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.