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

smaller number, and suppose mat We IN mn
expense OF preparing and maintaining LAT All,
men, in that distant country, We sha'i iinu esi.
terence striking enough. There is no ia .n,nded
male of The cost OF war in that county, !, under
nm our past experience, which can make ~ Nc
ss5(1l ner man. exclude The bounties anu .ns
pensions incident on the greater casuailie9 coz
Tive operations, and still ne have saVinS =, NO
600 COO. in The army alone. In The ia ~.
shouId save some Two or three milllon si ,,n,,,
king difference of expense oil oe'". Won sct
five and thirty millions per annum' 10 Nv =.
upon The one or The other plan y: 49,, ~
that This is small estimate. bu. - ,ri;ob
said, that overlook The item OF ~ he nna
we should raise from The NeAican,i o,her
toar ,hat onr homes in this respect, are iaf 700
sanonine When we come to suhsTactthe auul'
,;onal eYnenses incident 10 The mere nliNaiy so
vernmeni ri that country, from Whal we iaise
~ can,,;hu,;ons from them, | fear The surplus
u,;lI h., email mol much more Than we cou'u RAISE
viii hsuer means OF collection and fewer sources
If oenditurc. from the country north OF Inc pro-
posed military line. But suppose this iear ~ oe
nnfounded. and that we could raise some SIX VI
eobt millions by forced contributions, INT vi,
ference in tie expense OF the two plans %ouia
sill be 2OU00,000 of dollars, or more Is lot
This mater worthy Of consderalioh-i VIII
fnancesl Sir, The time was, when Inc ieuue''oi
OF Executive patronage, which this chdns: VI
policy would produce, would have been cou',ueI'
ed as a great Recommendation OF II 10 ou' peo-
ple. That time, trust, has not yel pdsseu ~.
| do moi believe that il has. But mere " yeI
another consideration which weighs win great
force upon my mind, in favor OF me oceura NV
Of Ibis line. Ii would dsenange US rom al , ,Ia,
neXion with Mexican politics. ana aiio.o la taa.
people an early opportunity TO rccohs'luCs AZ
government and social organizalioh a 1,,ii
70 their own wishes and necessues' ",;ans
save us from all fear OF those terrible quesl'ons
which would arise, if our people SHOULD DC Sc
duced by temptation, and incline 10 me pelua
men, subiucalon and annexation oil Mexico =
believe there is large majority OF lheih ol'pos.a
10 such a scheme al present, but VINO eau saJ
where The current Of events may carry u, NJ
break % The entire social system IN MeSico, anu
become involved in the dangerous attempt " su'-
tain 4 government for them. A state oil thihss
NAV arise which might give them strong Chains
upon our sympalhies, in their demand lol ou'
protection against the evils oil horlioie apai-
chy; and the effort 10 relieve them may involVe Us
in consequences of the deepest hazard 10 oui
own prosperity and institutions. Ia every pom,
Of view, il seems TO me desirable that we shoula
Withdraw 10 some such line as | have indicated,
unless peace is speedily made. BuI objections
have been urged To il, which | shall endeaVof 10
meet. The senator from New York says, thai II
we Withdraw 10 such line, there IS Danger VI ~
reign n,erposilon. He apprehends that Inc Eng
lish and French Governments might lnlerPose 10
reoroanze Mexican institutions, according 10 ineif
views and policy. Sir, listen 10 every thing which
falls from that distinguished Senator WIN Stea. res
pect The mere weight OF his authority upon militia
nv matters is much with me, bul am oouna 10 say
that he did not make good his ptoposlllon, W
reasons which were satisfactory 10 my mind
Sir. regard the danger OF foreign interference is
much greater, il the present system OF policy should
be pursued, than il we take the course which |
have suggested. A system OF operations whica
Is calculated 10 destroy the entire fabric oil MeA-
can society," and awaken the fear tina! we shoul
make permanent seizure, would be mucn moe
likely 10 provoke foreign interference, tnan %
icv whose objects were proclaimed 10 be me
abandonment oil all, except portion Of The wild
| territory oil Mexico and The restoration oil quist,
and The means Of reconslrncting their soVclnneht
| by the Mexican people, as lar as ms couiu DC
| done, without sacrificing our own legitimate
| claims. But il these governments entertain sucn
