Writing from Mexico City ten days after the start of the Polkos Revolt, U.S. consul John Black informed Washington about the outbreak of fighting in the capital, noting that the primary victims were ordinary civilians. Echoing the sentiments of many ultra-expansionists in the United States, Black offered the opinion that the conquest of Mexico would be well received by a large portion of its citizenry.
John Black, United States Consul at Mexico City, to James Buchanan, Secretary of State of the United States [Consular Letters, Mexico, vol. 9. Received May 19.]
[Extracts]
No. 409
SIR: I have the honor to inform you that early on Saturday morning the 27th Ultimo, a revolution against this Government, (including the existing executive, and legislative powers,) which for this some time past has been talked of, and preparing,--broke out in this City, headed by General Matias de la Peña Y Barragan, who was the Commandant General of this Department under the administration of General Herrera, . . . [This omission gives details, including leading personalities, of the revolution.] They commenced firing, on the evening of the 27th and have continued daily at intervals ever since, though very few of the combatants have been killed, the peaceable inhabitants who take no part in the revolution are chiefly the sufferers, as the balls fly in all directions, Such fighting is nothing but a frolic to the combatants, as they keep themselves out of danger, firing from behind thick stone walls, and breast works,--this is the cause of so many revolutions, the non exposure to danger of the combatants if they had but on thoroughgoing revolution, such a one wherein Greek would have to meet Greek, they would not be so fond of entering into these frolics.
What can foreign nations think of these people, who cannot under any circumstances refrain from indulging themselves in civil wars, and endeavouring to destroy each other, even while more than one half of their country is occupied by a foreign force, and the other half in danger of being taken possession of, while they are more interestedly engaged in devouring each other, in civil broils, their conduct would show, as if they were determined not to be governed by each other, nor suffer themselves to be governed by others, though their conduct to themselves and others is hurrying them to this last mode of being Governed, and if pushed much farther, will leave no alternative to our Country, but to take them under its fatherly protection, by forcing them to submit to the strong arm of its salutary power, Such an event I am fully satisfied would be hailed with joy by a very considerable portion of the thinking part of the population, of all classes, as, they are worn out by the course of fruitless revolutions, in continued sucession one upon the heels of another,--
On Monday morning the 1st Instant, this Government received an official communication from General Santa Anna, dated on the battle ground of Camp Angostura near Buenavista, February 23d at Seven O'Clock in the evening, wherein he gives an account of a bloody battle which took place, between the forces under his command, and those under the command of General Taylor, which lasted for two days, --he states the forces under General Taylor to have been from eight to nine thousand, men, but does not give the number of his own forces, the Government here attempted to palm this affair off on the public, as a victory on the part of the Mexican troops, by the ringing of bells, and displaying to public view two small flags said to have been taken from the enemy as a proof of victory, Santa Anna states, the killed on the part of the enemy to be two thousand, and his own killed and wounded to be one thousand,--Yet notwithstanding the great advantage he had gained in this action over the enemy he confesses that [it] is his intention to remove his camp, to Agua-Nueva, three leagues distant, for the sake of providing himself with a few biscuits, and a little rice, for the wounded which when done and he, relieves himself of the wounded, he will return to the charge, but I think from his own account of the affair that he has got enough of it, and no doubt but he is now on his way (as fast as he can hurry) back to San Luis, and it only now remains to see what course he will take, in relation to affairs, with the United States, Yet whatever this may be, our Government should not slack in any-wise its contemplated operations, until the whole affair is brought to an indisputable conclusion,
The people here are daily expecting to hear of an attack having been made on Vera Cruz,
I have the honor [etc.].
