The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-11-19

The News from Msxico-IThe Reconciliation
OF that Republic Dependent upon War
with Spain.
The news from Mexico which we publish to-
day is of a most interesting and important
character, and bears out in a remarkable man
ner the views we have from time to time ex-
pressed in regard to the present condition and
future destiny of that republic, since the con-
vention for the formation of constitution that
followed the success of the plan of Ayutla.
1t will be seen tina the disorganization of the
country is proceeding with great rapidly; that
in the South the rebels have possession of Cuer-
navaca, while those of the West hold Queretaro,
two of the important cities of the republic; that
the savages are ravaging the North; that the
treasury is bankrupt, the army demoralized,
the people hopeless, and the constitutionally
constituted government powerless. II may be
said that this is not new state of things for
Mexico. This is in some measure true; but the
social and political paralysis has never before
been SO intense and all-pervading as it now is.
In this state of affairs Congress, which had
been but few weeks in session, has despaired
of its ability to remedy the existing disorder,
and has adopted the expedient that has several
instances as precedents in the history of that re-
public, and placed absolute or dictatorial
power in the hands of President Comonfort
This has not been done unanimously, nor with
out dissent, as will be seen by our numerous
translations and extracts elsewhere, but it is the
act of a majority sufficiently large to give him
an immense popular support, and above all it
is the voluntary will of the country, constitu-
tionally expressed. The state of affairs in which
he takes the helm is undoubtedly worse than any
that has preceded it, and the condition of the
country is one of much greater prostration and
exhaustion. But careful study of the people
of Mexico and their past history will give him
unmistakeable indications of the course he
should pursue, and if he adopts it with firm
purpose and follows it with courage and con-
stancy, he may revive the national spirit, give
new life to society and government, and replace
Mexico in an honorable position among the
nations.
Santa Anna has been looked upon repeatedly
both at home and abroad, in times of great
national depression as the only man who could
resuscitate Mexico, and on several occasions
has received or usurped the dictatorial power.
which he has been constantly winning and
losing the supreme power, there is one great
key to his policy which he has never failed to
use. Whenever the nation was eXanimous and
he was called upon to revive it, resistance to
''the barbarians of the North" was his constant
theme, and it reused the people to fury againsst
the growing power of the United States. For
time it succeeded in every instance, and
Mexico almost seemed herself again. But the
.frore would subside, the great moral power Of
this Union would resume its gigantic appear
apce, and Santa Anna lost his sway by the sub
sidence of the popular tumult and the increase
of his own greed.
Here we have the key note for Comonfort,
but he must avoid the errors Of Santa Anna.
He must awaken the national feeling by cry
of war, and bring back to the people the old
feeling Of the time of Hidalgo and Morelos,
Guerrero and Iturbide. war with Spain
will rouse Mexico as she has never
been reused for thirty years past. The new
generation wait to hear the cry that stirred
every heart in the republic when their fathers
were in their prime, and mueran los gachupines
will ill the ranks of his armies, dissolve the re-
bellious bands, bind the dissonant States, ami
mate the people and resuscitate the nation. Let
him not preach defensive war, but one of ag-
erosion, to avcnge the national honor so re-
peatedly outraged of late, and to break the
black cloud that is now gathering against his
,,,t ,TH Int
Cortes return to Cuba in the person of Comon-
fort, and show to the lion of CASTLE that from
the ashes of Montezuma an avenger has sprung
If he has the courage to undertake such a
policy and such a course, men and means will
not be wanting; If he has not, he cannot save
the renuhlic of Mexico.