Civil Disobedience & The Mexican War

Subject: Civil Disobedience (pp. 301-325, Paragraphs 1-2) The Mexican American War (Video)

They say:

            Governments, by the words of Henry David Thoreau, main job is to facilitate, or impede, the actions of their people, may it be an individual or an individual group. But though the government is a means for people to express their will, it can also be used by a few people to work against the people’s desires. The current system rules by majority, not justice, turn people from individuals into tools, with people who go against it are seen as enemies. At this time, people lived with a government which supported slavery, which turned men who were civil by nature to resist. These laws were seen as unjust, and if you were a real man, you would resist such laws. Those who abolish these laws should withdraw their support from the state by not paying certain taxes and even willingly go to prison. This may seem extreme, but to have your voice heard in a government that is only the manifestation of human values, this will help. An ideal government should focus on treating their individuals with respect.

            Before the Mexican War, Mexico had just declared its independence from the Spaniards. At this time, their country spanned from current day Oregon to Guatemala. Because this current territory was very sparsely populated, they set a plan to welcome settlers from America in hopes of further developing the region. Through this process, their current region, Texas, became mostly American, but for the settlers, the had to obey some conditions. Such as pledging loyalty to Mexico, convert themselves to Catholicism, and they had to live in their settlement for at least 10 years. Mexico also didn’t allow slavery which didn’t exactly work for the settlers because they were mostly Protestant, loyal to the American government, and pro-slavery. James K. Polk, the current president, believed that it was God’s image to have America to own they and between the Atlantic and the Pacific. In 1845, Polk sent John Slidell to purchase California. This only angered the Mexican government, and Slidell was sent back to America. Polk felt that they had mistreated Slidell, when he heard the Mexican troops had fired against American troops over the Rio Grande, he used this opportunity to declare war for the territory.

I say:

Thoreau may, by what I’ve read, see the government as a manifestation of human desires being misused for their own gains. Putting people aside as tools and working towards their own agenda. As he says, the government in their time is not of one that rules by justice, but one that decides their actions through the majority of the population with the minority’s opinions left aside. Majority as in the rich and the better, stricken with indecent morals towards the lesser man. With the government we live with today, I believe that the path we are on now is at a better state than the one they had back then. A major difference is in their ability to address the main problems amongst us today. Not only addressing them but also working to improve on them. And though the may be slow at time, I feel that over time we will continue to improve.

I don’t personally believe that Presidents Polk’s intentions were entirely ethical, but more guided by the desires to have more land. Yes, the Mexican government fired against American troops, but I believe he only used this as an excuse to initiate the war. I believe that this could have been settled over congress and talking how to go about the situation. Rushing to war not only took a lot of innocent lives but also disrupted our trust with our current neighbors. Though this did, in the end, bode well for us. I do think that this could have been handled in a more civil manner. And if not, then I guess war was inevitable.