New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-11-14

Another. and more notorious instance of null
,6ca,;on IN Texas, was the open and systematic
v;ol,tion of the Federal Constitution, laws, and
treaties, abolishing slavery and the slave trade.
This violation extended not only To tde slave
trade, end the emigration with slayes from the
United States, but also TO the Airican slave
trade, which was conducted through the island
of Cuba, under the protection and agency OF inc
United States consul g. Havana.
Another branch Of nulIi6c4 alton IN he1ico was
the assumption, by lhe State Legislatures, OF
power in oisposing of the public lanes. icese
lands, in Mexico as In the Ca!teo States, form
an interest oil incslculesle value and Importance,
which is committed there, as here, exclusively
TO the jurisdiction of the General Government
In 1884, the Legislature of CoahuJa and Texas
granted several millions Of ec:es par: OF It To The
Galveston Bay and Texas Land Company IN the
United States ct about one and q halt cents per
ecre. In consequence Of this proceeding the
Legislature w4s oispe-seo and ,hef session closed
By d military force uude- General Cos. Ard
this fact figures lngel, III the Texan declaration
of independence, although, IN the Texan Const',
tuition formed about The same TINE, q Is declared
thgt this yrapt IL, and was from the beginning,
null and void"
par,7 called Centralists, who were in favor
Mexico. The events 10 which have re'cfred
had gradually augmented that party. This was
more particularly the effect of the transactions
in Texas for, in that case, there was acded to
the humiliation Of tue Government, the sting OF
;Dpratitude to the nation. "The ungratefu cole
nis,s,' [ios colouos ingratos.J had become sy
nopyrnous with Texans. In the sumIner Of 1881,
at Cue,navaca, town Of Mexico about fifty
miles from the capital, movement for altering
the Constitution, with view 10 rsmeoy 'hsse
disorders, was commenced. 1t was purely popu-
lar. The people of Mexico had endured for ten
wears system alien to their HABITS, inadequate
to their wants, and humbllDg to their PRIDE.
They wisely determined TO put an end 20 tnis
state Of things; and this determination, on their
part, constitutes one Of the great grievances OF
the nulh6srs and freeb0o,ers of Texas. their
instincts did no. deceive them. Any change
which promised steady supremacy OF the law,
certain punishment of the guilty, and protection
Of the good, was ominous Of evil to them, In
1896 neS Constitution was formed. 1t was
upon the principle OF centrailsn, or consoida-
ton; it dispensed with Stats Leg slatuNg, and
substitute for them departments having iegls
latiye council, elected by the people, ana Cover
nor and military commandan', both appointed by
the PfesioeLt. Their jurisdiction * ended only
to matters Of police, To elections, ano TO PROPOSE
tions for laws the legislative aud judicial Po" err
being all! Vested IN The Geue'al Government.
Thus Government, no 1eyer, especially 10 Its e.
ecu,ive branch, was embarrassed op absurd and
su,cdal checks ana restrictions. The executive
council, appointed by tie Legislature, had veto
upou al! executive propositions for laws, The
Judges of the supreme court we're appointed by
The Congress, and those of interior rlrdlcuons
by those of the supreme court. by the Federal
Constitution they could BIZ temporarily suspended
for diiatorness or corruption, but by the new
Consitu ION lSey were exempted from this re-
sponsioillty the consequence OF which Dus, thai
by reason of DELAY aud uucertllbty In ths al.
1niaistrntion OF justice, crime Inc eased, especially
hie way robbery, of which we heard much In the
United States, In connexion with the csnductss
f.om Mexico 10 Vera Cruz and Tamplco. From
the same cause commerce was ooeuueted and
retained. the legislative power consisted of a
Chamber of Deputies about seventy five In num-
Dor, and Senate consisting OF forty eight TheI
Qualifications, and those of electors, were the
samo as under the Federal Constitution, aud the
bill of the rights of citizens con'lnued the same
Unfortunately, the jealousy which the Mexlcans
still cherished of the central power, induced them
to adopt one OF the very wors; textures OF cur
old Articles of Confederation. The new Con-
8ptuUoH IT GuleU iHdI tdA VI llbppetp III vi
der to be valid, should have the assent OF three
fourths Of the departments, 10 be declared by the
Legislative councils. But the most pernicious
principle of the new system remains To be men.
toned There was fourth, called the Conser-
yative power, (poder conservative j il Was in
vested in FIVE persons. Their function was to
annul all laws and judicial decisions which they
deemed contrary to the Constitution.
Sach was the new government, powerless, and
sluggish enough, one would suppose, to satisfy
the most seditoua. But tho revolutionary con-
spirators and freebooters oil Texas determined,
BY anticipation, (ur 1t not fc;med until after
the battle OF San Jacinio,) that 1t was so des-
po,ic az to justify instruction aud civil war.
This clumsy continuance for a government, was
framed with an overweening jealousy OF the
personal popularity and influence OF Santa Ana.
This was the cause of i,s anwieldiaess and in
efficiency, and this constitutes IN overwhelming:
answer to the reiterated and con,e.nptible charge
of the brigands such rs shot poor Bodtrlght,
sbout The bloody despotism OF Santa Ana, and
the mes and css,ardiy submission OF the MeSi-
cans Neither the ono nor the other nave had
any existence, excspl IN the hhes Issued ,rou
the press In Texas and New Orleans, and re-
peated and echoed from one enc OF this natlon
60 the other. Nor have they been confined 10
this continent. The enbtszling ambassador,
James Hamltou, and his cosoju,o,s, tbs swind.
ling land and loan agents of The revsiutonlsts,
have pfopsga,ed them in Europe, 10 some Is.
stances, through the most respectable period. cal
publications, and more lsrgelj' through pamphlets
in different languages.
Daring FIVE years tho Mexicans worried along
with the absurd and paraly zns system have
described the government being incapable OF
bringing out and combining the resources of The
nation, 50 az enforco order and submission to
the laws at home, OF to commsn md reseect ao;oao.
On the 2Sh OF September, lS4l, Santa Aha,
and tho OH ers OF tho army, established ono
proclaimed the plan known as ",ho Basis OF
Tacuoa, a." so called from the psmc OF The town
where il was agreed upon 1t provided .or cell.
ing convection to form Constitution, and for
a provisional government IN the in,ena. Santa
An. was appointed provisi. nal President, with
no Limitation &C powers except TO corsat The
public good" Tho provisional PFss dent appears
90 have used lis Oh ahd extraordinary power
with moderation ana justice. y convention was
-, 4, Dps xph