Washington telegraph., 1848-02-02


We then, with these certain and inevitable
consequences In government better cal.
eualed 10 resis, them than any other, adop,
such runous policy and reject the lessons
of experienced So much then, Mr.. Pfesi.
dent, for holding Mexico as province.
| come now TO the proposition Of incor.
porating her into our Union. Well, as far
as law is concerned. that Is easy. You
can establish a territorial goyernmen, for
every State in Mexico, and there are soma
twenty oil them. You can appoint govern.
ofs, Judges and magistrates. You can give
the people a subordinate government, al.
lowing them to lcgislato for them,el yes,
whilst You defray the cost. So lar as law
goes lhe thing is done. There Ia no an:
alogy between this and our territorial gov.
ernmens. Our territories ara only an off.
sell OF our own people, OF foreigners from
the same regions from which We came.
They are small in number. They arc In.
capable oiIormlng government. Il would
be ineonyenient for them to sustain gof.
ernment, il II were iafmed; aud they are
obliged 10 tho United States Tor underlak.
ing the trouble, knowing that on the at.
ialnmenl oftheir majority when they coma
TO manhnod-at twenty .one-ihey will ba
introduced to an equality with all the 9th.
or members of the Union. II is entirely
different with Mexico. You have no need
oi armies 10 keep your territories in sui.
lection. But when yuu incorporate MeS.
iio, you must have powerful armies to Keep
them in subleeiion. You may call II an.
ekation, but 1t is forced annexation, which
Is contradiction Ia terms, according TO
my conception. You will be Involved, in
one word, in all the evils which attribute
to holding Mexico as province. In lael,
II will be but a provincial government.
How long will that lasil How long viii
Il be before Mexico will be capable Of in,
corporation into our unionl Why, II we
Judge from the examples before us, il will
be very long lime. Ireland has been
held IA snbleelion by Eng'an lof seven or
eight hundred Yeas, and vet still remains
hostile, although her people are Of kiudreil
race with the eonqnefofs. 4 few French
Canadians on this continent yet maintain
the attitude Of hostile people; and never
wil the limo come. In my opinion, Mr..
President ihai these Me,icans will he heart.
ily rcconeiled 10 your authority. fhey
have Caslllian blood IN their reins-ihe old
6olhic, isquiIe equal To the Anglo Saxon
IN many respeels-in some respects sups.
fior. Oi all nations Of the earth, they are
the most perinaceous-baTe the hiehrs,
sense OF nalionalily-hbij out longest, and
often with the least prospect of aiirc,iue
their object. On this subjec, also have
eonversed with officers Of the army, and
they allenteilain the same oplnion,tha these
people are now hostile and viii continue so.
but, Mr.. President, suppose all these
difficulties removed. Suppose these peo.
pie attached 10 our Union, and desiro1. Of
Incorporating with ns, ought we to bring
them inl Arc they 1T iOr selEgoyernnisnt
aud Tor governing youl Are you any Of
you willing that your States should he gov.
erned by these twenty odd Mexican States.
with a population of abol, only ono mil.
lion OF your blood, and two or three mil.
lions Of Mixed blood. better informed, and
all the rest pure Indians. a mixed ulood
equally ignorant and unfit for liberty, i'm.
pure races, not as good as the Cherokees
or Chociaws'
We make great mistake. sir, when
We suppose thai all people are eapabls Of
sell government. We are anxious 10 fore.
tree governmen, on al; and | SEQ that il
has been urged in very respectable quar-.
ter, that !, is The mission Of this country
to spread civil aud religions liberty over
all the world, aud especially over this con.
iineni, II is Il great mistake. None bu,
people advanced to very high state
Of moral and and intellectual improvement,
are capable. 10 a civilized state, OF main.
tanning free government; and among., those
who are so purified, very few indeed, have
had tho good fortune Of forming a Const.
tuition capable Of endurance. II isa re-.
markablc fact in the history of man. tha,
scarcely ever have iee popular institutions
been formed by wisdom alone that have
endured.
Il has been tho work Of fortunate cir.
cumsiances or a combination Of circum.
stances, a succession Of fortunate incidents
Of some kind, which give 10 any people a
Tree government. |, isa very difficult task
to make Constitution 10 last, though II
may be supposed by some that they can bc
made 10 order aud furnished at the shortes,
notice. Sir, this admirable constitution Of
our own was the fesu, ola fortunate com.
bination Of circumstances. II was sups.
rior to the wisdom Of the men who made
h. Il was tho ioroe ofcircumaances which
induced them 10 adopt most Of It's wise pro.
visions. Well, sir, Of the few nation, Who
have tho good fortune 10 adopt sclf.goycrn.
meni, few have had the good fortune long
10 preserve that government; for Il !. hard.
er to preserve than 10 form Il. Few peo.
pie after years ofprosperiiy, remember the
tenure by which their liberty Is held; and