The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-03-16

been invested in that productive coun-
try. But revolution had come, and
fractional warfare was rife. Americans
had been murdered, American proper
ty had been wantonly destroyed, the
lives and property of all Americans in
Mexico were in danger. That was the
situation when Mr.. Wilson became
president in March, 1913. His duty
then was plain. 1t was, first, to use
his powers as president to secure pro-
lection for the lives and property Of
Americans in Mexico and to require
that rules of law and stipulations Of
treaties should be observed by Mexico
toward the United States and its citi-
Zens. His duty was, second, as the
head Of a foreign power to respect the
independence Of Mexico to refrain
from all interference with her internal
AFFAIRS from all attempt at DONNA
ton except as he was justified by the
law of nations for the protection of
American rights. The president of the
United States failed to observe either
of those duties. He deliberately aban-
doned them both and followed an en-
tirely different and inconsistent pur-
pose He interviewed in Mexico to aid
one faction in civil strife against an
other. He undertook to pull down
Huerta and set Carranza up in his
place. Arms and munitions Of war
were freely furnished to the northern
forces and withheld from Huerta
Finally the president sent our army
and navy to invade Mexico and cap
ture it's great seaport Vera Cruz, and
hold it and throttle Mexican commerce
until Huerta fell.
Americans Outraged In Mexico.
The government of the United States
interviewed In Mexico to control the in
ternal affairs of that Independent coun-
try and to enforce the will of the
American president in those affairs by
threat, by economic pressure and by
force of arms. Upon what claim of
right did this Intervention proceed?
Not to secure respect for American
rights, not to protect the lives or prop
erty of our citizens, not to assert the
laws Of nations, not to compel Observ-
ance of the law Of humanity. On the
contrary, Huerta's was the only power
in Mexico to which appeal could be
made for protection Of life or property.
That was the only power which, in
fact, did protect either American or
European or Mexican. 1t was only
within the territory where Huerta
ruled that comparative peace and Or
der prevailed. The territory over
which the armed power of Carranza
and Villa and their associates extended
was the theater Of the most appalling
crimes. Bands of robbers roved the
country with unhridled license. Amer
leans and MeXicans alike We're at their
mercy, and American men We're muir
dered and American women were out
ragged with impunity. Thousands We're
reduced to poverty by the wanton de-
struction OF the industries through
which they lived. Yet the governments
of the United States ignored, con-
doned, the murder of American men
and the rape of American women and
destruction of American property and
insult to American officers and detile
ment of the American flag and Joined
itself to the men who were guilty OF
all these things to pull down the pow
err of Huerta. Why: The president
himself has told u.s. 1t was because
he adjudged Huerta to be usurper
because he deemed that the com'..on
people of Mexico ought to have great
er participation in government and
share in the land and he believed that
Carranza and Villa would give thea
these things. We must all sEmpatlilv
with these sentiments, but there is
nothing more dangerous than mis-
placed sentiment.
When our army landed at Vera CRUZ
Carrauza himself, who Was to be the
chief beneficiary of the act, publicly
protested against it, SO strong was
the resentment that he could not have
kept his followers otherwise. When
Huerta had fallen the new government
which for the day had succeeded to
his place peremptorily demanded the
withdrawal of the American troops
The universal sentiment of MeXicanS
required the peremptory demand, and
the troops were withdrawn Still
worse than that, the taking of Vera
Cruz destroyed confidence in the sin
cerity of the American government i'll
Mexico, because every intelligent man
in Mexico believed that the avowed
reason for the act was not the real
reason. The avowed purpose was to
compel a salute to the American flag
Three hundred MeXicans were report
ed killed; seventeen United States ma
rines We're killed and many were
wounded. At that very time Mr.. Bry-
an, with the presidents approval, was
signing treaties with half the Morld
agreeing that if any controversy should
arise it should be submitted to Joint
commission and no action should be
taken until after full year had elaps-
ed. This controversy, slight as it was,
21st of the same month Vera Cruz
was taken. With the occupation Of
Vera Cruz the moral power of the
United States in Mexico ended. We
were then and we are now hated for
what we did to Mexico, and we were
then and we are now despised for our
feeble and irresolute failure to protect
the lives and rights of our citizens No
flag is so dishonored and no citizenship
so little worth the claiming in Mexico