Chapter V: The Mexican Attitude on the Eve of War

5.1. _Mexican feeling_. (Subjugate) =52=Consul Black, no. 349, Oct. 9, 1845; =47=Wood to Bancroft, June 4, 1846. =52=Slidell, nos. 3, 10. =52=Consul McCall, Tampico, no. 65, Sept. 26, 1845. (All of Mexico) =52=Shannon, no. 3, Oct. 28, 1844. (Threat) _Diario_, Mar. 25, 1845; =77=Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; _So. Qtrly. Rev._, Apr., 1849, 97, 102; Thompson, Recolls., 238; London _Spectator_, Sept. 26, 1846. (Hinder) =52=Manifiesto of Vera Cruz legislature, [June, 1827]; Poinsett's reply; =52=Poinsett's reply to Méx. state legisl., Aug., 1829; Shannon, no. 3; La Ruina de los Mexicanos. (Indians) _Mosquito Mexicano_, Aug. 4, 1835; =75=gov. Durango, Apr. 27, 1846. (Privileged classes) J. H. Smith in Proceeds. Amer. Antiq. Soc, Apr., 1914, and the citations there given. (_Siglo XIX_) =56=W. S. Parrott, June 29, 1845. (Politicians) Green, nos. 8, 103, 1844; Calhoun Corresp., 975; Shannon, no. 3, 1844, and the Mexican press.

The following citations, which might be indefinitely extended, bear upon various aspects of the subject. Pakenham, nos. 74 of 1828; 74 of 1829. Bankhead, nos. 38, 1845; 28, 58, 1846. =345=Ellis, Sept. 20, 1839. Memoria de ... Relaciones, 1846. _Voz del Pueblo_, Mar. 29; May 3, 1845. _Amigo del Pueblo_, June 26; Oct. 9, 1845. _Orizaveño_, Mar. 30, 1845. _Patriota Mex._, Nov. 14, 1845. _Monitor Repub._, Jan. 28, 1847. Reflexiones sobre la Memoria. Comunicación circular que. =77=Almonte, no. 130, priv., 1844. =77=Arrangóiz, no. 50, res., 1845. Decree of Mex. Cong., June 4, 1845 (broadside). =56=W. S. Parrott, June 29; July 5, 1845. =108=Kemble to Bancroft, Sept. 3, 1845.

5.2. (Danger) =76= Gov. Ibarra of Puebla, Sept. 5, 1846; _Diario_, Apr. 17, 1846; =77=Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; law of June 4, 1845, in Dublán, Legislación, v, 19; _Monitor Repub._, May 15, 1847; London _Spectator_, Sept. 26, etc., 1846. C. M. Bustamante, Nuevo Bernal, i, 45. Castillo; council of state (chap. iv). (Paredes) Bankhead, no. 28, Feb. 27, 1846. (Chief) Shannon, no. 3, 1844; Negrete, Invasión, iv, app., 182; _Diario_, Mar. 25, 1845; Mar. 25; Sept. 26; Dec. 6, 1846; =80=legislat. of Méx. state, address, Apr. 26, 1847; _Patriota Mex._, Nov. 14, 1845; =77=Arrangóiz, no. 50, res., Mar. 13, 1845; _Siglo XIX_, Nov. 30, 1845. (Clamored) _Amigo del Pueblo_, Oct. 9, 1845; _Voz del Pueblo_, Mar. 29, 1845. (Superiority) Tornel, Tejas, 95; _Monitor Repub._, May 12, 1846.

5.3. (Abject) Jameson, Calhoun Corresp., 993. =77=Almonte, June 19, priv.; Sept. 20, 1844; Mar. 17, priv., 1845. (Panic) _Amer. Review_, Sept., 1845, 222.

5.4. To precisely what extent European journals were read in Mexico cannot be determined; but it seems probable that few important expressions escaped notice there, and certainly the leading journals were quoted freely.

5.5. (Differences) =77=Almonte, June 19, priv., 1844; =77=Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846; Jameson, Calhoun Corresp., 994; _Constitutionnel_, May 12; Aug. 5, 1845. _Times_, Apr. 15, 1845. _Diario_, Apr. 3, 1845.

5.6. Times, Apr. 15, 1845. Negrete, México, xxi, 130. =13=Elliot, July 3, 1845. Gorostiza, Dictamen. Reflexiones sobre la Memoria. Federación y Tejas. Tornel, Tejas, 95-7. (Elliot in Mex.) Smith, Annex. of Texas, 411-3. =77=Deffa dis, July 29, 1835.

5.7. _Britannia_, Feb. 15, 1845. (1812) Negrete, México, xxi, 130. =13=Pakenham to Harvey, July 20, 1839. _Times_, Apr. 5, 1845. =77=Arrangóiz, no. 65, res., Apr. 23, 1845.

