THE WAR WITH MEXICO
Early in the nineteenth century the people of the United States, and
especially those of the south-west, became interested in that part of
Mexico known as Texas. The Louisiana purchase was made in 1803.
Settlers went immediately into that region along the Mississippi
River. The expansionist movement then grew rapidly as we have seen,
and was the major cause of the War of 1812. American settlers pushed
into Mexico and soon got control of that section now known as Texas,
where there were few Mexicans. These citizens of the United States
went there on the assumption that Texas would some day become a part
of the United States. Much of Texas was suited for the raising of
cotton,--hence slavery was profitable.
In 1827 Mexico passed a law providing for the gradual abolition of
slavery. The people of Texas interested in slavery, resented this,
as did the pro-slavery factions in the United States. Sentiment in
Texas for secession crystalized rapidly, and in 1836 Texas seceded
from Mexico, later asking to be annexed to the United States. Some
of the anti-slavery groups opposed this annexation which would
increase the slave territory. In her constitution of 1837 Texas
legalized slavery. It was not until 1845 that Texas was admitted as
a state.
Polk of Tennessee, an ardent expansionist, was elected President by
the Democrats in 1844. "Manifest Destiny" had then become the slogan
of the Democratic party. Accordingly, President Tyler secured the
annexation of Texas as a state just before his term of office closed
in 1845, a few days before he was succeeded by Polk.
Texas in revolt from Mexico claimed more territory than she had
possessed while a Mexican state. Her southern boundary had then been
the Nueces River, but after revolting, she laid claim down to the Rio
Grande River. This area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande
was sparsely settled, but its inhabitants were Mexicans and included
the Mexican settlements at the mouth of the Rio Grande. Polk did not
desire war but he was eager to acquire this disputed territory. He
sent John Slidell, of Louisiana, as minister to Mexico to induce
Mexico to accept the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas
rather than the Nueces River, which had been the southern boundary of
Texas while a Mexican province. Slidell was also instructed to buy
from Mexico the territory now comprising the states of New Mexico,
California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and part of Colorado, all of which
was then a part of Mexico. Mexico, however, refused to receive
Slidell or consider disposing of that territory, on the ground that
the United States had annexed Texas although Mexico had not
acknowledged its independence.
When Polk could not acquire this desired territory by negotiation, he
ordered General Taylor to enter the Rio Grande territory. This was
done on January 13, 1846. On May 9, 1846, Polk notified the cabinet
of his intention to recommend a war with Mexico within a few days, by
which means he hoped to take the territory he could not buy. On the
night of May 9, 1846, news came to President Polk that on April 24,
1846, the American army had had a skirmish with Mexican forces. On
May 11, 1846, President Polk sent a message to Congress stating
Mexico had "shed American blood upon American soil. War exists, and
notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of
Mexico herself." And two days later, May 13, 1846, President Polk
informed his cabinet that the United States must acquire New Mexico,
California, and the surrounding southwest territory as a result of
the war. Some of the cabinet members wanted to take all of Mexico.
Secretary of State Buchanan in a public letter said: "Destiny beckons
us to hold and civilize Mexico."
Americans had often tried to incite rebellions in Mexico. Many were
arrested there and shot for treason. The United States, however, had
never discouraged her citizens from trying to dismember Mexico.
The circumstances surrounding the outbreak of hostilities between
General Taylor and the Mexicans were these: President Polk had
ordered General Taylor to enter the Rio Grande River region with
American troops. He was arbitrarily accepting the Rio Grande and not
the Nueces River as the southern boundary of Texas. The American
troops marched down to the Rio Grande opposite Matamoras, a Mexican
village south of the Rio Grande. They then blockaded the town and
cut off its outlet down the Rio Grande. Mexicans crossed over the
Rio Grande to drive the Americans away and to make them cease their
interference with this Mexican village. Some Americans were killed
in the skirmish. Rhodes on page 87, Vol. I, "History of the United
States," says "Mexico was actually goaded on to the war."
Mexico had notified the United States that the annexation of Texas
would be treated as a cause of war. The Mexican press made threats.
Yet there were so many internal quarrels in Mexico that open
hostilities could have been avoided if the United States had not
taken the position of supporting Texas in her claim to the Rio Grande
as her southern boundary, disregarding the Nueces River as the
southern boundary of Texas while a Mexican Province. Webster, Clay,
Calhoun, Benton, and Tyler regarded the war as the result of poor
management on the part of President Polk. The Whig party generally
criticised it while the Democrats usually favored it, although, as
the war continued, both groups were won over to its support. The
Massachusetts legislature resolved in April, 1847, during
hostilities, that the war had been "unconstitutionally commenced by
the order of the President for the dismemberment of Mexico." Lincoln
also criticised the war while it was in progress. He voted for a
resolution offered by Mr. Ashburn in the House declaring that the war
had been "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally" begun. On December
22, 1847, Mr. Lincoln offered the famous "Spot Resolution," calling
upon the President to furnish Congress with information regarding the
"spot" where hostilities had begun. A pamphlet was sent to Mr.
Lincoln in which the author claimed that "in view of all the facts"
the government of the United States had committed no aggression in
Mexico. To this Mr. Lincoln replied: "It is a fact that the United
States army in marching to the Rio Grande marched into a peaceful
settlement, and frightened the inhabitants away from their houses and
their growing crops. It is a fact that Fort Brown, opposite
Matamoras, was built by that army within a Mexican cotton field, on
which at the time the army reached it a young cotton crop was
growing, which crop was wholly destroyed, and the field itself
greatly and permanently injured by ditches, embankments, and the
like." Although Lincoln voted for army supplies he always criticised
the war. For this Lincoln's "patriotism" was questioned by Douglas
in 1858 during the Lincoln-Douglas debates. General Grant in his
Memoirs, Vol. I, page 53, said he considered the Mexican War "one of
the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation."
The direct cost of the conflict was $100,000,000, with a death list
of 1,200 men.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Macy, Jesse--_Political Parties in the United States, 1846-1861_.
Chapters 7-22.
Rhodes, James Ford--_History of the United States_. Vol. I, pages
87-92.
Stephenson, N. W.--_Texas and the Mexican War_.
Schlesinger, A. M.--_Political and Social History of the United
States_. Chapter 7.
Smith, Justin H.--_The War With Mexico_. Vols. I & II.
Tarbell, Ida--_Life of Lincoln_. Vol. II, chapter 1.
Wilson, Woodrow--_Division and Reunion_, chapter 6.