The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-13 00:00:00

644M4

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1845.

By the Fidelia packet-ship, which arrived on Monday
afternoon at Liverpool, we have advices from New
York, the most interesting portion of which is, probably,
a copy of the manifesto of the Mexican Republic, under
date of the 14th of June last, declaring war against the
United States, on account of the decree of that body.
sanctioned by the Executive, annexing Texas to, and
incorporating it with, the Federal Union. The document
thus promulgated by the Mexican Governor ent is con•
-
ceived in a becoming and independent spirit, tied ex-
pressed in dignified and dispassionate terms. We have
never permitted ourselves to regard the question of this
alxorption of the Texan territory in the narrow point of
view under which some of our contemporaries look upon
it ; that is, in reference merely to the value or extent of
its present or future commercial relations, its positive
or contingent importance to this ccuntry. We should as
soon induce ourselves to estimate the bearings of the
Oregon question by an approximated calculation of the
value of all the peltry furs brought into the North -west
Company's ports adjacent to the mouth of the Columbia
River, or the aggregate tonnage which enters and de-
parts out of those waters in the course of a year. In
neither case is the question to be determined one of
money value or its equivalent. It involves far more ex-
tensive and important considerations ; it is to be de-
cided on principles which govern the rights and protect
the integrity of nations. Those principles cannot be bet
ter announced than in the language employed by the
Mexican Government. In denouncing the conduct which
has been pursued by the Congress and Government of
the United States, throughout the whole course of the
dishonest and disgraceful transactions commenced by the
laze General JACKSON, organized and matured by the
ex- President TYLER, and consummated by his successor,
Mr. POLK, the head of the Mexican Republic says,
" This mode of appropriating to itself territories upon
which other nations have rights, introduces a monstrous
novelty, endangering the peace of the world, and viola-
ting the sovereignty of nations ;"—" that the usurpation
now consummated to the prejudice of Mexico has been
in insidious preparation for a long time," during which,
on the part of the United States, " the most cordial
friendship was proclaimed for Mexico ;" the faith and
obligations of existing treaties being, by Mexico, in the
interim, " strictly and legally observed." There is not
one tittle of these pregnant averments which are to be
disputed. The evidence to their truth has been sup-
plied by the repeated acts, and declarations, subsequently
acknowledged, of the Government of the United States,
and of its accredited functionaries.

It has been, in our times, the favourite maxim of most
of the " statesmen" of the Federal Union, that " might
is right." No higher justification has been either relied
upon or cared for, by the native and official apologists of
their exterminating warfare and usurpations against the
red men ;" their,vindication of slavery ; their foment-

ing of the divisions and troubles of Canada ; their inso-
lent violation of all international law in the case of Mr,
M‘LEon ; their convenient " repudiations" of the public
debts of their States ; their extravagant pretensions to
the Oregon ; and their now gravely propounded doc-
trine—after a publicly-uttered " extacy" of Mr. PERCI-
VAL MoNRO to the effect that the destiny (forsooth !) of
the United States required that no further settlement
by any other nations of the world could be allowed
upon their continent—that the time is at hand at which
the supremacy of the Federal Union must be asserted
over the whole of the New World. We have the lowest
possible opinion of that statesmanship, which can com-
mit itself to the errors of such an unprincipled, but hap-
pily suicidal, scheme of policy. But we entertain the
gravest fears that its pestilent manifestations cannot long
be repressed without bloodshed ; for they are, as
Mexico solemnly affirms, " incompatible with the peace
of the world and the sovereignty of independent na-
tions." There seems little probability that the excite
ment of such an aggressive feeling as now agitates the
population of the United States, under the incessant
fostering of impetuous democrats and reckless theorists,
can be stilled by the calm reasoning, or the wise remon-
strances of the few WEBSTERS and EVERETTS, who can
be found wise enough, or bold enough, to impress upon
their countrymen the virtues of moderation, political in-
tegrity, national honour, or financial good faith.
Meanwhile, what is to be the issue of the contest be-
tween Mexico and the United States ? If Mexico be
left to her own disorganised resources, the struggle will
be long protracted, sanguinary,. harassing—but not
doubtfuL Mexico must fight the natural strength, and
present the natural bulwarks of her territory, against
her active and acclimatised enemy ; but in the end, we
fear, she would be forced to succumb from the want of
material forces, a disciplined and paid army, or
an organised militia. But will she be unas-
assisted ? Will she be 1-ft to succumb by those
great European Powers, who have disposable material
forces and disciplined and well-paid armies—and fleets
to boot—against which all the military and naval
power of the United States, were it quintupled to-
morrow, coal make no head,—but which some of
these Powers cannot reckon on long retaining if they
tolerate the successful assertion of pretensions against
the independence of Mexico, which would, in their
turn, be assuredly soon set in motion against their own
authority and rights ? If Mexico have no navy, no
cruisers—they have. If the coasts of Mexico may be
easily scoured by United States' cruisers, the sea-board
of the United States' territory on the Atlantic—that is,
the portien of those dominions which embraces their
fairest and richest cities and harbours, stores and public
works—is equally accessible. If the United States' Go-
vernment have hitherto been unable to comprehend, or
unwilling to respond to the forbearance and self-posses-
sion which far more powerful Governments of the Old
World have manifested in treating for the adjustment of
claims upon the latter, the extravagance of which has
been afterwards owned to by the former in the language
of vaunting self-congratulation, those European Go-
vernments may not be disinclined to avail themselves of
the opportunity afforded by the aid to be given to
Mexico of reading to the United States a memorable
but fearful lesson. The United States may be taught
in a manner not to be forgotten by the remotest pos-
terity, the danger of Governments attempting to blind
other nations to the. flagrant character of the political
crimes they are bent on perpetrating, by provoking a
weaker Power to a war, from which they anticipate
political aggrandisement to themselves—political annihi-
lation to their victims. They may find that the dragons'
teeth they sow will grow into an armed host, by whom
they themselves must fall.

" Neque lex justior ulla,
Quail.' necis artifices arte perire sua."

Letters from Frankfort of the 7th state that the
German Diet has Toted 100,000 florins for the arming