New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-04
PHILOSOPHY OF FILLIBUsTBRIsM.

Two or three hundred years ago, the fashion was
to do everything in the name of God and Religion.
1t was to promote the glory Of God and for the
propagation of the Holy Faith that the Portuguese
established themselves In India and Africa, sand
that the spsniards depOpuated the West Indies,
conquered Mexico and plundered Peru. &c. too
of all tho early English colonies in America; they
were all undertahen--at least il is so set down IN
the charters-for the spread of the Christian re-
gon and the salvation of the souls OF the sayages
We of this age have grown much less pious than
our ancestors. We do not even pay to religion the
tribute of hypocrisy. Not only is the glory OF God
absent from all our thoughts-we do not even talk
about it. Nevertheless, We are not, any more than
our fathers, without excellent reasons, honorable
DISCUSSES, for any piece of rascality to which our
avarice or ambition may tempt US. Philosophy Is
nowadays ugged in to supply the place OF religion,
and instead of eXcusing our robberies as incident
TO the promotion of Gods glory, We Justify them as
being but necessary result of the inevitable laws
of nature.
One of the most thorough-going disciples of this
new school Of manifest destiny, by which plumber
is justified on philosophical principles, is Mr.. f.
G.. Sauie,, late Charge dAffaires OF the United
States TO Central America, and author OF two
works: one on Nicaragua and the proposed ship
canal by the river San Juan: the other just pub
lished on Honduras, San Salvador and pro-
posed railroad from the Gulf of OmOa to the
Bay of Fonseca on the Pacific. There is, we
must admit, a little variation in the spelling
of the nsmes; yet we entertain very little doubt
that our Philosopher Squier must be lineal
descendant of Philosopher Square of the tutors
of Tom Jones, immortslzed by Fielding, aud of
whose doctrine of the eternal fitness OF things and
conformity to the law of nature Squier appears
no less ardent an advocate than of his practice of
sQuattiAg without much regard to the rights of pre-
occupants, wherever anything tempting offers.
This whole doctrine Of robbery upon philosophical
princpcs-what We may call the philosophy of
fllibusterism-is cOmprehensively and energetcally
set forth by Mr. Squier in the third chapter of his
new book, in which he treats of the population of
Central America.
Central America comprises an extent of about
l56, 900 square miles, being thus about equal in
area TO New England, New-York and Pennsylva-
mia. Within these limits are contained two very
distinct regions-the distinction depending not on
difference of latitude, but on difference of level.
The low country perhaps half of the whole area
and lying principally on the eastern or gulf side
has a purely tropical climate and vegetation.
The high tsble-lsnds in climate and products
nearly approach the warmer regions OF the tenn
perate zone. at the time Of the Spanish discovery
and conquest three centuries and more ago, the
low lands were inhabited only BY few bands of
wandering ssyages, and they remain in much the
same condition to the present day. The table.
lands, on the contrary, were the seats Of dense
population living by agriculture and Of an sborig-
ins civilization not inferior TO that Of Mexico aud
Peru. OF the actual number of inhabitants at the
period of the conquest We have no knowledge, and
little beyond the guesses of travellers of its present
population. The conjectursl estimate as TO the
latter which finds most favor with Mr. Squier is as
follows;
Whites 1000 1905 s4.g' .......iies oce
TotL........................... 90
And he distributes this population among the
FIVE independent States in which Central America
is now divided thus:
Area n Popu,ai Arssta POya.a
State % mites ton. St1ic' -. miles Ion
Hoadurs.'..SsSeo SSSSSS, Costa Res...iJssO $500
Ssa salvador. s5si Sit@ -, -
Ioih.'.'.,.,.....................l o,bSt 9'0ls"
For three hundred years of the Spanish dominion
the country was ruled exclusively by the whites
il may esen be said BY the small proportion OF
whites born and educated In Suain--the native or