.
The gallant bearing of our army in
Mexico won the applause of the entire
nation. Even in the sections where the
war was unpopular the army was popu-
lar. Historians say that no finer body
of men ever went to any war on earth
than those who followed our flag into
Mexico. They were young, ardent, brave,
enthusiastic almost to recklessness, with
a fervor of devotion to their country's |
flag which was a source of qualification
to the entire nation, though many Sec
tons deprecated the cause which brought
or. the war. Generals Grant, Sherman
and Kearney, young and brave lieuten-
ants in that war, fought on the Union