could have you
believe. We say it with pride, and we confirm it by an appeal to
your bishops and the curates of Tampico, Tuzpan, Matamoros,
Monterey, Vera Cruz, and Jalapa; to all clergy, civil authorities,
and inhabitants of all places we have occupied. We adore the same
God, and a large portion of our army, as well as of the people of
the United States, are Catholics, like yourselves. We punish crime
wherever we find it, and reward merit and virtue. The army of the
United States respects, and will ever respect, private property of
every class, and the property of the Mexican Church. Woe to him who
does not where we are! Mexicans, the past is beyond remedy, but the
future may yet be controlled. I have repeatedly declared to you that
the Government and the people of the United States desire peace,
desire your sincere friendship. Abandon, then, state prejudices;
cease to be the sport of private ambition, and conduct yourselves
like a great American nation. Abandon at once these old colonial
habits, and learn to be truly free, truly republican. You may then
soon attain prosperity and happiness, of which you possess all the
elements; _but remember that you are Americans_, and that your
happiness is not to come from Europe. I desire, in conclusion, to
say to you with equal frankness that, were it necessary, an army of
one hundred thousand Americans would soon be among you, and that the
United States, if forced to terminate by arms their differences with
you, would not do it in an uncertain or precarious, or, still less,
in a dishonorable manner. It would be an insult to the intelligent
people of their country to doubt their knowledge of your power. The
system of forming guerrilla parties to annoy us will, I assure you,
produce only evil to this country and none to our army, which knows
how to protect itself and how to proceed against such cut-throats;
and if, so far from calming resentments and passion, you try to
irritate, you will but force upon us the hard necessity of
retaliation. In that event, you can not blame us for the
consequences which will fall upon yourselves. I shall march with
this army upon Puebla and Mexico. I do not conceal this from you.
From those capitals I may again address you. We desire peace,
friendship, and union; it is for you to choose whether you prefer
continued hostilities. In either case, be assured, I will keep my
wor