Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-21
MEXICAN WAR Of
1847 WAS COSTLY
STRUGGLE FOR US.
Lasted Nearly Two Years and
Expense Was S166, 100000
Casualties TOtalled
1900 Men.

| 1t has been the custom to regard the
Mexican War Of 1Si6-4S as a kind Oh
opera bouffe, yet it was one of the most
expensive foreign wars in which the
, United States ever engaged. 1t lasted
for almost two years and cost eXclu-
sive of pensions later sl66,0ooOco in ac-
tual money. and in lives it has been estl-
mated that, although the known num-
Der of killed. fatally wounded and dead
Of disease, was about 5000, the deserted
and missing, and those discharged for
disability, brought up the total Of cas-
ualtes to more than 1900 men.
| TO offset this the independence OF
Texas was acknowledged, and those large
! territories, then designated as Upper
california, Utah and New Mexico which
now form the states Of California. titan,
Nevada, nearly all OF Arizona and large
| parts of Now Mexico, Colorado and
| Wyoming were coded to the United
States
But what probably was worse than
either the loss of the 1900 lives at the
! time. and the expenditure OF Si66NM,"n
! was the fact that the coded territory
widened the breach between the ,aboli-
tionsts and the slave holders, by adding
territory which both sides on the slave
question claimed for exploiting their
views In this way the Mexican War
may he said to have been the prologue
of the greater struggle the Civil War
Of 1SGf-G5
All great wars have their genesis in
| prppa6iup Not iOfrponputlV
in two, or even three generations back,
and the Mexican War was in nowise ex-
empt from this rule. When some set
tiers went down into Texas and found it
a very desirable country they discovered
that the country really had been coded
to the United States in the Louisiana
purchase of 1909. They found, however.
that in the treaty of 1919 with Spain, by
which Florida came into the possession
Of the United States, the territory had
been sacrificed. 1t does not appear that
this sacrifice was recognized until some
pioneers found Texas worth while That,
of course. changed views all around. and
those who wanted Texas to be part of
the United States began to study history.
TEXAS CLAIMED BY MEXICO.
Although McXlCO Claimed 1eSaS, II
did not take any extraordinary meas
ures for settling it and governing that
vast empire until the Americans taught
it how valuable piece of land it was.
Mexico then began to be interested and
declared that it always had belonged to
the country below the Rio Grande.
But the annexation of Texas really
preciptated the Mexican War Every
the war clouds on the horizon, but
President Polk refused to look at them.
He gave orders for military movements
but did not ask Congress for any APP
preparation for carrying on n struggle
which he must have known was in
prospect
The American settlers in Texas, after
they found they outnumbered the Mex
leans In that territory, sought to be
annexed to the Mexican Confederation.
Santa Anna, the Mexican usurper, had
just overthrown the Mexican federal
government and had set up for dictator.
The Mexican Congress paid no attention
to the petition OF the Texans and their
envoy imprudently sent them word to
organize n State without authorization
of the Mexican government.
FORMATION OF TEXAS REPUBLIC.
On November g. 1875, the Texan dele
gates assembled in San Felipe de Aus
tin and issued manifesto against
Santa Anna, and thus began the strug-
gle with Mexico for the independence of
Texas There were several battles be-
tween the Mexican forces and the Tex
; ans, and on April q, 1S36-aways an in
| dat hot Io
Of san Jac!nto, Santa Anna was cap
tured and Mexican authority forever de-
stroyed over that country.
Then began long period during which
Texas clamored for admission TO the
United States, during which time the
G country was the Republic of Texas.
l The situation was n serious one for
9 the United States, however. Mexico let
it be known that any effort to annex
4 Texas would he regarded as a cause for
/ war. SO the question was debated regu-
D larly at each session of Congress There
was a great deal of good eloquence spent
4 on the subject But just as regularly
: the subject was left unsettled when Con-
gress adjourned. 1t was one of those
= subjects that every congressman knew
was loaded yet 1t was recognized that
y the question could not be left forever
, unanswered,
: In 1913, when Congress appeared as
y being likely to succumb to the oratory
- it had listened to for seven or eight
! years. the Mexican minister in Washing
ton sent a note to the secretary of state
n Mr. Upshur, to the effect that his govern
=. ment was resolved to declare war las
d soon as 1t receives intimation of such
an act"
TEXAS ANNEXED
President Tyler however, never fal.
v tered. In April. 1874. he sent to the SEN
e ate treaty Of annexation, which was
t rejected, In November of the same year
V after it was known that Mr.. Polk had
- been elected President on a ticket that
0 virtually called for the annexation, Con-
9 gress, as one of its last acts, on March
g /, 1915, passed a joint resolution giving
! consent to the annexation of the Re-
h public of Texas.
e President Polk, therefore upon enter
G ing Office on March 4, knew he had a
& war on his hands
f Texas the Lone Star State, entered
the constellation of States on July 4
v 1915, and on July Texas requested the
z United States to occupy the ports Of
Texas and to send an army TO her de
fence.
AT that tirna tho land between thf