Page:The Collected Works of Theodore Parker Politics volume 4 .djvu/64

52 Such is the American loss. The loss of the Mexicans we cannot now determine. But they have been many times more numerous than the Americans; have been badly armed, badly commanded, badly trained, and besides, have been beaten in every battle; their number seemed often the cause of their ruin, making them confident before battle, and hindering their retreat after they were beaten. Still more, they have been ill provided with surgeons and nurses to care for the wounded, and were destitute of medicines. They must have lost in battle five or six times more than we have done, and have had a proportionate number of wounded. To "lie like a military bulletin" is a European proverb ; and it is not necessary to trust reports which tell of 600 or 900 Mexicans left dead on the ground, while the Americans lost but five or six. But when we remember that only twelve Americans were killed during the bombardment of Vera Cruz, which lasted five days; that the citadel contained more than 5000 soldiers and over 400 pieces of cannon, we may easily believe the Mexican losses, on the whole, have been 10,000 men killed and perished of their wounds. Their loss by sickness would probably be smaller than our own, for the Mexicans were in their native climate, though often ill-furnished with clothes, with shelter, and provisions; so I will put down their loss by ordinary diseases at only 5000, making a total of 15,000 deaths. Suppose their number of wounded was four times as great as our own, or 20,000: I should not be surprised if this were only half the number. Put all together, and we have in total, Americans and Mexicans, 24,000 men wounded, more or less, and the greater part maimed for life; and we have 30,000 men killed on the field of battle, or perished by the slow torture of their wounds, or deceased of diseases caused by extra-ordinary exposures; 24,000 men maimed; 30,000 dead! You all remember the bill which so hastily passed Congress in May, 1846, and authorized the war previously begun. You perhaps have not forgot the preamble, "Whereas war exists by the act of Mexico." WeU, that bill authorized the waste of $200,000,000 of American treasure, money enough to have built a railroad across the Isthmus of Panama, and another to connect the Missis-