History repeating itself

These are my notes about the fifth in the series of lectures by Professor Luis Martin about the development of Mexico and the USA. Topics covered include opposition to the Mexican-American war with parallels to the US Civil War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq War and even the Afghan War. There is also a segment on the Catholic church's decisions on marriage and women.

The planned topic for this lecture was details about the fighting of the Mexican-American War, but that was deferred so that Luis could give some background about the war. He cited a couple of reminders that "An army's role is to kill the enemy and to be ready to die for your own country."

James Polk was the US President in 1848, On January 12, 1848 a freshman Congressman delivered a speech in the House of Representatives in response to Polk's request for additional funds and resources to fight the Mexican-American War. The war was nearing its conclusion by that time. These notes paraphrase parts of the Congressman's speech:

He states that:

• the war was unnecessary and commenced illegally by Polk.
• prior to being in Congress, he believed that everyone, despite their feelings and votes prior to the commencement of the war, should be quiet about their opinions on the war while the war was being fought -- but now, in light of Polk's request, that it was impossible to remain silent.
• that the president asserted that the war began in 1846 on US soil
• that the president's assertion was a shameless deception!
• that the president claimed that the border with Mexico was the Rio Grande while the recognized border was actually the Rio Nueces and thus the president had actually invaded Mexico by crossing the Nueces.
• that if the president can show that he is telling the truth that he will reverse his vote, but if the president cannot show that, then the president is just trying to deflect attention from the illegitimacy of the war by training the focus on the bravery of the military.

That Congressman was Abraham Lincoln. The speech is rarely cited in books about the Mexican-American War. The speech can be found at http://www.animatedatlas.com/mexwar/lincoln2.html

George Santayana, a Spaniard, is the source of the quotation: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." [That is a slight modification of an earlier statement by Edmund Burke.]

War was inevitable as soon as the US annexed Texas. Mexico never recognized Texas' independence. Ironically, a few years later, the US would use the same argument against the South that Mexico had used against Texas. That a state cannot declare its independence. And the same argument had been used by England earlier when the US was declaring its independence.

When Mexico invited Anglos to settle in Texas to populate it, the settlers were allowed to bring slaves and were entitled to additional cheap land for each slave they brought. Mexico was still part of Spain and had not outlawed slavery. When the US annexed Texas, the South believed Texas should be a slave state and the North believed it should not be a slave state.

Book reference: Foreigners in Their Own Land by David Weber about the first generation of Texans who were Mexican citizens when it was annexed.

Luis Martin delivered a sermon at the Catholic church at Columbia University during the Vatican Council. Cardinal Spellman was the Archbishop of New York at the time and was at the Council. Spellman was at the Council and voted against ordaining married men as deacons. Martin opened his sermon by reading from the New York Times about the Cardinal's vote, and then read from Acts of the Apostles where the Apostles decide to ordain deacons, including married men and even women, wherever they are in their life path.

His point, he said, in telling that story is that history is not a science, but a liberal art, to understand what happens in real life situations.

Part 4: Revolt and civil war in Mexico (including Texas)

Another book, in addition to Many Mexicos, was recommended for people interested: The Spanish Frontier in North America by David Weber.

This session talked about the Mexican revolution from Spain, and the Mexican states' revolution, including Texas, from the central government of Mexico; and about the quixotic role of Santa Ana. (It is possible that I have some of the dates wrong in what follows.)

On January 14, 1831 the last living leader of the Mexican revolution of 1810, Vicente Guerrero, was executed by firing squad by Mexico. Santa was responsible for the execution of all four of the independence leaders, leaving himself as the sole remaining original leader.

Santa Ana called himself the Napoleon of the West and reminded people that he fought more battles than George Washington and Napoleon put together.

Santa Ana lead a coup de etat in 1832.

In 1833 Santa Ana is elected President but finds the role boring and uninteresting and turns over control to his vice president, Gomez Farias. Santa Ana retires to his ranch.

Gomez Farias:

• reduces the size of the army;
  
• makes soldiers subject to civilian laws;
  
• says the Church can only be involved in religious matters, not politics
• secularizes education
• closes the University of Mexico (99% of the faculty were clerics)
• severs authority of the Vatican over Mexico
• establishes himself as head of the Church in Mexico
• releases priests and nuns from their vows
• takes over Franciscan monasteries in California

Santa Ana leads a coup against Gomez Farias. reasserts himself as President and negates all of Gomez Farias' policies. But also abolishes the Constitution of 1824 and creates the Constitution of 1833. This leads to civil war as the leaders of the Mexican states revolt against Santa Ana's seizure of power.

Santa Ana puts down revolts leaving Texas as the last holdout.

Texas population in 1700 (not counting Indians) is about 3,000 people. In the 1800's Spain invites immigrants from the north to settle in Texas to strengthen Spain's claim to the territory,m but there are constraints on who can immigrate and be a citizen. Families must be Catholic and promise to abide by Spanish/Mexican law, and all public actions must be conducted in Spanish.

Moses Austin, Stephen Austin's father, comes to Texas. Moses was already a Spanish citizen because Spain considered Oregon to be part of New Spain. Austin brings 300 families to Texas. Land is very cheap and a wife doubles the amount of land a settler can buy at the cheap price. An additional 160 acres per child can be bought for the ten cents per acre. For every slave another 80 acres can be bought. These prices are 1/10 or less of the price in other areas of the south.

By 1824 there are 30,000-35,000 Anglos in Texas and only 7,500 Mexicans.

Santa Ana raises and army and marches from Mexico City to Texas. By March 1836 he is in San Antonio and captures the Alamo. On March 5, 1836 he decides that the siege of the Alamo will turn into an attack and allowing no survivors.

But the battle of Goliad was a more tragic massacre. The Texian leader at Goliad was Colonel James Fannin and an army of 400 men, Fannin tries to negotiate with Mexican General Urrea to avoid a massacre. But Santa Ana invokes a law that any enemy of Mexico found with weapons should be executed immediately and orders Urrea's lieutenant (Portilla) to execute all of them. THey were lined up and massacred on march 27, 1836. Following the massacre at Goliad there was no way that the Texians could agree to remain part of Mexico.

This was followed by the battle of San Jacinto where Santa Ana is taken prisoner by Houston's army. Santa Ana, as President of Mexico, signs two treaties, one public, one secret. The public treaty ceases military action, withdraws south of the Rio Grande, commits to never fight Texians again, and will receive envoys from Texas leading to Texas' independence.

Santa Ana is sent to D.C where he is put on a ship and returned to Veracruz. But the next year, in 1837, the French navy blockades Veracruz and the French army is ordered to invade in what is known as the "pastry war". Santa Ana raises an army and repels them.