5.8. =345=Poinsett to Van Buren, May 26, 1846 (Swarms of the best irregular cavalry that I have ever seen). Watson, Taylor, 113-4 (The British, Spanish, and Prussian ministers at Washington agreed that Scott would be beaten; Calderón spoke as quoted in the text). (Generals) Wash. _Union_, Dec. 18, 1846. Elliot, note 6. _Times_, July 5, 1845.

Napoleon said, "The first quality of a soldier is constancy in enduring fatigue and hardship" (Maxims, 47). In this quality the Mexicans excelled.

5.9. Requena in _Monitor Repub._, Mar. 9, 1846. Negrete, Mexico, xxi, 131. (Boasted) =52=W. S. Parrott, Dec. 14, 1835. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Jan., 1849. _Boletín Oficial_, Apr. 15, 1845. Apuntes, 168. Thompson, Recolls., 170-1. (Self-confidence) Mofras, Explor., i, 70. =76=Min. war, circular, Nov. 11. (Ensure) _Diario_, Sept. 25, 1845. (_Voz del P._) Federación y Tejas.

5.10. (Texas) Tornel, Tejas, 95-7; =13=Bankhead, no. 125, Dec. 30, 1845. =77=Almonte, no. 72, priv., June 19; Sept. 20, 1844; instructions to G. de la Vega, Apr. 10, 1844. =13=Pakenham, no. 22, Apr. 14, 1844. Elliot, note 6. (Urged) Negrete, México, xxi, 131-2. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Jan., 1849.

5.11. Requena in _Monitor Repub_., Mar. 9, 1846. London _Times_, June 11, 1846. =345=Poinsett to Van Buren, May 26, 1846. _Britannia_, June 10, 1844. =169=Rives to Crittenden, Feb. 8, 1847. =137=Clemson to Calhoun, Mar. 28, 1847. Elliot, note 6.

5.12. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Jan., 1849. =77=Cuevas, no. 67, 1836. (_Herald_)_Diario_, June 4, 1845. (_Globe_) Charleston _Mercury_, Sept. 8, 1845. Some of the documents quoted above are later than the beginning of the war, but the opinions must have existed before.

5.13. (Defensive) Requena, note 11. =77=Arrangóiz, no. 129, res., Nov. 29, 1844. _Times_, Apr. 5, 1845. _Britannia_, June 10, 1844. _Times_ in _Diario_ of June 8, 1845.

5.14. _Herald_, May 3, 1845. =77=Arrangóiz, note 13; no. 101, res., July 8, 1845. (Tornel) =47=Wood to Bancroft, July 4, 1846. (Own) _Nat. Intelligencer_, Sept. 5; Savannah _Republican_, Aug. 25; N. Y. _Herald_, Aug. 30, 1845. _Times_ of Apr. 5, 1845, in _Diario_ of June 8.

5.15. _Standard_, Aug. 12, 1845. =13=Pakenham, no. 22, Apr. 14, 1844. (Fig red) Búlnes, Grandes Mentiras, 150.

5.16. (Endured) =73=Bermúdez de Castro, no. 532, res., Sept. 24, 1846; =77=circular, Nov. 27, 1846. (Credit) London _Times_, Apr. 15, 1845; and chap. xxxiii. =77=Arrangóiz, no. 36, res., May 23, 1844. _Constitutionnel_, Aug. 15, 1845.

5.17. _Benefits._ =77=Cuevas, no. 67, July 13, 1836. _Diario_, Mar. 25, 1845. =52=Green, Apr. 8, 1844. Reflexiones sobre la Memoria. _Times_, Apr. 15, 1845. =52=Shannon, no. 3, Oct. 28, 1844. =56=W. S. Parrott, July 5, 1845. _Siglo XIX_, Aug. 1, 1845. (Baptize) La Verdad Desnuda. (Blockade) =52=Thompson, Oct. 3, 1843; _Macedonian_, Mar. 28, 1845; =13=Doyle, no. 79, Oct. 30, 1843. (_Voz del P._) Federación y Tejas. (Crisis) Reflexiones sobre la Memoria.

5.18. _Central and South America._ J. M. L. Mora, pamphlet, 1834. _Diario_, Sept. 25, 1846. (Press) chap, vi, note 13. =77=Cuevas, no. 67, July 13, 1836. =77=Mex. min., Lima, no. 23, Aug. 15, 1837. (Dorsey) Savannah _Republican_, Aug. 25, 1842. Adams, Mems., xi, 340, 367. _Imparcial_, June 13, 1844. _Aurora de la Libertad_, Apr. 6, 1845. Relaciones, circular, Nov. 27, 1846. =80=Legisl. of Méx. state, address, Apr. 26, 1847. =76=Gov. Ibarra, Sept. 5, 1846. =312=Basadre to S. Anna, Apr. 9, 1847. Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 243, note.

5.19. _Diario_, Apr. 3, 1845. _Mail_, Aug. 30 in _Diario_, Nov. 1. London _Times_, Sept. 10, 1845 (War is "clearly the duty" of Mexico). _Journal des Débats_, Sept. 24, 1845. (The European outlook) Chap xxxv.

