Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-02-18


Of making the worse appear The better side No,
sir, he presented these views because he felt their
force and believed in their truth; and l. for one re-
gard these declarations as amongst The most omi-
nous signs oithe times. The distinguished Senator
from Michigan, Chairman ofMilary Affairs, has
expressed The opinion that we might swallow all of
Mexico without its killing US, and my attention
has lately been called TO letter from The second Of
flccr in this government TO public meeting in
New York, in which he seemed TO consider il as
neither an improbable nor inslorious idea that
We were TO assume "the guardianship of a
crowded and coniederaed continent" Where
are we, Mr.. PRESIDENT What has become Of
those maxims OF prudence and caution by which
we used TO regulate The course of our public al.
tairs2 What new lights have beamed upon us
since, and under what shadow is hidden the dim
religious ray OF that lamp Of experience by which
our fathers were wont 10 guide their teet2 II seems
TO have been lost sight Of in the Intensity of our
gaze upon The Aurora Roreals OF $40 40, or The
more attractive luslre Of the Southern Cross To-
wards which our God Terminus seems 10 be ad-
vancing with all the speed OF forced Marches
Can il be gravely contemplated, MIR. President,
10 incorporate eight or nine millions of such a
people, aliens in race and hostile in feeling with
our own 7 Is there nothing in The free Anglo.
Saxon spirit which revolls al The idea OF an equal
association with such mixture Of Spaniald, In
dian and Negro7 Would our people ever agree
to admit such population TO equal rights and
privileges with themselves; or would they submit
20 government! in @aich il was tel! as power
tul political element Where, then, would be
found that sound and enlightened public opn-
ion which is the moving power and living
principle OF our government Where the CO.
hesiye bond OF The fra!ernal spirit of no.
mogenous people which is so essential 10 just
and harmonious action7 The Mexicans have
tried The experiment Of administering govern.
ment like ours, and failed from the want OF pub.
lie virtue and intelligence. Would they become
better by association with US, or shonld We be-
come worse2 Mr.. President, should The expert
ment ever be attempted OF Incorporating such
population with ourselves, il will be found that
orr people will not submit 10 it. The Union
would be dissolved, or our form Of government
would be changed in efee,ing it, But The Sena
tor from Arkansas has summary mode OF dis
posing of Ibis difficulty. He says, il under.
stand him, that he would "enact proper naurali-
zaion laws, which treated The white man as a
white man, and the Indian as an Indian" Does
The gentleman forget that the Indian and mixed
races constitute six-seventbs OF the entire NeIi-
can population2 Does he remember lha; these
Indians are the descendants OF those who, more
than Two centuries ago, had established a civiIi
cation whose monuments will strike The behoder
with wonder and admiration A civilization
perhaps, mol very greatly inferior To that Of his in
vader. Does he forget that these people, after The
first Mexican revolution, were admitted 10 equal
rights and privileges with The other races and to
some extent have enjoyed share in The admins
tralon OF justice and The direction OF The govern
ment? When he reflects upon The nature and con.
sluion OF our own Legislature, does be expect 10 be
allowed 10 place these people under the govern
& la, T., -, -, I
would have 10 meet none Of those questions to
which Southern man is most sensitive, in his
attempts 10 regulate this Indian government &C.
cordn2 TO his wshes2
But there is another form Of The proposition
which is more dangerous, because il is more
plausible. mean The annexation OF Mexico as
dependent pIovince-a scheme which, Tear,
many entertain, aud which, some Ct my friends
assure me, IS daily growing in popular iavor.-
Where, sir, is The warrant Tor such proposition
either in the sPiri. or letter Of The Constitution
The letter certainly contains no such authority,
and the spirit Of our past professions and iasi-
lniions assert any one thing more emphalically
than another, II is the right OF people 10 sef.po.
yefnmcni 10 hold ioieIsn province ior mill.
lary purposes during a war, is undoubtedly legi-
finale; but 10 hold reopled provinces as perma-
nent dependencies, is utterly Incompatible with
our system OF government. Ii requires the pen
Gil OF no ex,ravasant Lacey TO depict many ruin
Gus consequences of such measure; but who
can point US TO is benof,s2 What arc We 10
gain by il2 We should have the care and lrou-
Bile of governing them, and il they paid The ex
penses they would do more Than is done by
most provinces, or any Of the civilized nations in
modern times. The taxes 10 support their own
government are as much, or more, than any civil
Jlzed people have borne in later days There is
believe, no dependency Of the British empire
whose government has mol cost more than lis peo
pie contributed. There is no government in Eu
rope, heavily taxed as a's its people, which has
not incurred debt in addition to The expenditure
OF all that could be raised 10y annual iaxation.-
The expenses OF their governments and Of the
wars necessarily incident 10 their separate ma
lional existence, hav. been greater Than any civil
LIKED nation has pad-our own being no e3cep
ton 10 The rule; Tor all are in debt and III debt in
CURED for The support Oi their governments :
How, then, can we expect 10 secure pecuniaTy
indemnify by retaining Mexico as pr"vince7
With al The inducements Of national Fril-
they have never heen able 10 support thc
government, Of their own choice. ami is
il 10 be expected mat they would do more,
or could he made 10 On more of government
Of foreigners which was oduE> 10 hsnl II moi
raised by taxation, where is ,hs icoHr: Tor iat'iu-
nily 10 De biained7 They have n ndii:nai do
m ain oil much value Of which we are aware :
The mines IRE private property, and would pro.
baby yield US but lille more than they have al
ready produced in taxation 10 The a'cxicdn GO
vernnent. No one would propose 10 coElisca'e
private properly, or that OF The church. Sir, The
rcsui, would he, that We ourselves should be
forced 10 contribute largely Tor The expensive
amusement Of governing people vino detesled
us and our yoke. II would constitute an annual
drain upon US OF millions 10 sustain the public
officers and The army necessary for their perma-
n-nt subsection. | repeat the very pertinent in
ouiry OF the Senator from Tennessee, what
should we do with their church establishments
The Senator from Arkansas sail, as under.
stood him. that other nations had overcome such
difficulties, and why might not we do The same
thing7 The gentleman torsels that we have
special difficulty in the way, which they did MOI
have 10 encounter. Ours is the only government,
with which am acquainted, whose constitution
positively iorbids a connection between church
and state. In all other governments, with, per-
haps, one exception, such connection exists; but
our constitution forbids il, and The religious and
political feelings OF this country would both ie-
oure that there should be no church established
by any government, over which we had control.
IHere the Senator from Arkansas informed MIR.
H. that he had misunderstood him; he had pro-
posed religious federation as mode OF escaping
the dificulty.]
beg pardon MIR. President; did not mean 10
misreprescnt the Senator from Arkansas, but his
correction only brings me the more speedily 10
the conclusion to which was arriving in another
mode. Yes, sir we should have 10 introduce re-
Iigous federation. and dissolve all connection be-
tween church and State, if we assume The govern
menl Of that peope-a step which would increase
vastly The difficulty Of holding that country as a
dependent province. Whoever will examine the
nature and cons,i!uence Of that population, and
survey their past history, must be convinced that
the church is The keystone Of The arch which has
sustained The fabric of Mexican society. Four
sevenlbs OF thai entire population are Indians
Two sevenls OF The mixed, and only one-sevenlh
of the pure white race. hierarchy seems to
have been peculiarly suitable 10 The genius and
tastes OF the larger and more suffering portion OF
that people; | mean the lsdlan race. II IS a,fn :.
cnIt 10 believe, that without this common bond OF
ah,,ch establishment. there would not have