Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-12-01


frightul struggle, present glorious Union itself
would be discovered or dissolved.
We ought not SO forget the warning voice OF all
history, which teaches the difficulty OF combining
and consolidating together, conquering and conquer
cd nations After the lapse Of eight hundred years,
during which the Moors held their conquest OF
Spain, the indomisablc courage, perseverance, and
obstinscy of the Spanish race finally triumphed,
and expelled the African invaders from the PENN
sula. And even with our own time, the colossal
power of Napoleon, when at its lotsics' height,
WAS incompetent to subdue and subjngate the proud
'Castilian. And here in our own neighborhood,
Lower Canada, which one hundred years ago,
after the conclusion Of the seven years. war, was
esded by France to Great Britain, remains for
oign land in the midst of the British Provinces for
>eign in feelings and attachment. and foreign in |
laws, language and religion. And what has been
'the fact with poor, gallant, generous and oppress
I'd lreland2 Centuries have passed since the u
verbearing Sax)n overrun and subjugated the En-
erald Isle. Rivers Of Irish blood have flowed,
during the long and arduous contest. Insurecton
and rebellion have been the order Of the day; and
yet up to this time, Ireland remains alien IN feel
ing, affection and sympathy, toward the power
which has SO long borne her down. Every Irish
man hates, with mortal hatred, his Saxon op
pressor. Although there are great territorial diff
fcrences between the condition Of England and Ire
land, compared to that Of the United States
and Mexico, there some points Of striking re-
semblance between them.
Both the Irish and the Mexicans are probably of
the same Celtic race. Both the English and the
Americans are of the Saxon origin. The
Catholic religion predomnates in both the former,
the Protestant among both the latter. Religion
has been the fruitful cause of dissatisfaction and
discomfort between the Irish and the English ma.
"lons. Is there no reason To apprehend that it
would become 50 between the people OF the United
States and Mexico, If they were united together
Why should we seek to interfere with them in
their mode of worship of common Saviour? We
believe that they are wrong, especially in the
elusive character of their faith, and that we
right They think that they are right and we
are wrong What other rule can there be than to
leave the followers Of each religion to their own
solemn convictions of conscientious duty towards
God Who but the great Arbiter of the Universe,
can Judge in such question: For my own part
lsncerey believe and'h hope, that those who belong
all the departments of the great church Of Christ,
#, in truth and purity, they conform the doc
trines which they profess, will ultimately secure
an abode in those regions Of bliss, which all aim
finally to reach. think there is no potentate in
Europe, whatever his religion may be- en-
iightened, or at this moment So interesting, the
liberal head of the Papal See.
But suppose ii to be impossible tina; those who
favor if there be any who favor the annexation OF
Mexico to the United States, think that ought
to be pcrpetually governed by military sway. Ger
tainy no votary of human liberty could deem it
right that violation should be perpetrated Of the
which, laws ought not to be enacted and taxes ought
not to be levied, without representation the pa
oil those who are TO obey the one, and pay the o.
ther. Then, Mexico is to participate in our coun-
oils and equally share in our Legislation and govern
ment. But suppose she would not voluntarily
choose representatives to the national Congress, is
our sodery to follow the electors the ballot box
and by force ,c compel them, at the point of the
bayonet, to deposit their ballots2 And how are the
nine millions OF Mexican people to be represented
IN the Congress Of the United States of America
and the Congress of the United States Of the Re-
public OF Mexico combined =? Is every Mexican
without regard to color CASTE per capitum to ex-
crcse the elective franchse2 How is tho quota OF
representation between the two Republics, to be
ifxsd 2 Whore is their seat of common oovernnsn,
to be established And who can fr.see or frc.
tell, If Mexico, voluntarily by force, were tc
snare IN the common government what would be
the consequences to her or TO us? Unprepared, as
fear her population yet is, for the practical enjoy
ment OF self-government and Of habits, customs
language, laws and religion, 50 totally different
from our own, we should present the revolving
spectacle of a confused, distracted and molly gov.
eminent
We should have Mexican Party, Pacific O.
cean Party, Atlantic Party in addition TO the O.
ther Parties, which exist, or with which we are
threatened, each striving to execute its own partic
uar views and purposes, and reproachng the others
with thwarting and Disappointing them. The
Mexican representation, in Congress, would pro-
oaoiy io'ni separate ana lnpenetrable corps, al
ways ready 10 throw Itself into the scale of any o.
Their party, to advance and promote Mexican inter
'ests. Such state of things could not long endure
Those whom God and geography have pronounced
should live aSunder, could never be permanently
and tremendously united together
do we want for our own happiness OF greatness
the addition of Mexico to the existing Union of OH,
States! If our population was too dense for on,
territory, and there a difficulty in obtaining
honorabiy the means of subsistence there might be
some excuse for an attempt to enlarge our domn-
ions. But we have such apology. We have
already, In our glorious country, vast and almost
boundless territory. Beginning at the North, in
ahe frozen regions Of the British Provinces, it stretch
es thousands Of miles along the coasts Of the Allan
tic Ocean and the Mexican Gulf, until it amos
reaches the Tropics 1t extends to the Pacific O.
cean, borders on those great inland seas, the Lakes
which separate us from the possessions of Great
Britain and 1t embraces the great father of rivers
from Its uppermOst source to the Balize and the still
longer Missouri, from its mouth to the gorges of the
Rocky Mountains.
Ii comprehends the greatest variety of the richest
soils, capable of almost all the productions Of the
earth, except tea and coffee and the Spices and il
includes every variety of climate, which the heart
could wish or desire. We have more than ten
Thousand millions Of acres of waste and unsettled
lands, enough for the subsistence Of ten or twenty
times our present population. Ought we not To be
satisfied with such country2 Ought we not to
be profoundly thankful to the Giver of all good
shngs for such vast and bountiful land? Is il not
the height Of ingratitude to Him to seek by war
and conquest, indulging in spirit of rapacity, to
acquire other lands, the homes and Indications of a
large portion oil his common children2 IL we DUR
sue the object OF such conquest, besides mortpa
giDg the revenue and resources of this countrv S,-
ages TO come, in the form Of an onerous national
deot, we should have greatly to augment that debt