Synopses & Reviews
CHAPTER 1 Introductory views of Rlexic-The people aud government. THE war which bl-olce out between the United States of Yortb America and thc Mexican Kcpublic, in the spring of 1846, is an event of great ilnportnrtce in the history of the world. Profou11c1 peace had reigned ainong Christian na tions, since the downfall, of Napoleo11 and, with the. esception of internal discords it1 France, Belgium, Poland and Greece, the civilized world had cause to believe that man kind would llenceforttl resort to the cabinet rather than the field for the settleinent of intcmationnl disputes. The recent conflicts between the French and the Arabs in Algeria, and between the British and Indian races, have been cha racterized by ferocity and endurance. But, it will be recol-Iectcd these encountels took pIacc between nations unequal dike in religion, morals, law, and civjlization. The tem per or character of MC omedans was not to be measured by that of Chridane nor had me just reclson to hope for a pacific or teinporizing spirit in people whose savage habits have ever rendered them prompt to return invasion by a blow, and make war the precursor of negotiation. It was, thus, reserved for the Mexicans, whose blood is mixed with that of an Arab ancestry, to exhibit the spectacle of continual domestic broils, a d, latterly of a positive xvarfarc against a nation whose friendly hand was the first to sununon them into the pdc of national independence. . The disorganized condition of our neighbor far nearly tllirly years, may, partIy account for md palliate this fault. With administrations shifting like the scenes of a. drama, and with a stage, at times dyed with blood, and at others imitating the inirnicpasaions and transports of the real theatre, it may be confessed that much should be pardoned by n forbearing nation whose aggregate intelligence and force ar6 not to be compared with the fragmentary and inlpulsire usurpations in BTcxico. To judge faithfully of the justice or injustice of this war, and to comprehend this history in truth and fairness, we must not only narrate in chronoiogical order the simple events that occurred between the two nations but the student of this epoch must go back a step in order to master the scope and motives of the mar. He must study the preceding Mexican history and clrrtracter ancl, it will speedily be discovcrecl that when he attempts to judge the Spal ish r epublics by the ordinary standards applied to free and enlightened governments, he will signally fail in arriv ing at truth. He must neither imagine that when the name of Republic was cngrafted on the Mexican system, that it nccom nodated itself at once to our ideal standard of political power, nor that the don-tinant faction was wi liag to adopt he simple machinery which operates so perfectly in the United States. There arc many reasons why this should not be the case. The Spmish race, although it has achieved the rnost wonderful results in discovery, conquest, coloriial settlement, diplomacy, feats of arms, and success of domestic power, has proved itself, within the century, to be onc of the few opponents of the progressive prjnciples of our ngc. A...