A satirical prayer, written ostensibly from the U.S. point of view, declaring the U.S. desire to acquire all the wealth and property of Mexico.
Prayer that the Yankees recite
To shame the Mexicans.
We worship one almighty God, which is the Mexicans' gold, which we shall take by conquest, because they are inept and very afraid of us.
We believe: that this God is another trinity, also with three parts; namely, the gold from their mines, their beautiful girls, who will be at our disposal and our every whim, and their fertile and boundless lands, which we will seize for ourselves, make them fruitful and enjoy them as we please.
We believe: that by making the so-called Mexican republic our colony, the Mexicans will belong to us by right of conquest and we will have them at our disposal, making laborers of them who will extract gold and silver from the bowels of the earth, satisfying our brutal appetites.
We believe: that by the same right, we will make those who call themselves Mexican citizens our workmen, who at the crack of a whip will work the fields for our benefit, and the fruit of their labor will belong to us alone, of which the Mexicans will only get what is left, so that they will not die of hunger and keep working like mules.
We believe: that, having everything at our disposal, we will use the strong for work, and the weak and sickly we will sell for the best possible price to the first merchant ship; eliminating the rebellious from society that could harm us, who will get a change of scenery in Louisiana or New Orleans.
We believe: that we will have at our disposal the silver from their temples, and everything else that pertains to worship, because they should have nothing other than that which we are willing to tolerate.
We believe: that since those who call themselves property owners should own no more than is absolutely necessary to survive, the remainder will be seized by those who do not have even enough land to bury a louse.
We believe: that by providing a new and different education to those the Mexicans call the fairer sex, the most distinguished and beautiful young ladies who belong to us by right, we will abolish marriage and they will serve us, just like a shirt or pair of shoes to wear and do with as we please.
We believe: that over the course of thirty years, from this generation to the next, we will remain in peace, enjoying what we have achieved without the least amount of effort, but rather because the Mexicans, instead of taking up the rifle, took up the pin cushion; instead of going to war they ran to the hills, and instead of continuing to put on pants, some put on gowns and others petticoats, and they all turned into sissies.
We believe: that henceforth English will be the language of the new continent: that we will serve as an example to the world and that when anyone starts a war with us we will have plenty of Mexican slaves to send to the slaughter, just as in times of peace they will labor for our benefit.
We believe: that within a year we will be the owners of all of Mexico: that the products from their ports will be ours: likewise their mineral wealth, their harvests, and ours everything therefore, because it will belong to us, by virtue of the cowardice of the Mexicans who did not know how to defend themselves but rather on their knees, surrendered themselves and asked for peace.
We believe: that we will dictate [to the Mexicans] the conditions of peace, if we consider them at all.
We believe, in short: that from this day forward we will not be deterred by a single obstacle because there are no men in Mexico; if there are some who still wear pants, it is out of habit and nothing more, but those who dress as the other sex, dress like women to deceive us so that we do not undertake anything; but we already know what they are: sissies in dresses, and the proof is that they are completely submissive.
We believe: that the Hidalgos and Iturbides are no more, nor the Morelos; but the Mexicans need not worry, for we will give them Scotts and Taylors, Polks and Wools, Bentons, and others. They will patiently endeavor to enlighten Mexico and to make its people respectable, and in return for these blessings their material goods will belong to us, and to them the benefits provided by the light, sweet yoke that we have charitably imposed on them; and as we believe it to be so, let us affirm it with the following devout prayer which we also order the Mexicans to pray at all hours, when they get up, when they lay down, when they go out and so forth.
Prayer.
Almighty and courageous Polk, president of the ostensibly enlightened United States of the North, which for the sake of humanity you have deigned to send an army of convicts to set an example for Mexico. Make it so that through your vile instruments Taylor and Scott, Butler and Wool, Kearney and Quitman and the rest of the henchmen at your disposal for such a sacred cause, the Mexicans are forthwith able to receive with patience and resignation the light though shameful yoke you offer them. It is fortunate that they do not know any better; and that in this manner they achieve the greater glory you seek to provide to them, to serve us on their knees; discarding as mundane the earthly possessions they own so that we can use them, we who have not a dime to our name, nor anything of value, their only reward the highly distinguished honor of being our servants. Make it, then, almighty Polk, paragon of virtue who the greatest thieves in the world could emulate in order to shamelessly seize everything from their neighbors; make it, we beseech you, so that the servile Mexicans will bow down and never recover what is theirs, to our greater glory and the envy of your devotees, the saints Caco, Vigotes and Pillo Madera. Make it, then, as we have asked, so that at the end of our days we will all go to the depths of hell where devils, with eternal fire, will repay your humanity and your philanthropy, and repay us for the part we played to honor your great ambition, your greed and the insatiable thirst for gold and riches that consumes us all and will consume us forever and ever, Amen.
San Luis Potosí 1847.—State Press in the Palace, in the care of Ventura Carrillo.
