Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-02-10
FROM ne NaicLes Daily Courier.
AlENICO

MEXICO.
Ihe'se"eni news from our SISTER Repibiir Of Mex
co, presents more than ordinary interest. The Cou-
iress Which Sihia Ana had currvoSeJ, has been
'~onp"lled To terminate che siling~, " IhouI carrying
hhse rciorms m the Constitution. IL erart which a.
WIS assembled. l. is common une ers,nod thutIhc
ceiling IN that Congress tended mare la favor Of a
"vival of the Federal Constitution OF 1924. than
wns %P'laiable 10 the army. The priesthood and The
'nonied classes.
Tho theory Of the Federal Constitution orTSai
Was precisely that of the Curious Constitution under
"hict We have the happiness 10 live. Is authors
'd"pied II in imitation OF Cur lorefaIhers. aud eEpec
ing under u. the same political benefits. But in
practice. this was moi the case. and The Cause appears
10 rs sn,ceIiihle OF a ready explanation.
Our constitution Was made Federal To adapt itself
TO The different laws, ordinances aud regulations
used by tie respective legislative .rmhIics and
councils Of thirteen dlnrreai British Provinces. alt
indei endeni uf Teach uIhcr. accustomed To make Ihair
'wn laws. 10 receive Justice irum their own courts,
md without any other tie Than their comm m depen.
tencs upon the M1narrh of Great Britain. No
o'her government but a Federal one. preserving the
laws and legislative privileges OF each Province
would ever have been subscribed I'd 10y these distinct
ND independent commonwealth. Jealous of each
riher- and of the General Government. To n degree
"ien Impending the unity uf action and of supply.
The ~ant Of which General Washington So much
cuHrFlaIned Of, IN The cOnducI Of the Revolutionary
Was.
Nothing OF his Kind existed in Mexico. in 1924.
The whole vast extent "f that country. hom the
SahIne to the borders Of Guuiemnla. during the
dominion Of Spain, had been ruled Ivy one Viceruy,
under The same laws. The same civil nnd military
authorities the sumo judges, and the same priests.
The first independent government threw I'll The yoke
"f Spain. hut eracled the same universal obedience
TO The laws ihnighuut the entire Republic, nn4
administered them with The anne simple machinery.
Under The empire. during the short reign fIturbide
a still nearer anprOach was madei tbs form at gov
eminent 10 which the MeJicaRS had been accus.
tuned. and which they understood. Many intelligent
Mexicans ard we'll informed travellers think that The
MeHieans would have been more happy usder that
government than ATTY beiUre or since established.
But IL WIS the fate cf IIurbide TO e shot in the
country TO who-e independence he mainly contrib
uied. A PARTY Ind grown up fascinated by the
writings Of Tom Paine and the UIopias CT Frenci,
authors; they had sealed their destination ei
Monarchy with The blood Of their Emperor. md
they tanned their eyes Iu our Federal Consultation
ss the most con- parble with the rights OF MN.
Had our Federal Constitution only respected the
rights Of man, they would have been right, bal here
u was adopted more Immediately To preserve the
rights OF thirteen different British Provinces which
could only be federated in the then existing state
OF things. while The Mexican homogeneous popula
ton could not be federated wiihnnia previous vinlen
divergence from the Stale Of things US IL existed
among them. and the d disruption cf he body poliuc
INTO nineteen different purrions called States.
Here we apprehend the McTicans erred. in
attempting To imiIaie as, for our Safe Constitutions
onlygive constitutional form aud sanction 10 essential
differences. in law and justice already existing. while
the Constitutions OF The nineteen Mexican States
, were creative Of diff rsI.ces no where belnre existing.
disturbed the unity Of all previous administration
, Introduced parties, wasted and imprded the coilec-
lion ofihe Revenue. and rendered The machinery
Of government TOO cumhroos aud complicated either
for IFS excessive or subDrdinaIe officers.
Need it create surprise that q system which has
worked so vel with US, has worked So badly IN
Mexico! For what reason has the system worked
we'll with us. buI beca use 1t was suited 10 our CIR
cumsiances at the time. the general diffusion OF
knowl'dge among us, the genius ofolr religion and
our unmiXed Popuaiiun-bUt in Mexico. how could
II work well, where il was not suited 10 The
circumstance OF The people, where il was q beautiful,
Exotic, requiring a different soil. where little previuu-
political knowledge existed. where Ihe habits OF the
people We're opposed it, where The genius Of Their
religion points TO unity ~ofSysiem under one powerful
and universally obeyed head; where The population,
divides itself into classes, all equally free. but of
every variety Uf hue between the white man. The
, Indian, ard the negro. and where iis only recon
mendaion was, and could be it's successful adoption
with us, with whom its remarkable success. SO
alluring to them, arose frVm causes wholly absent
among iheHi
Under these circumstance, il is not nee essary to
suppose that Santa Ana is actuated by personal am
billion, &c IL be true. as has been represented. that
he opposes Ihe re-csiablishment Of tho Constitution
Of 1924. All accounts, even hose by parties who
may be called his political enemies. cencur in as
cnbing 90 him no ordinary degree Of political sa-
gacily; his letter TO General HamiliOa sf South
Carolina atIesis il; IL is known that the Emperor
Iturbide entertained fhe highes, opinion Of his mill
IaTy talents, though he was then The youngest Gen
eral in the service; his success against Bauadas, his
conduct against The French al Vera Cruz, and his
still paramount Influence with The Mexican army
support that reputation. and IL even the conduct 81
our immaculateW Washington did not exempt him from
a suspicion Of monsrchial ieudencies-we may
pause ere we yield implicit credence 10 all that Is
said and alleged Of The views Of personal aggran.
~dizeneni entertained by The military chief Of the
Mexican Republic.
II not more probable, il is at lensi more chariia.
! bic 10 suppose, that he 6resees and wishes 10 PIE
vent the dismemberment Of The Republic under the
weak administration which could alone result from
The re- establishment Of any Constitution 80 III adap-
ted 10 bis counlymen as was that called The FEEDER
alton OF 1924. or any thing approaching lhcieto-
that the lameniable effects Of The attempt al FEEDER
alton in the formerly Uniisd Provinces Of The Rio
de Ia Plata. end The equally remarkable success
Tor ell ime eRds Of good government Of the power
ful, energetic and central Republic Of Chill, may
have convinced him, bona 6dc. diat q government
on Federal principles. over a people. whose only DIFF
ference is geographical position. y not, and never
can be adapted 10 The wants Of hs fellow-cItizens
and that for The very reasn that t is, ond ever
will be. Tho only government adapted 10 Ne.
By The news thathas reached Us by the way OF
Havana and Vera Cruz, Santa Ana is represented.
on The dissolution ol tho Congress TO have suggest
q Convention Of so eminent men. selected from all
| he Departments. with The special ObJectOf framing
a Consultation suited 70 The country. II he hni