The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-18

struggles nave been contaminated IN the dlcta-
torship Of Santa Anna; and while gloom has
been thickening over the political prospects of
the republic her social and financial evils have
been hopelessly aggravated. Internal rivalry
between the States hostility to foreign powers,
blind neglect of the real resources of the coun-
try, and an Unsuitable craving for change, have
plunged Mexico into an abyss from which it is
beyond the power of any individual to extricate
her. She may not yet have reached the inner
most circle of the eddying whirlpool which shall
engulf her nationality; she may yet be des-
tined, under the ephemeral guidance Of new
rulers, to revolve once or twice through
the narrowing orbits which enclose the fatal
| vortex The wave which is to overwhelm her
may be eluded by Santa Anna to break upon
his successor; but the fate of the country
once known as the brightest gem in the Western
continent is now merely question of time.
Recovery has long since been impossible rescue
| from the powerful talons of the American eagle
is now mere idle dream, Mexico must fall.
In word, Mexico must be ours.
| Among the few citizens of the Mexican re-
| public who have still the heart to think Of the
i
are none so blind as to anticipate permanent
relief from the return of Santa Anna. To one,
the event seems pregnant with foreign wars.
Another can see no safeguard against dis
union, disruption, and the total destruc-
ton Of Mexican nationality. A third goes
farther, and contemplates without dread
the annexation of Mexico to this Union. THE
dissolving action Of our system" says an able
Mexican writer, /" has not ceased one jot,' and
he adds. in tone of doleful prophecy. that if
spirit of unity-which he admits does not
exist-should not suddenly spring up to heal
the sores OF his country, ''the United States will
obtain the object of their intrigues, and Mexico
will at length be blotted out from the catalogue
of nations" Such is the prospect which the
Mexican publicsts themselves foresee. We can
well afford. in view of the miseries which afflict
that unhappy people, to forgive the imputation
Of intrigue which they cast upon us, though
they cannot have forgotten that the destiny Of
| Mexico was once in our hands. and we might.
had we chosen, have seized the whole country.
| to unite it with our own. An endeavor on their
part to hide their straits under decent shift of
| compulsion should not excite our anger.
| But in truth, if we set aside considerations
of national feeling and pride, the Mexican peo-
pie ought rather to view their impending fate
with JOY than with regret. They have now
spent thirty years in fuitless attempts to govern
themselves. During that period, the utter i'm
possibility of joint action among the States for
the common benefit has been irrefragably dem
onstrated Each experiment has afforded new
evidence of the rreconcileable hostility Of inter-
ests between the manufacturing and the agri
cultural, the maritime and the inland States
Each successive constitution has furnished fresh
instances of collision between the federal and
the State governments. Cancellation has been
abandoned in sheer despair. Ruler after ruler,
constitution after constitution, has been tried,
and the net results are state of confusion
and anarchy appalling to describe. The foreign
debt of the republic, which did not exist in
1921, amounted to s52774.497 on 3lst December,
1852, and this is exclusive Of nearly twenty
three millions Of dollars paid to the creditors
since 1882. The domestic debt has increased
during the same period from S40.000,000 to
| $76.l79 ,406. By what means does Mexico ex-
pect to be able to liquidate this debt-to pay
nearly 1929, 100000 or even the interest on
that sum She can indulge no hopes Of increas-
| ed revenue. for though her income before her
independence was S2O.000000 her revenue.
under General Arista barely exceeded
| $lO,OOO.00O. She cannot rely on increas-
ed taxation upon people among whom
| insurrection has become chronic disor-
der, and whose poverty is alone safe
shield from onerous imposts. OF the in
evitable consequences of reputation we need
not here speak. We repeat, the only practical
BILE exit from the labyrinth-the only cure for
| the dissolution of the social bonds-the chaos
Of ideas and principles-the continued agitation
the slow and prolonged agony"-now press
this country. And if the Mexicans knew their
own interests they would demand it.
That they will not we feel tolerably assured.
The extinction of nationality is one of those
operations to which no people however despe-
| rate their case, will voluntarily submit. Santa
| Anna too, is not man OF polite expedients,
| but Of desperate resolves. He lacks pru-
dence, honesty, principle, but not boldness or
ambition. Uraga might have consented to be
| Viceroy Of Mexico, or Lieutenant of Queen
| Christina +; but Santa Anna would scorn any
such subordinate post. He would rather be
crushed at the head of ruined people than
prosper in foreign tutelage. Hence it is that
to our mind rupture Of our relations with
Mexico, consequent upon some violation Of our
rights by the Dictator, seems most likely
occurrence. On calm review of the various
modes by which the annexation of the republic
might be effected, we see none more natural
than the process by which one-half Of its for
| mer territory has already fallen into our
hands. Desperate circumstances, operating on
the mind of man Of Santa Annals desperate
character, can suggest none but desperate
remedies and we can discern none more clearly