Star.
London, England, 1829-12-23 00:00:00

MEXICO.

TO THE' EDITOR OF THE STAR.
LEITER 111 .
Stu,—Scarcely were the Spaniards driven from the
Mexican territory, or the ephemeral throne of IT u te-
e nz crumbled to give place to a popular g
vernment, than an unanimous cry arose in favour of
invading Cuba; and thus the Authorities of the confederacy
in accordance with the general wishes of the nation,
hastened to collect troops at Campechi, and to call for
eic co-operation of Columbia. Such a project alarmed
not only the self-styled friends of legitimacy, and
the partizans of universal monarchy ; but also all
those generous men of whom there are such swarms
in the world, who desire with sincerity • the good
of their neighbours, provided that good, costs them
no trouble, no money, no care, and who consequently
indulge in the most agreeable of reveries, that of a core-
r elsive state quo, even when it would have defeated all
the progress of a Revolution only half accomplished.
Let us not then be astonished, Mr. Editor, at the
thousand heavy accusations which fine feeling in some,
and fear in others have created, and -circulated against
the Mexicans—one blames their ambition—another
their cupidity. This one denounced their imprudent
proselytising zeal, which was about to compromise every
interest. There a republican General was imagined
marching with the revolutionary torch in hand, pro-
claiming in Cuba instant liberty to the slaves,propagatingi
the flame of rebellion through the Antilles, passing
the ocean—spreading over Europe to join in a common
devastation with the Liberals and Carbonari—and all
this was to be done without even a plausible
pretext ? without any provocation on the part of
milk-and-water Spain ? Help ! help against the
assassins ! Quick—quick—muzzle the mad dogs ;
let them not come out of their holes ! See the
Brazilian diplomatists immediately . set to work
to scribble Protests ; whilst such real States-
men as Mr. Canning, laughing in their sleeves at
this European aberration of sense, pretended to partake
of the general alarm, because it happened marvellously to
favour other combinations of Policy, more directly inter-
esting to themselves.
Poor Mexicans ! they were indeed in 1827, very far
from being seized with the mania of ambition—nor did
they seek to embark in any chivalrous adventures. They
knew then, as they know now, that nature having pro-
tected them by stormy, unhealthy, unpeopled coasts,
with only a few ports for shelter, had doomed them at all
events for ages, to forbear from the attempt of making
themselves a maritine nation, and if they could
not create a considerable marine, how could they
hope to keep, even after conquest, possession of
an Island, the envy of all the world ? Would they
take it to lose it in the first quarrel with the
feeblest maritime State, or to see themselves
driven out by the inhabitants themselves, determined on
enjoying independence ? What folly ! But the Mexi-
cans, instructed by the instinct of self-presentation, which
teaches nations as well as individuals, and appreciating
justly the importance of localities, felt that Cuba would
become one day the greatest, or rather the sole
obstacle to their incipient nationalization ; that these
liberties would always be menaced from Cuba—ind
their internal peace would. be always troubled from
Cuba. They proposed, therefore, to proceed against,
and conquer in Cuba.; their internal repose—the se-
curity of their liberties and their nationalisation ;
and not to seize the territory of Cuba, or to gather new
disciples to the Republican faith : and if, moreover, Cuba
was in a defenceless state, neglected, discontented, and
eager to throw off the yoke of Spain at the first appear-
ance of an independent flag, were the Mexicans to be
blamed for wishing to profit by the occasion so favour-
able for terminating their own struggles with that Power ?
MEETCANVS.

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.