AMERICAN RULE IN MEXICO
During the war of 1846–1848 portions of Mexico, conquered by our arms, remained for shorter or longer periods in American hands. Matamoros was captured by General Taylor in May, 1846; our flag went up in California two months later; New Mexico yielded to Kearny in August; Monterey, Saltillo, and Tampico fell during the autumn; Vera Cruz surrendered in March, 1847, Puebla in May, and the capital in September; and our troops did not evacuate the country until the middle of 1848. American rule was therefore sufficiently extensive and sufficiently prolonged to exhibit its character, and few aspects of the war are more interesting than our manner of bearing sway.
The initial spirit of the American Executive toward the Mexicans may justly be described as fraternal. Polk's intention was to treat non-combatants as friends, and protect them in all their rights of person, property, and creed. Both for immediate military success and for the eventual restoration of satisfactory intercourse, diplomatic and commercial, it seemed highly desirable to attack only the government of Mexico and the troops under its control, and to avoid rousing the great body of the nation. Accordingly, Taylor was promptly supplied with a proclamation, to be given wide currency, which attributed to the revolutionist Paredes—now in supreme authority—all the blame for the conflict, assured the Mexican public that a government of "usurpers and tyrants" had involved them in its losses and miseries, and promised that no one behaving peaceably should be molested. The general was instructed that his "utmost endeavors" must be exerted to make good this pledge. An active policy of conciliation was urged upon him; and our government went so far as to place Roman Catholic priests at the front in order to prove that no hostile designs were entertained against the religion of the Mexicans.[1]
Later events hardened this fraternal disposition. Owing to the stubbornness of the enemy, unlooked-for expenses and loss of life occurred; and Polk's efforts to negotiate, besides proving fruitless
- ↑ American Flag, Matamoros, July 14, 1846; House Ex. Doc. No. 60, 30 Cong., 1 sess., pp. 155, 165–166, 284; W. L. Marcy to John McElroy, May 19, 1846, Adj.-Gen.'s office; J. K. Polk, Diary (1910), I. 408–410; *W. W. S. Bliss [i. e., Z. Taylor] to M. B. Lamar, October 15, 1846, Lamar Papers, Texas State Library. (An asterisk indicates manuscript material.)
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