Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1916-05-12

( WaShlngtOn.-lt Is seventy years
Iince the start of the Mexican war Of
1887 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 its area one-third.
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 a 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 John
Lind and William Bayard Hale. Nor
Is watchful waiting policy on the
part OF the United States a 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 a state paper:
Maintained Strict Neutrality.
1T seems to be incumbent on the
United States to watch the movement
(for freedom In Mexico) in its subse-
quent steps with particular attention,
with 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
of independence was convincingly
established. Not until 1922 did the
United States send a minister to the
capital of the new government.
For twenty years before the war
Texas had been a source Of almost
constant trouble. This vast domain
had been included in the Louisiana
purchase, but the United States yield
cd its claim In a 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 Ill defined and
tributary Jurisdiction by military off,
GERS, TO rule by 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 long time exactly what II
had been toward Spain with regard
to the Mexican states. Jackson was
known to sympathize with the Texas
insurgents, but 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 well earned reputation
as a belligerent some OF Jacksons
messages read as II they had been
written in 1915 or even 80 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
lily injuries inflicted he said
Acted With Forbearanee.
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 6.
1880 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
to 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, II 1t can be honorably
avoided"
There were few important develop
ments in the administration OF Van
Buren or In Harrison's ono month