Grand County Republicans celebrate Mexican-American Heritage and specifically urge that we take a closer look at the events and personalities involved in the memorable May 5, 1862 Battle for Puebla where a smaller, out-gunned force of Mexican Army patriots resisted and defeated nearly 6,000 soldiers of the invading Army sent by Napoleon III, Dictator of the French Empire. Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza, a Texan and under 3,800 (500 were Tejanos) heroically threw back the over-confident French and delayed the occupation of central Mexico for nearly a year as a result. The United States, embroiled in full scale Civil War could not afford resources to assist in repelling the European powers that were intent on securing Mexico and potentially extending direct aid to the Confederacy.
One should contrast the president of Mexico Benito Juarez’s humble origins to France’s usurper and “emperor” Napoleon III.
Napoleon III, in true Authoritarian Leftist Revolutionary form (1848-1870), was a meddler in foreign affairs and military interventions worldwide. (Another of these was in SE Asia where the French would remain until 1954). While molding the military to his leadership, he also neutered the National Guard to ceremonial status so as not to face serious opposition domestically. He was a populist in the sense of agitating workers and the unemployed who were overtaxed and burdened by inflation. He advocated for their rights while elevating universal democracy to then leverage elections by upholding the tainted and purchased-skewed results as legitimizing his rule, his policies, and as a popular-vote mandate to alter the institutions of government and society to his use. He was notorious for promoting strife and intimidation during elections, stifling speech and censoring media opposition to be favorable to him. He persecuted and prosecuted his political opponents, jailing and exiling hundreds, often astutely pitting them against each other in order that his own power would be augmented. He believed in streamlined, powerful rule without encumbrance of Republican institutions; the legislature served and promoted his policies so that an appearance of checks and balances could be maintained. He re-made banking, education, agriculture, and infrastructure to reward his funders and supporters.
Viva Libertad! Oponerse a la Tirania! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Long Live Liberty! Resist Tyranny! Happy May 5th!