and bloodshed, then, but not till then, will it be properly invoked for Mexico" (Cong. Globe, 29, 2, p. 517, col. 1). 354Welles papers.
2. London Times, Aug. 6, 1847. Webster to Thompson, Apr. 5, 1842: "Every nation, on being received, at her own request, into the circle of civilized Governments must understand that . . . she binds herself also to the strict and faithful observance of all those principles, laws, and usages, which have obtained currency among civilized States. . . . No community can be allowed to enjoy the benefit of national character, in modern times, without submitting to all the duties which that character imposes" (Ho. 266; 27, 2, p. 32). Mex. Nat. Museum, Boletí i, no. 9. Ramírez, México, 235. London Spectator, Dec. 9, 1911: "When a country can not manage its own affairs, and can not keep order among its own people, it has already lost its independence."
3. This and following paragraphs are of course a very incomplete summary, which the reader can fill in from the first chapters of this work. With reference to the annexation of Texas Cass justly said: "The peace [and prosperity] of the world cannot be put to hazard by the pertinacious obstinacy of any nation, which holds on to nominal claims, without the power or the disposition to maintain them" (Cong. Globe, 30, 1, app., 425). It was the reasonable opinion of many that if Taylor had had a strong army, well placed [especially had he been a general capable of impressing the Mexicans] there would have been no war (e.g. 132W. R. King, June 1, 1846; So. Qrtly. Rev., Nov., 1850, 428).
4. Grant, Mems., i, 168-9: "I have seen as brave stands made by some of these men [Mexican troops] as I have ever seen made by soldiers." 113Beauregard: The Mexicans stood artillery and infantry fire "fully as well as our own troops," etc. Picayune, Oct. 4, 1846 (Haile): All admit that the Mexicans handle guns in battery as well as we could. 364Worth to 8., Nov. 2, 1846. The Americans won mostly with the bayonet. The Mexicans lacked the discipline and the confidence in themselves, one another and their officers which were necessary to sustain them against a charge. Constitutionnel, Aug. 17, 1847. Negrete, Invasión, iii, app., 443; 489 (Otero). S. Anna, Apelacién, 57. Id., Comunicación Oficial. 76To Ocampo, Dec. 18, 1847 (the chief cause of our ills is a want of military men possessing a political conscience). Richtofen, Zustände, 59, 60. 76Mora, Apr. 14, 23, 1847. Memoria de. . . Relaciones, Jan., 1849. Consideraciones, 7, etc. Sen. 52; 30, 1, p. 242. 76Olaguíbel to Relaciones, Aug. 15, 1847. Puebla Nacional, Jan. 19, 1848 (Payno). México á través, iv, 698-9. Pacheco, Exposición. Ramírez, México, 234-5.
The Mexican newspapers did much to sap courage. From north to south there was a chorus of disheartening epithets for the adored patria: sad, unfortunate, lamentable, ill-starred, suffering, doomed. The whole diapason of misery filled the air. On all sides echoed confessions — on one another's account, of course — of mistakes, blunders and vices; egotism, cynicism, deceit, selfishness, hypocrisy, rancor, partisanship, dissension, indifference to the welfare of the nation, unscrupulous ambition, malfeasance in office, wholesale plundering, rascality favored by the authorities, personal degeneracy, social demoralization, military incompetency. Even the orthodox estimate of the Americans tended the same way. What had become of justice in heaven and hope on earth when our "infamous," "incompetent" generals could triumph again and again, with a handful of barbarians and adventurers, cowardly, ill-clad, ignorant, debased and undisciplined, over devout Catholics and valiant patriots? A
