The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 382
426 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
late years, the March through the lower Country will be ex-
tremely slow and trying
If the Mexicans are advancing rapidly in force, and are ac-
companied by strong levies of effective and well mounted ranch-
eros, thoroughly acquainted with the Country, and commanded
by active partizan Chiefs, of whom there is no want in Mexico,
the American force may find it more difficult to establish them-
selves firmly on their intended basis than appears to have been
contemplated. In fact the inconsiderable amount of the force
originally sent on, and the hurried and piecemeal manner in
which reinforcements are now following strengthen me in the
impression that the first movement in Texas was dictated chiefly
by a desire to commit the Legislatures and people of the two
Countries beyond any change of retraction, and not by appre-
hension of early irruption into Texas by Mexico.
Upon any other reasoning the manifest course, more particu-
larly at this season of the year, would have been to assemble
the expeditionary force at some convenient station in the Upper
Mississipi, where it would have been beyond the range of yel-
low fever, and from which it could have been conveyed by Steam
in a few days in complete strength and an effective condition
to the most eligible place of disembarkation, nearest to the points
which it was to act upofi, or to cover. If there had not been
any movement into the Country by the American Government
till the Congress of the United States had met, I think there
can be no doibt that Mexico would have been contented to wait
for the final action of this Legislature, but other motives have
been operative in this quarter and I am afraid that it may now
be very difficult to. avert a collision.
Amongst the impulses disposing the present Government of
the United States'to provoke hostilities with Mexico (and if hos-
tilities do ensue it must be plain to the World that they have
been incited by this Government both primarily and immedi-
ately,) would be the desire of a pretext for taking sudden pos-
session of San Francisco Bay; and it is sincerely to be hoped
that the Government of Mexico may lose no time in shaping
their policy with respect to that part of their territory on large
and sound principles.382
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917, periodical, 1917; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101070/m1/388/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.