The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-25
COMMUNICATIVE Ms.
For the Union.
TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

siderable attention. II is written in spirit thor
oughy democratic, and the views which il presents
are profoundly medtated, and stated not rhetori-
cally, but with sober and masculine eloquence.
/ The reviewer is Of opinion, that at no distant day
the rebellion, revolution, and Independence Of the
provinces Of Mexico may take place. He names as
| the probable scene Of such result Chihuahua,
New Mexico, California, and Notwithstanding,
for no special reason which ] can see, CoahuiIa
and Tobasco. He infers that, in the event Of such
separation from Mexico, these provinces, then be-
come Independent States, will doubtless follow the
example Of Texas, and ask admission into our
Union. This admission, if SO asked, under circum-
stances in which il could be granted consistently
Nth o,i, national honor and International duties
ought not in the Judgment Of the reviewer, TO be
permitted At least he holds that such an alliance
TO these provinces, within any dehnable period,
would be premature and "dis,asieful to the Ameri-
can peope;" and our government is, therefore, he
thinks, justified sin dscouraglDg any policy from
which we can realize little good, aid may realize
| so much harm.n From these doctrines | dissent.
| And as they are somewhat new in the pages Of the
democratic Review" and are in this instance IL
Illustrated and enforced with very signal ability,
will state briefly what first TO me in opposi-
lion to them.
Be il observed, however, in the outset, that the
reviewer has fear that our federal system Is, IN
ITSELF incapable of an immense and even continent
al expansion. On the contrary, he maintains, as
| think with entire truth, shat the representative
system ss practically enjoyed in this country will
admit of indefinite extension of territory, without
weakening or impairing the political guarantees OF
any of its inhabitants" Still he insists that part
of the territory under Mexican rule can, at its
own request independent state, within any de-
Unable PERIOD be wisely admitted into our Union.
This view the reviewer sustans on the following
| positions:
| LIST. In representative government, the laws en-
body the average political intelligence and capacity
| for selfgovernment of the electors.
| I'd. Every new man admitted a citizen into our
Union aliases exalts this average.
Sd. This average should be kept just low as to
admit all who can enjoy the benefits of govern
ment without disturbing its tendency to dsceniraliza-
tio and to the enlargement of the rights of the in
dividual man.
4th. To reverse this tendency, or to disturb it,
is to deteriorate the government, and to threaten
either oppression or revolution.
5th. On this view, the Mexican population being
clearly below the average of our nation in political
intelligence and capacity, is not fit to enter into the
enjoyment Of our freedom.
9th. This population SO entering into confed-
Grafton, must work disastrous change in the oper-
alton OF our whole political system. For coercion
upon such population must be resorted to by the
| federal government; and as this government must
alike all the States of the Union, all our States
must then submit to similar restriction and coercion
| These points embrace the substance of the re-
viewers argument. What he says Of the aid which
the local governments of our Union must render to
the central federal authority, though, like the whole
| of the reviewers reasoning, pressed and illustrated
with commanding ability, is necessarily involved in
the statement of his views which have given.
Now, to all this,-regarded as an argument
against the annexation of Mexican territory to our
own, or against the principle of annexation in gen.
IL reply at once, that IL ,choIy mistakes the
point at issue. No party in this country-no man
in this country, whom have heard of, has ever
thought of asserting that q Mexican population UNI
adj IN uia
err of the region in which it dwes, should be admitted
into our Union free and sovereign State. IfMex-
leo were to force us into war with her tomorrow,
and if that war should result in our armed occupa-
ton Of half her territory one has ever thought
said that such territory would be admitted into our
Union as States, until it prepared for such adj
mission. Till then, it must be governed as terri
tory, and governed substantially by force. The ac-
QUESTION and occupation Of this territory in such
manner, we should regard as great evil No party
proposes IT, save measure of necessary self-pro-
lection against possible Mexican Madness
The true and the only annexation question,
which has ever been, or now is, before the people
of this country, is this: Shall annexation keep pace
with the advances into new lands of free, predom,-
inant, and selfgovernng Anglo-Saxon population?
Shall we annex fast as we people with men of our
own blood, who first vindcate their independence,
and then ask to be annexed This is the question
on which the annexatonsts rally; and this question,
the reviewers argument, founded on Mexican igno-
", IL.
The reviewer seems wholly to forget how sparse
~ the Mexican provinces are peopled. California
has one nhabitan to every eight square miles; New
Mexico, about one to every four square miles; Goa
huila and-fexas, about one to every two square
miles; Chihuahua less than two to the square
mile; Tobasco and Yucatan are about twice as pop
uous in proportion to their extent as chihuahua,
and about one-sirieenth popuious is the State of
Massachusetts IN proportion 10 It's That is the
extent of soil which in Tobasco sustans fpe men,
IN Massachusetts sustains about ninety We do not
make any part of this statement exact but it
shows truly enough for our purpose the gem
eral state of the case. Now, grant all that the re-
viewer claims, and even more. Assume that
this Mexican population is incapable OF
sef-government as are the blacks Of our south
ern States;--still, | say, there is room on the
soil which 1t occupies for an independent Anglo
Saxon nation more numerous than the people
OF the United States. | shall go--and trust
that the reviewer, us good democrat will go with
me-for the granting Of annexation to these Anglo
Saxons Just as fast they shall do what the Tex
ans have done. And, in the name of humanity, Of
liberty. and Of civilization, we bid them God speed
in the doing of it.
Let me not be misunderstood. advocate
nothing like a seizure Of any part Of the Mexican
territory. l speak of gradual advancement
OF the American people, under the eye and with
the consent of the Mexican government Gas the
Texans advanced, into the untitled and unoccuped
Mexican land. If this shall take place on a large
scale, it will, am firmly persuaded, work out, in
the end the greatest possible good for the Mexican
nation. icil teach them 10 beJree 1t will open to
them better civilization than they as yet aspire
to- II will free them from transatlantic domination
twill place them in new commercial relations, and
disclose to them exhaustless sources of national
production and wealth. And if, under the action of
such events, Mexico should at last learn the great
art Of free government, she may at last be Of the
freest of the free; when having first formed for her.
self republican constitution, which shall guaranty
every. right of every individual man within her
boundaries--as Texas has just done--she shall,
like Texas gain our consent to shield the integrity
OF that constitution from all assault under the pro-
tectlng egis Of our national confederation.
That this great deed can be done in our day, is
not to be hoped II cannot be hurried. 1t is deed
for succeeding generations to do; and it is worth
their doing, But every annexation, like the annex
alton OF Texas, is great step towards it, 1