5.20. (Jealousy) Mayer, War, 82; _Amer. Review_, Jan., 1846. (Policy) J. H. Smith in Proceeds. Am. Antiq. Soc, Apr., 1914. _Correspondant_, Jan. 1, 1846. London _Times_, Jan. 1, 1846.

5.21. (Cotton) Smith, Annex. of Texas, 89, 90. (Checked) _Ibid._, 382, 389; Tornel, Tejas, 97; London _Standard_, May 2, 1845; _Times_, Sept. 9; Dec. 15, 1845; Jan. 1, 1846. (Guizot) _Niles_, Mar. 14, 1846, pp. 25-6. (_Journal des Débats_) _National_, Dec. 27, 1845.

5.22. (Texas) Smith, Annex. of Texas, chap, xviii. _Id._ in Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceeds., June, 1914. _Morning Herald_, Mar. 27, 1845, in _Diario_, June 4. _Times_, Dec. 15, 1845.

5.23. _Times_, Aug. 6; Sept. 9, 1845. (It was the Mexico correspondent of the _Times_ who spoke, but evidently the editor allowed him to be heard.) _Standard_, May 2, 1845. _Journal of Commerce_, Sept. 6, 1845. _Journal des Débats_, Feb. 4; Sept. 24, 1845. _Constitutionnel_, May 12, 1845. _Monitor Constit._, supplmt., Dec. 21, 1844. _Aurora de la Libertad_, Apr. 6, 1845.

5.24. _Journal des Débats_, Sept. 24, 1845. =13=Pakenham, no. 22, Apr. 14, 1844. (Blockade) =13=Bankhead, no. 162, Oct. 30, 1846.

5.25. (Fear) _Boletín Oficial_, Apr. 15, 1845. (Guarantee) =13=Bankhead, no. 117, Nov. 29, 1845.

5.26. =13=Bankhead, nos. 113, Nov. 29, 1845; 125, Dec. 30, 1845; 14, Jan. 30, 1846; 28, Feb. 27, 1846; =52=McLane, nos. 8, Sept. 26, 1845; 55, June 18, 1846; =52=Shannon, no. 9, Mar. 27, 1845; =52=Slidell, Jan. 14; Feb. 6, 1846; _Correspondant_, May 1, 1846; _Times_, Mar. 13, 1846; Ho. 2; 29, 1, pp. 139-92; =52=J. Parrott, June 4, 1846. =52=Dimond, no. 332, Apr. 22, 1846: The Mexican thermometer for peace or war is governed by the prospects of war between us and England. The contemptuous and abusive tone of the British journals with reference to the United States encouraged Mexico. Our minister at London reported that the British press as a whole represented that the United States could not wage war successfully against Mexico (=297=McLane to Polk, received, June 21, 1846). =77=Murphy, no. 9, Aug. 1, 1845 (Aberdeen would like to see, etc.).

5.27. =52=Slidell, Jan. 14, 1846. _Times_, Mar. 13, 1846. =52=McLane, no. 55, June 18, 1846. (Hoped) =13=Bankhead, no. 31, Mar. 10, 1846; Tornel, Tejas, 97.

5.28. _Diario_, Mar. 25, 1845. (Enthusiasm, veil) Memoria de ... Relaciones, Jan., 1849. =77=Almonte, no. 72, priv., June 19, 1844. _Monitor Constit._, supplmt., Dec. 21, 1844. Almonte (who, as recently minister to the United States, had great influence on the question of peace or war) held that Mexico ought to fight and protract the war as long as possible in order to make us so tired of it that we should never repeat the experiment (=13=Pakenham, no. 119, Sept. 28, 1846). _Espectador_, Apr. 25, 1846 ("We are profoundly convinced of the triumph of the Mexican arms"). Reforma, Mar. 9, 1846. =13=Bankhead, nos. 130, Sept. 7, 1846 ("They cannot be convinced" of their inability to fight the U. S.); 151, Oct. 10, 1846 (The cry of the government is, "a levy of 40,000 men and make terms only on the other side of the Nueces"). (Prussian) =256=Memo. (Historians) Roa Bárcena, Recuerdos, 19-20; Balbontín, Estado Militar, 58. Ramírez, México, 235. S. Anna, proclam., Sept. 16, 1847, in _Monitor Repub_., Oct. 2, 1847. Memoria de ... Relaciones, Jan., 1849. Kenly, Md. Volunteer, 57: After a long stay in Mexico, I believe the sentiment of the people was "unanimous for war." Franklin Pierce, speech, Jan. 27, 1848: After conversing with the most intelligent men in Mexico I was satisfied that the war was unavoidable (N. Y. _Herald_, Feb. 5, 1848). Other documents, too numerous to be cited, assisted the author in reaching his conclusions. This condition of the Mexican mind helps to explain the rejection of Slidell. See also chap. ix, pp. 221-2.