The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-16
How Shall Me 1ico be GovernedI

How Shall Mexico be GovernedI
Assuming that Congress will declare the territory
of Mexico TO be territory of the United States, by
right of conquest, the next question is-How shall
this acquired territory and its people be governed
We have had ample experience in governing ter
ritory acquired from the native Indians, either by
main force by treaties entered into through fear
of power but in these cases the territory acquir
ed was without population, and was filled up after
its acquisition by our own people. The process in
this case is familiar us ALL and far II is APP
plicabe to the question under consideration the
knowledge gained thereby will be OF great value.
Again; we have had full experiencen governing
people, who We're transferred to- us without their
knowledge or consent as in the case of Louisiana,
Their territory was purchased for sum of money,
and by the Of sale they absolved from their
allegiance to France, and became American citizens
without their having any lot or part in the matter.
To them, It was the same as II their territory had
been seized by the United States from France by the
act of war, except that the transfer by sale did not
carry with II the hostile feelings, engendered by war,
on the part Of the transferred The establishment of
a territorial government in Louisiana the work
of wise men, and its working though opposed by
prejudice, successfully Americanzed vast popula-
ton of foreigners, speaking different language and
governed by laws almost the opposite of ours, in
brief space of time and without any of the collisions
and outbreaks that were prophecied at the time
The French population of Louisiana true and
us pure Americans in feeling and in principle as the
Puritaps or descendants Of the cavaliers the sue
cessors of William Penn or Daniel Boon. They are
as orderly and as law-loving the boastfu Yankee
is. The knowledge which we have obtained of GO
verning a strange people and speaking foreign Ian
guage by institutions, during the pupillage Of
Louisiana as Territory win not be lost when we
come to govern the conquered people Of Mexico.
Louisiana was conquered country--conquered,
conquistaid, from France by the power of money.
Conquest does not necessarily mean the acquisition
Of thing by force of arms In former times, the
terms conquered, conquest, were used anonymously
with acquired, dcqLisition-no attention being paid
to the means of getting. Though the people Of Lou
siana witnessed the conquest of their province by
the United States without resistance, though they
saw that it peaceful conquest, they did not feel
entirely free from prejudice against their conquerors.
That prejudice has been entirely eradcated from the
bosoms Of the rising generation OF Louisanians but
for many years after 1903, it did not burn feeby in
the breasts Of the old Orleanois. But it could never
burst out into blaze, because our institutions work
ed so happily as to extinguish opposition to them
The history of the government of Louisiana, while
it was Territory Of the United States, sfull Of in
government of the Mexican people, with very little
variation indeed 49,. t...s. ID, ..-.
The great feature In the Colonial Government of
Louisiana, under Spain and France, was--the udop
ton and use of the civil law the law of the coun
country. This is true of every State in Mexico
Wel-what did we do when we acquired louisiana
Did we abolish the civil law, the law OF the Parti-
das and set up the common law instead No such
thing We did not interfere with the established
law OF Louisiana but recognized IT. in all our egs-
lation for it, from 1903 TO lsll as the law of the
land except far it conicted with or was in OPP
position to the Constitution of the United States.
What else have do but to do the same thing in
cgislating for Mexico? The laws of the people are
part of their nature. 1t is and has been, the re-
cogntion of the laws of the conquered by Great
Britain which has enabled her, and continues TO en-
able her to hold her military conquests in peace
and quiet. If this policy be regarded as safe one
by monarchical Government, like that of England,
it becomes imperative on Government like that Of
the United States because our doctrine is that the
people Ii the fountain Of all the law which Is to go
vern them. When, therefore, we dispose of this part
of the question: in so satisfactory manner to the
conquered themselves we get rid of more than half
the difficulty Of pacificating Mexico
The erection of a territorial Legislature in Lousia-
no, and as consequence thereof the establishment
of the Republican system of voting and being voted
for of representative and constituent were novelties
in that once royalty governed province which it was
exceedingly difficult to make the people appreciate,
understand and adopt, and yet they fell into the sys-
tenn by slow degrees, and none are 50 jealous Of
the right of suffrage, and value it so highly the
tive Creoes of Louisiana. None of these difficulties
will present themselves in legslang for Mexico
Her people have been through preparatory school
of repubcanism, and though they scarcely out of
the A b G Of this grand science of Government yet
they are far better qualified to understand value, and
feel the benefits of Territorial Legislatures than the
Louisanians at any time for several years after
the treaty of 1903. The Mexicans have been, ever
since their revolution from Old Spain, chasing the
right of suffrage, and have found it not In un-
fortunate hour they incorporated the military power
into their system-and where that power Is, no civil
rights exist unmoested or free from the dan
ger of being overturned Let the Mexicans taste
the security of the ballo-box under American Inst-
TONS and their whole feelings will be rapidly changed
towards us. They are, therefore, in large degree,
prepared for the engating of our institutions upon
theirs, so far the representative system is concern
ed. .'. a.
The love of office, of power is inherent in all men.
This axiom no one will dispute In people, is this
love more predominant than in the Spaniard and his
descendant the Mexican 1t is the of all the re-
volutions that have dsgraced Mexico since she
threw off the yoke ofSpan. Under our elective system
how easy to CONTROL and direct, and chasien this am
bitioh for Office in the breast of Mexican.
Our experience in this natter in Louisiana, taught
us that Frenchmcn valued Office more than the
Americans did, and in our Legislation for Louisiana,
Congress gave as many Offices possible to the ma
tive populaon-as many as the public safety would
permit. Surely, the application of this principle to
Mexicans-the giving the power to them to choose
us many natives TO the elvctiye Offices as may be
consistent with the general welfnre-would do more
TO quiet the turbulent and the discontinued than al
most any other persuasion. 1t had its effect in Lou
siana, when il was United States Territory and we
know no reason why il shall not net even more pow
crfillly with the Mexican mind.
We rest for the present On Monday we may
show how the military power which necessary
in Louisiana for some years after the cession, hnr-
monized with the civil power in keeping the peace,
and how, by the same rule, its presence in Mexico
would operate quite as successfully in maintaining
order and quiet
OH GEoHeTA.-Though she has refused to be go