WAR WITH MEXICO. 237 ica; Thomas Nelson Page, The Old South; N. S. Shaler, North American Review, October, 1890. Compromise of 1850: Schurz's Henry Clay, Chap. xxvi.; Von Holst's John C. Calhoun, pp. 335–350; Jefferson Davis, Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, i. 14-22 Alex. H. Stephens, The War between the States, ii. 198-240; A. Johnston, American Orations, ii. 3–134. Texas and New Mexico: L. Carr, Missouri, pp. 189-219. Oregon: William Barrows, Oregon; J. J. Lalor, Cyclopædia, ii. 1045-1048; Edinburgh Review, July, 1845 (Littell, .vi. 302); “Whitman's Ride," Barrows's Oregon, pp. 160-178. Know-Nothing Party: J. J. Lalor, Cyclopædia, i. 85-87. Kansas Conflict: Charles Robinson, The Kansas Conflict; L. W. Spring, Kansas, pp. 1-208; L. Carr, Missouri, pp. 241-250; Eli Thayer, The Kansas Crusade (containing many contemporary accounts); A. Johnston, American Orations, ii. 183-255. Ostend Manifesto: American History Leaflets, No. 2; N. Sargent, Public Men and Events, ii. 263-398. 259. War with Mexico. (1846.) (1846.) With the annexation of Texas, the United States succeeded to a quarrel with Mexico. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as her southwestern boundary, while Mexico insisted that the Neuces River was the true division line. President Polk sent an envoy to Mexico, the effect of whose mission was to provoke Mexico into striking the first blow, for the Mexicans would have nothing to do with the envoy, and he returned from a fruitless errand. Meanwhile, General Zachary Taylor, with a small body of troops, had been ordered to Corpus Christi, on the borders of the disputed territory, and a little later to advance to Fort Brown (Brownsville), on the Rio Grande. The Mexicans naturally looked upon this as an invasion of their country, and ordered a body of troops across the river; an engagement soon followed, and the Mexican War was begun. This was April 24, 1846. Polk, as soon as the news reached him, sent a message to Congress, in which he said: "War exists, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself." "Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon American soil." Congress responded promptly by declaring that war existed "by the act of Mexico," by authorizing a call for 50,000 volunteers and expenditures for military supplies, and by appropriating large sums to meet the expenses.' It was in relation to this mes sage and two later ones in which the President re-asserted the charge that Mexico had invaded "our territory" and shed "the blood of our citizens on our own soil" that Abraham Lincoln, in the House of Representatives, introduced in 1847 his "Spot Resolutions," calling upon the President to indicate the exact spot where this had taken place, and to inform the House whether the "citizens." had not been armed soldiers, sent there by the President's own orders. 260. Mexican Campaign; New Mexico. (1846-1847.) — The whole campaign embraced four projects: (1) an attack upon Mexico from the north this was entrusted to General Zachary Taylor; (2) an attack upon the city of Mexicothis General Winfield Scott led himself; (3) an attack upon New Mexico, including what is now known as Arizona — this was made under the direction of General S. W. Kearney; (4) an attack upon California by the fleet of American vessels which had been sent there in anticipation of war with Mexico. All these plans were carried out. General Taylor, mostly against heavy odds so far as numbers were concerned, defeated the Mexicans successfully at Monterey, and at Buena Vista (February 27, 1847); but the government, having determined to attack the capital, withdrew many of his men, and he was forced to cease operations. Before long, feeling himself 1 It has been said that "the United States tried in vain to get a payment of what was due her citizens." The justice of these claims was very doubtful at best, and Mexico had done her utmost to pay them, the disordered condition of the country making it almost impossible to collect a revenue. When she thought she saw the meaning of the Texas negotiations, it was not unnatural that she should cease to make payment. MEXICAN CAMPAIGN; NEW MEXICO. 239 ill-used by the administration, he resigned his position. The United States, however, continued to hold northern Mexico. The expedition against New Mexico was entirely successful, and by the summer of 1846 it was controlled by United States forces, and Kearney, leaving some troops to retain it, set off for California; but before he reached it, news was received that it was already in the possession of the Americans, and he was only able to assist in putting down a rising of the Mexicans near Los Angeles. 261. California Captured. (1845-1846.)-In the winter of 1845 Captain John C. Frémont, then on a third exploring expedition west of the Rocky Mountains, passed into California and took up the cause of the American settlers, who claimed to be oppressed by the Mexican governor. An independent government was set up, and through the co-operation of Frémont with Commodores Sloat and Stockton, who had captured almost without a struggle the ports of Monterey, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the whole of California fell into the hands of the United States. In this way the United States gained a possession of incalculable value. (1847.) 262. Scott's Campaign; City of Mexico Captured. It being clear that the Mexicans were going to show great obstinacy, it was determined to attack the capital by a new route. In carrying out this plan, a large naval force with 12,000 troops sailed for Vera Cruz, the port of the city of Mexico. After a bombardment of four days, the city, with the fort of San Juan de Ulloa, the strongest fortification in Mexico, surrendered. About the middle of April, 1847, General Winfield Scott began his march to the city of Mexico from the same point and over nearly the same route as Cortez. His discipline, skill, and intelligence, and the excellence of his troops, proved superior to the much larger numbers and far greater natural advantages of the Mexicans. The only serious resistance the American army met on its way to the vicinity of the city of Mexico was at Cerro Gordo, about fifty miles from Vera Cruz. Here, after a short conflict, the Mexicans under Santa Anna were driven back, and the victorious army continued its march. After several sharp battles in the immediate neighborhood of the city of Mexico, that city surrendered September 14, 1847, and the war was practically over. TERMS OF PEACE WITH MEXICO. 241 263. Terms of Peace with Mexico. (1848.)-It was by no means easy to agree upon terms of permanent peace. The one thing upon which the Mexicans of all factions agreed was not to give up any territory, while territory was exactly what the United States had fought for. Moreover, she held the fairest provinces of Mexico and had no intention of returning them. After many fruitless negotiations, and a revolution in Mexico, a treaty was arranged in February, 1848, at a little place near the capital called Guadalupe Hidalgo. By the terms the United States was to pay Mexico $15,000,000, satisfy claims of American citizens against her to the amount of about $3,500,000, and receive in return what was then the territory of New Mexico and Upper California. The Rio Grande was recognized as the boundary of Texas. By this treaty about 522,568 square miles of territory was added to the United States.1 The total cost to the United States of the Mexican War was in the neighborhood of $100,000,000, besides the loss of life, which, while small on the battle-field or from wounds, was large from disease. Though successful in every encounter, the country had little reason to glory, for her successes were won in a questionable war against a weak and divided enemy. Had Mexico been a strong power, the United States government would not have dared to act as it did. There was at the time much opposition to the war, though not sufficient to prevent it. While it has been far better that the large terri 1 In consequence of a difficulty regarding the exact boundary, a treaty was negotiated with Mexico, through James Gadsden in 1853, by which 45,535 square miles south of New Mexico were purchased from Mexico for the sum of $10,000,000. This tract is usually called the Gadsden Purchase. Texas had added 371,063 square miles, making the total of these additions 939, 166 square miles, so that again the United States had acquired more than the area of the original thirteen states. 2 Lowell's "Biglow Papers," First Series, express this feeling very clearly. |