commencement it was
deemed proper to conduct it in a spirit of forbearance and liberality.
With this end in view, early measures were adopted to conciliate, as far
as a state of war would permit, the mass of the Mexican population; to
convince them that the war was waged, not against the peaceful
inhabitants of Mexico, but against their faithless Government, which had
commenced hostilities; to remove from their minds the false impressions
which their designing and interested rulers had artfully attempted to
make, that the war on our part was one of conquest, that it was a war
against their religion and their churches, which were to be desecrated
and overthrown, and that their rights of person and private property
would be violated. To remove these false impressions, our commanders in
the field were directed scrupulously to respect their religion, their
churches, and their church property, which were in no manner to be
violated; fhey were directed also to respect the rights of persons and
property of all who should not take up arms against us.

Assurances to this effect were given to the Mexican people by
Major-General Taylor in a proclamation issued in pursuance of
instructions from the Secretary of War in the month of June, 1846, and
again by Major-General Scott, who acted upon his own convictions of the
propriety of issuing it, in a proclamation of the 11th of May, 1847. In
this spirit of liberality and conciliation, and with a view to prevent
the body of the Mexican population from taking up arms against us, was
the war conducted on our part. Provisions and other supplies furnished
to our Army by Mexican citizens were paid for at fair and liberal
prices, agreed upon by the parties. After the lapse of a few months it
became apparent that these assurances and this mild treatment had failed
to produce the desired effect upon the Mexican population. While the war
had been conducted on our part according to the most humane and liberal
principles observed by civilized nations, it was waged in a far
different spirit on the part of Mexico. Not appreciating our
forbearance, the Mexican people generally became hostile to the United
States, and availed themselves of every opportunity to commit the most
savage excesses upon our troops. Large numbers of the population took up
arms, and, engaging in guerrilla warfare, robbed and murdered in the
most cruel manner individual soldiers or small parties whom accident or
other causes h