The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-04-20

since the start or the Mexican wal VI
1857. History is not going to repeat
itself this year, whether there is IN
Prevention or not, for conditions are
far from being identical. Even II war
is declared there will scarcely be a
basis for comparison between the
coming conflict and that OF nearly
three-quarters of century back.
Rightly or wrongly, the war of the
'40s has been called one OF conquest.
BY the terms of settlement the United
States increased it's area one-th1rd.
There is no disputed territory over
which to fight now, no Texas question:
no thought of annexing any land.
But students of history, forever
searching for analogous situations,
need not despair. Mexico for many
years before the war was as troublous
and upset, as uncongenial neighbor
as she has been in recent years. She
witnessed the meteoric rise OF die
tator, the sudden collapse of his power
and finally his exile. She saw up
risings and embryonic revolutions
without number, each leaving her
weaker than before.
Unofficial diplomatists were sent to
Mexico long before the days OF Jonn
Lind and William Bayard Hale. NOR
is a watchfuI waiting policy on the
part Of the United States new thing.
AS early as 1917, when the propriety
of recognizing the independence OF the
former Spanish colony in Mexico was
being discussed, Richard Rush, then
President Monroe's secretary Of state,
said in state paper:
Maintained Strict Neutrality.
ct seems to be incumbent on the
United States to watch the movement
flor freedom in Mexico) in it's subse-
quent steps with particular attention,
with a view to pursue such course as
a Just regard for all those considera-
lions which they are bound to respect
may dictate"
In message after message Monroe
reiterated his determination to main
tain strict neutrality and to recognize
the independence Of the Spanish
colonies when, but only when, the fact
u luu6pGuuCuCO WQo
established. Not until 1922 did the
United States send minister to the
capital of the new government.
For twenty years before the war
Texas had been source of almost
constant trouble. This vast domain
had been included in the Louisiana
purchase, but the United States yield
ed it's claim in treaty with Spain In
order to obtain the whole of Florida.
Texas had been settled largely by
Southerners and it was inevitable that
the slavery question should come to
the fore.
AS a province Texas was subjected
to the hazards of an i'll defined and
tributary Jurisdiction by military Off
GERS, to rule by a government which
was utterly out of touch with the
wants and necessities of her people.
Finally the residents formed a new
constitution and in 1886 the great
Southwestern. territory seeded from
Mexico.
! The attitude of the United States
toward Mexico with relation to Texas
was for a long time exactly what it
had been. toward Spain with regard
to the Mexican states. Jackson was
known to sympathiZe with the Texas
insurgents, but a historian records
that he was restrained from taking
drastic action by an honorable sense
of what the international obligations
of the United States demanded.
Despite his we'll earned reputation
as a belligerent some of Jackson's
messages read as If they had been
written in 1915 or even so recently
as early in the present year. In one
in which he called attention to claims
long held against Mexico by this gov
eminent for property seized and bod
fly injuries inflicted he said:
Acted With Forbearance.
81 trust, however, by tempering
firmness with courtesy and acting
with great forbearance upon every
incident that has occurred or that
may happen, to do and to obtain JUS
tice, and thus avoid the necessity
of again bringing this subject to the
view of congress"
Two months later February g.,
1887 he wrote:
"The length of time since some of
the injuries have been committed, the
repeated and unavailing applications
for redress, the wanton character of
some of the outrages upon the prop
erty and persons of our citizens, upon
the officers and flag of the United
States, independent of recent insults
tc this government and people by the
late extraordinary Mexican minister,
would justify, in the eyes of all ma
tions, immediate war"
THAT remedy, however" General
Jackson added, should not be used
by just and generous nations, con-
fiding in their strength, for injuries
committed, If it can be honorably
avoided"
There were few important develop
ments in the administration of Van
Buren, or in Harrison's one month
In the presidential chair, but 1S43
produced an incident of nature with
which students of recent American
history are familiar. Daniel Webster,
Tyler's secretary of state, resigned
after having served little more than
two years.
SUES HIS FATHER-lN-LAW