I give it as my fixed opinion, that but for our graduated cadets, the war between the United States and Mexico might, and probably would have lasted some four or five years, with, in its first half, more defeats than victories falling to our share; whereas, in less than two campaigns, we conquered a great country and a peace without the loss of a single battle or skirmish.
Interpretation
Winfield Scott emphasizes the crucial role of military training in achieving swift victory in the Mexican-American War.
This quote by Winfield Scott highlights the importance of well-trained military forces in achieving strategic success. Scott believes that without the involvement of the graduated cadets, the conflict between the United States and Mexico could have dragged on for many years, resulting in a series of defeats for the U.S. He underscores the effectiveness of military preparedness and command in securing a swift and decisive victory with minimal loss.
In practice
During a military graduation speech, this quote can inspire cadets about the significance of their training.
When people talk as if the Crusades were nothing more than an aggressive raid against Islam, they seem to forget in the strangest way that Islam itself was only an aggressive raid against the old and ordered civilization in these parts. I do not say it in mere hostility to the religion of Mahomet; I am fully conscious of many values and virtues in it; but certainly it was Islam that was the invasion and Christendom that was the thing invaded.
There are a whole lot of historical factors that have played a part in our being where we are today, and I think that to even to begin to understand our contemporary issues and contemporary problems, you have to understand a little bit about that history.
They didn't incarcerate the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. That's the place that was bombed. But the Japanese-American population was about 45 percent of the island of Hawaii. And if they extracted those Japanese-Americans, the economy would have collapsed. But on the mainland, we were thinly spread out up and down the West Coast.
History isn't really about the past - settling old scores. It's about defining the present and who we are.
Slavery is nothing to joke about. The history of this nation's involvement with slavery is nothing to pass off in a joke.
It's a touchy subject, but as a Southerner, you can't ignore our history any more than a Renaissance painter can ignore the Virgin Mary. And it's impossible to drive down a road or eat a vegetable or pass a church without being reminded of slavery.
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