Poor Mexico! So far from God and
so close to the United States.

—attributed to General Porfirio Díaz,
president of Mexico, 1877–1911

From that day nothing was heard but
the cry of “war.” Thus succeeded
the scenes of blood and extermination until
the horses of the north arrived to
trample the smiling level fields of the
beautiful valley of Mexico, and the
degenerate descendents of William Penn
came to insult the sepulchres of our
fathers.

—Alcaraz     

The grievous wrongs perpetrated by
Mexico upon our citizens for a long
period of years remains unredressed;
and solemn treaties have been
disregarded.… In the meantime we have
tried every effort at reconciliation.
The cup of forebearance had been
exhausted, even before Mexico passed
the boundary of the United States,
invaded our territory, and shed
American blood upon American soil.

—President James K. Polk, message to     
Congress, May 11, 1846