views, what prevents them from interfering nov
| The Senator from New York would probably
| saw, the knowledge that such interference would
| proyoke insan; war. And would not such lr.er-
| terence have The same results, II we OCCUPIED
| such military line as have suggested. II neIr
desire 10 nlcrpose should be strong enough t IN
| duce them 10 hazard war, would not the tenpta-
ton be lar greater when our army was oompro-
missed in The heart OF Mexico, than j! i, was ,ost-
ed on such line as have described, convenient
to our resources and strong for purposes OF deance
| or offence Al which line would they be most
| tempted Ia strike, a base line from Vera CIiz 10
Mexico depending for lis support upon ou' ma
1 ,L.,g ~, rpS nl
and so mnch more difficult Tor them 10 rea'h2-
think there could scarcely be two opinions up
on The subject. But in point Of tact, do MT see
much danger Of The interference oil those powers
al present. and especially il we were posed as
have recommended France is engagedllst now,
ii NAV use word made classic by The dis,in
euished Chairman Of Military Affairs, ia 'swal-
owin.n Algeria, and England is "swal@ing"
6sSEghsIe to Bu EMIT P IS fans the "" Wsaaw
! al OF our troops has been deprecated, becase il
| might lead 10 The establishment OF monarhy in
! Mexico. Sir, trust no man enterlains lh idea
| Of our maintaining an army in Mexico, Disus
| tain and guarantee government in that comfy;
and il This is Eoi proposed, the danger Of lie es-
| adjustment Of monarchy By The Mexcans
themselves, is far greater under Tie pfesen sys-
| tenn Of operations, than II we were al once owilh-
draw 10 military line. The present syslm is
fast destroying the old proportion between lie ell
emenls of Mexican society; it disperses liner ar
my, weakens The property holders, who ar not
| members OF The priesthood bears hardest pun
| the white and portion Of The mixed races and
| is breaking down Inc republican element, which
has heretofore scarcely been strong enough ore
| sisi The central and monarchcal tendencies d the
| priests. The priesthood are but lille weakened
absolutely BY The pres nj policy, and relatively
they are strengthened. We know enough OF
their past history and tendency, 10 perceivetha;
il is an element in Mexican society eminenl, IA
vorable 10 monarchy. They were of The pary OF
cenlralisis, and their natural tendencies are 4 an
absolute form of government Ifthe republran
element IS much further weakened, they willtave
the NEST favorable opportunity for induens ner
| WISHES. The relative power, not only Of the
priests, but Of he Indians, will be greatly in
creased. These last constitute 4.T,hs of the DO
pulalion, and the mixed races 27,hs more-he
pure white is said not 10 exceed l-7th of The n;ss
| The natural tendency Of the southern Indian
races seems 10 he towards despotic hierarcy
This tendency seems 10 be national characer-
| isic in the colored races. ! know of no insa,ce
!. in which they have accumulated social powe 10
any striking extent, except under dcspotic torns
Of government, and generally By a union of he
| powers Of The prizes, and The monarch. The old
| Mexican and Peruvian nations were remarkable
| Tor The most highly refined despoisms of which
we have any account. The moving principle in
The civilization Of The colored races seems Il be
| social sirens'h-with them society is every thing
and the individual nothing. This was the strong
point OF ccnras, between The Indian system and
he European civilization which deveiops more
largely individual resources. Now sir, If phi
lan!hropy has an interest in grating, sue
cessully, the European principle upon The Indian
stock, The chance, lear will be lost il The por.
n pG tha tthi rho L,l..
much farther weakened before We Withdraw
The temptation TO establish monarchy or hier.
aTchy, fear, will be irresistible il the priesthood
finds iseliand the Indians the predominant ele-
menls in society. Bul five were 10 withdraw our
armies now, or in the course OF few months per-
haps The republican element might still be strong
enough 10 control,he form OF government and
The white race still exercise predominant in.
fiuence nil. Mr.. President, the Mexican social
nrin "a hnto