Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-01-08


anarchy yet behold the population of England crushed
to the earth by the superintendent weight of debt and taxa
on which may day terminate in revolution The wealth
derived from her conquests and provincial
have contributed to swell the oyegown fortunes Of the
classes but has done nothing aeats the pressure The
abong below On contrary the Expense incident
TO their conquest and Of governing and holding them in sub
ecton have been drawn mainly from their labor and have
increased instead Of decreasing the weight of the pressure
has placed burden upon them, which, with all their skill
and industry, with all the accumulation Of capital and
power of machinery with which they aided, they are
scarce capable obearng, without being reduced TO the lowest
depths OF poverty Take for example, Ireland her earliest
and nearest conquest and is not TO this day Of
heavy expense and burden instead OF Of
On the contrary Government this particular is the
very Of the British of all free Governments has
the least capacity in proportion to the wealth and population
OF the country to bear patronage The genius of the two,
IN Tins particular Is precisely opposite however much alike in
exterior forms and oher particulars. The of this diff
ference will not undertake explain the present
sion. II results from its federal character and elective chief
magistrate and far from the example of Great Britain
constituting safe precedent for follow the little she has
gained from her conquests and provincial pos
sessions and the heavy burdens whh il has imposed upon
her people TO meet the consequent expenses ought be
warning never to be forgotten especially when reflect
that from the nature OF Government would be liza
Bile to the other and greater evils from whicshs from the
tue Of her Government isn great Such
and so weghy the objections conquering Mexico and
holding il as q subject province
Nor the less weighy against incorporating her
into the Union As far law concerned that easily DONE
All that necessary is TO establish Territorial Government
for the several States in Mexico of which there upwards
OF twenty toappont governors judges, and magistrates and
to give to the population subordinate right of making laws
we deraying the cost of the Government So far Iegsa-
ton goes the work will be done but there would be great
difference between these Territorial Governments and those
which have heretofore established within limits
These only the offsets of people, foreigners
from the countries from which ancestors came The
first settlers in the Territories too few in number to form
and support government of Their and under ob
CATION TO the Government Of the United States for forming
for them, and deaying the expense of maintaining iknow-
ing, as they do that when they have sufficient populations
they will be permitted to form constitution for themselves
and be admitted member Of the Union. During the
period OF their Territorial Government, force is neces-
sary TO keep them in state Of subsection The will
be entirely different with these Mexican Territories. When
you form them, you must have powerful armies to hold
them in subecton with all the expenses incident TO sup
porting them You may call them Territories, but they
would in reality, be but provinces under another nae and
would involve the country in all the difficulties and dangers
which have already shown would from holding the
country in that condition. How long this state of things
would last before they would be fitted be into
the Union as States, may form some idea from SINH
lar instances with which familiar Ireland has been
held in subsection by England for many centuries, and yet
remains hostile although her people are kindred race with
the conquerors The French colony in Canada still entertain
hostile feelings towards their conquerors although living in
the midst OF them for nearly hundred years. If may
Judge from these examples twoud not be unsafe conclude
that the Mexcans will be heartily recuncied our
thony The better class have Castan blood in their veins
and OF the old Gothic stock-quie equal to the Anglo
Saxons IN many respects and in superior OF all the
people upon earth they are the most penacious they hold
out longer, and ofen when there would TO be no
prospect of making eectua resistance. 1t is admitted
believe on all hands, that they universally hostile
| to US, and the probability is will continue
But suppose this difficulty removed Suppose their hostility
should cease and they should become DESTROYS of being in
corporated In our Union. Ought admit them Are
the Mexcans fit to be politically associated with Are they
fit not only togoven themselves but for governing aol
IF 49,. a II
member of Union, Of which twenty -odd Mexican States
more than onehird of the whole, would be part the far
greater part OF the inhabitants of which pure Indians not
equal IN intelligence and elevation Of character the Chero-
KEGS, Choctaws any of our Southern Indian tribes
We make great mistake in surprising all people are capa
BILE OF self government Acting under that impression many
are anxious 10 force free Governments all the people of
this continent, and the world they had the power II
has been lately urged in very respectable quarter, that is
the mission OF this country spread civil and religious liberty
over all the globe and especially this conneneven by
force If necessary. IL sad deusion None but people
advanced TO high state OF moral and Intellectual excellence
capable in civilized condition. of forming and maintain
ing free Governments and among those who are so far a
vanced very few indeed have had the good fortune form
constitutions capable OF endurance is remarkable fact in
the political history OF man. that there is scarcely instance
OF free constitutional Government which has been the work
exclusively Of foresight and wisdom They have all been the
result of fortunate combination OF circumstances. II
very difficult task TO make constitution worthy of being called
so. This admirable federal constitution ours is the result
OF such combination II is superior the wisdom of any or
oil of the by whose agency made The force Of
circumstances and not foresight WISDOM induced them
adopt many of its wsest provisions.
But OF the few nations who have been fortunate 10
adopt wise constitutions still fewer have had the wisdom long
preserve them II is harder preserve them than to OBJ
tain liberty After Of prosperity, the tenure by which
il is held is but too often forgotten and fear Senators that
such is the with There no sociude now about
liberty. Il not in the early days Of the Republic
Then it the first object of soctude The maxim
then was that power is always stealing from tho many to
the few - the price Of liberty is perpetual vigilance
Then question Of any magnitude up which the
first inquiry not is CONSTITUTIONAL 'is il consistent
with free popular institutions :" chow is il to affect our
liberty II is not Questions Of the greatest mag
Dude discussed without reference ausion 10 these
vital considerations have been often struck with the fact
that in the discussions Of the great questions in which we
engaged relating to the origin and the conduct Of this
their effect the free institutions and the liberty Of the
people have scarcely been alluded TO- although their bearing
in that respect direct and disastrous They would in
former days. have been the great and leading topics OF dis
cussion and would above all Others have had the
powerful effect in arousng the attention OF the country But
other topics occupy the attention OF Congress and the
countrymary glory, extension Of the empire, and the ag
gandzement Of the country To what this great change
be attributed Is il because there has decay Of the
spirit Of liberty among the people think believe
that it ardent The is, that we
have ceased TO remember the by which liberty alone
be preserved We have had so many years of prospe
riypassed through many difficulties and dangers without
the loss Of lbeythat begin think that hold il by
right Divine from Heaven ie Under this impression with
out thinking rejecting plunge into war; contract heavy
of ha anJ