Curtis Stretchbery/Document Essay #1 2-29-12/Ch.

14 Dueling Documents

Lincoln firmly puts President Polk to task in his resolution to the House of Representatives on December 22, 1847. Regarding General Taylors dragoons being attacked by Mexican General Aristas troops after they crossed the Rio Grande River Lincoln showed that it was the United States that had moved armed soldiers onto another sovereign nations soil. Moreover Polks reasoning of why the battle took place on US soil does not hold up to any sort of scrutiny. Blood was indeed shed by Americans but it was the blood of our armed soldiers that were in Mexican territory. President Polks justifications for the beginning of hostilities in what would become the Mexican War raise more questions than they do answers. Polk states that the Congress of Texas on December 19, 1836 had declared that the Rio del Norte to be the boundary of that Republic. (Document 1 lines 34-36). Since this was not part of a negotiation or a treaty with Mexico the adoption of these lands past the Nueces River is completely invalid and illegal. Polk goes on to state that Our own Congress has, moreover, with great unanimity, by the act approved December 31, 1845, recognized the country beyond the Nueces as a part of our territory by including it within our own revenue system, and a revenue officer to reside within that district had been appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (Document 1 lines 45-51). This statement is shocking in that according to the borders recognized by international law the United States sent a tax collector to shake down citizens of Mexico. It is obvious that this act could have been viewed by the Mexican government as a quite

inflammatory gesture and could of lead to poor diplomatic relations between the two nations all on its own. Lincolns scornful rebuttal to President Polk brings up many pertinent questions about the entire conflict. Lincoln refers to three quotes written by Polk that state it was the blood of our citizens (Document 2 lines 8, 15-16, 24) that was shed by the Mexican troops. He goes on to question whether it was true that the people that lived in the settlement where the first blood of the war was spilt fled from the approach of the United States army. If those people were indeed in need of protection as Polk claims (Document 1, lines 29-31) why would they flee from their supposed saviors? Lincoln also questions whether it was the blood of American citizens or that of soldiers ordered into the now abandoned settlement (Document 2 lines 7075). Interestingly enough it is Polks own message again that proves the falsehood of his own statements A party of dragoons of 63 men from the American came up the Rio del Norte, on its left bank, to ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crossed or were preparing to cross the river became engaged with a large body of these troops, and after a short affair in which some 16 were killed and wounded (Document 1 lines 59-68). He clearly states that it was American soldiers that were the first to be injured or killed sent out to look for the Mexican troops. By examining just two of Lincolns questions to President Polk it is clear that President Polks reasoning for the Mexican War are patently false. By President Polks own statements that war can be proven to be a farce. No American citizens were killed on that fateful day, only armed American Troops sent into Mexican

territory. One can only imagine how the United States would have responded to Mexico arbitrarily claiming U.S. land and sending a Tax Collector and finally soldiers.