The Washington herald., 1914-06-28
OUR WAR WITH MEXICO.
How the conaiet Was Regarded by
Webster and Grant.

IN MS speech IN the senate OF .tne
United States On the Objects Of the
Mexican War" delivered shortly. after
the treaty OF Guadalupe Hidaiso was
signed. Daniel Webster said,
The other house has passed q resolu-
tion affirming that the war with Mexico
was begun uncofistitutionally and nnnec-
fessarily BY the executive government
sentiment; hold that 10 be the most
1 recent and authentic expression Of the
VIII and opinion Of the majority Of the
people Of the United States
/ Mr.. Webster held not only that the
war with Mexico was begun unconstitu-
tionally and unnecessarily. but, also that
its objeet was the acquisition OF new
territory by conquest Said the great
expounder:
There is. sir. another proposition not
50 automatically announced hitherto. but
IN my Judgment equally true and equally
capable Of demonstration; and that Is
that this war was begun. has been con-
tinued. and Is now prosecuted, for the
great and leading purpose OF the ae-
to brin9 new ne ns statea wiz tbeIr Ie a exiesn en
population, into this. our Union Of the
United States.
Loving Ms own country. as he did. Mr..
Webster was able 20 conceive that a
Mexican could love Mexico with a love
equally fervent and patriotic Said he:
d
that there Is no stronger desire In the
breast OF a Mexican citizen than 10 re-
tain the territory which belongs to the
republic. We know that the Mexican
must. with regret. with pangs OF sor-
row. The Mexican people will
never accede TO the terms OF the treaty
but through the impulse OF absolute
necessity, and the impression made upon
them by absolute and Irresistible force:
therefore We purpose TO overwhelm them
with another army. We purpose to raise
another army of 1000 regulars and 20.00O
the Mexican people"
In an earlier speech he had stated his
objections to the annexation OF Texas,
which. he regarded as one OF the causes
OF the war with Mexico:
In the third place and this was in
surmountable in my Judgment. II was an
objection that the annexation Of Texas
was to bring under the control Of our
government, and make part OF this Union.
a country which was then free from
slavery. but Into which. when annexed.
slavery and slave representation would
be introduced. That objection was in
surmountable IN nv mind. and would he
so at all times, under all circumstances.
and In all like cases. In the fourth
place. ii was evident, and so was urged
in Congress again and again, that the
annexation OF Texas might lead to a
war with Mexico"
that Mr.. Webster condemned the policy
of Folks administration. for in the same
speech. he characterized the government
of Mexico as ''One OF the most irregular
and worst governments that had ever
existed on the face OF the earth But"
he continued. "the annexation was COM
pleted., The western boundary was a
matter about which disputes existed or
must arise. There was, as between US
Ma,rNa
Texas and Mexico. no ascertained and /
acknowledged western boundary"
This free country OF Mexico adjoined I
a country, on its northern border, that I
was Fastening. unconscIously 10 the sub .
lime but terrible demonstration that it
would not continue to endure half free [
and half slave" The slave power was |
coming TO the zenith Of its ascendancy !
and domination in the United States |
and II saw and seized its chance for !
further ACKNOWLEDGMENT, although Il was /
carrying the nation Into an unlawful |
and unjust war against its sister re- |
public"
Mr.. Webster charged that the Presi- /
dent directed the occupation Of a terri /
tory, by force Of arms. TO which the /
Emitted States had no ascertained title: q !
which, II claimed by the United |
States. WAS also claimed by Mexico, |
Rnd was at the time in her actual occu- !
patton and possession: that as early as .
July. 1876, the President knew as well as
others acquainted with the subject. that !
this territory was in the actual possession |
Of Mexico: that il contained Mexican |
over which Texas had not /
exercised jurisdiction. up to the time OF .
Shortly before the treaty Of Guadalupe ,
was signed, Mr.. Webster. IN his ,
speech in the Senate, on The Ten .
Regiments Bill" had denounced that /
''abominable.' and shortly after that
treaty was concluded he said:
IF the question were put to me today .
/ would take peace under the .
present state Of the country. distressed /
as IL is, during the existence OF a war
lfflictive as now exist 10 humanity, and /
so disturbing to the business OF those
whom j represent. / say still. II II were
put to me whether l would have peace .
with new States, ! would say No! No.
The war with Mexico was but one Of
the steps in ''the irrepressible conflict
that nearly wrecked the United States
and kept driving her, through fierce de-
bates and the desperate struggle in
bleeding Kansas" into the maeIstrom
of the civil war. In his Personal
Memoirs" Gen. Grant described the
-ebelllOn as sequence to the Mexican
war" and said of that war that it was
5ne OF conquest in the interest of an
institution"
But for that power-not ourselves
which overrules evil for good. the Union
would have been dismembered and civili-
.ation set back in the Dis-United States
'or generations. and. as II was, the Fed
.ral government seemed TO have been
brought almost to deaths door. Bounty
Jumpers and deserters from the Union
Irmy outnumbered the combined forces
II Grant and Lee in the Wilderness, and
he national currency had fallen TO less
han 40 cents on the dollar.
No matter on what grounds II may be
advocated, let us beware Of armed in
ervention now. Mediation will indeed be
Godsend IL it prevents such a catas-
rophe. Those mistaken zealots who are
the government to stop the
ighting in Mexico by marching the
United States army from Vera Cruz 10
dexico City, know not what they do.
They are clamoring for the blood Of
heir own kin.
We met with dreadful losses on the
march from Vera Cruz to Mexico City in
sI7. Gen. Worth, in less than an hour.
ost fifty-eight commissioned officers and
ne-fourth of his division OF $500 men
t Molino del Rey. And yet, as said by
len. Grant In his Personal Memoirs;
The Mexican army of that day was
lardly an organization. The private
older was picked up from the lower
lass Of the inhabitants when wanted;
lis consent was not asked; he was
'oorly clothed, worse fed, and seldom
aid. With ALI this, I have seen