Page:Harris Dickson--The unpopular history of the United States.djvu/132

The Unpopular History of the United States during that Mexican War, mostly growing out of the same old muddle of militia and short-term enlistments. And, also, out of the military innocence cherished by our friends the statesmen on Capitol Hill.

In order to avoid any possible variation in our method of courting calamity, General Taylor, who commanded on the Texas border, was instructed to resist invasion, and if expedient to carry the war into Mexico. For this purpose he was empowered to call upon the militia of the surrounding states, and particularly the Texans.

Here we go again, limping off on the same old crippled foot, trying to do again the very thing which caused the loss of an army at Queenstown, where our militia refused to serve outside the United States. Of course, it was a palpable violation of the Constitution to send militia on a foreign invasion. Our regular force at that time, on paper, was about 4,000 men. By actual figures this "army of occupation" on the frontiers of Texas, in May, 1846, numbered 73 companies, [114]