Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-27
EExICO,


Our neighbor, Mexico, has been for forty
years, or more, trying the experiment we have
been aud are now trying, namely, whether the
people are competent to make laws for, and
gov IN themselves. How the experiment has
worked in Mexico, where there are but two
classes, the rich and the poor, the aristocrats
and the ple6ians, the governors and the gov
erned, the officers and the rank and file,we all
know. That wretched country is about half
the time under the sway Of a despot, and the
other half in state of anarchy. Which is the
worst condition Of the two we can hardly judge;
but we are inclined to believe that even the rule
of an iron despot, so that law is enforced and
persons end property are protected from the
violence of the multitude, is the lesser evil of
the two. We have no expectation that the
Mexican people will ever be able TO maintain a
steady, regular, republican government; they
have never been accustomed to selfgovernment;
they have never been trained to or under
any such government; their ideas are essen
tally monarchical and military; they are all
Generals and Colonies, or else mere COM
mon soldiers; they have no idea Of submitting
to the will Of the majority as declared through
the ballot box. The minority instead Of doing
this, pronounce, or resist the authority ofthose
elected, and endeavor to get possession Of the
posts Of power by force. No President can hold
his Office there for the full constitutional term,
nor for any length Of time without the aid Of a
military force.
Every man belonging TO the aristocracy Is
discontinued, uneasy, mutinous and r,ady to
Join in an armed resistance, and an attempt to
overthrow the government, IL he is not himself
in power, and nothing but the the strong arm
Of military chieftain, sustained by an army,
can keep such men in subsection.
It's evident that with this class Of men, their
country is nothing everything. There
can be no patriotism where there i. so much
selfshness; and where there is no love of
country, no true, devoted, unselfish patriotism,
there can be no well established, well sustained,
useful government No President OF ruler, can
turn his attention and devote himself to the
promotion Of the welfare Of the people, the great
industrial, financial and commercial interests
of the nation. Their whole attention must be
given Gas it is now being given here,) to poll
tics, to the preservation Of their own power,
the taking care Of their own personal and poll
teal friends, the strengthening Of their own
party. In this struggle and conflict for power
between those in possession and those in ex-
pectsncy, IT is evident that all public affairs, all
that goes to make a nation great, prosperous,
powerful and respected, is lost sight of-wholly
overlooked, and.oonsidered matter Of minor,
or Of no importance.
Tothis state Of things, It seems to us, we are
rapidly tending; but how long Il will take us
to reach the present status Of Mexico we know
not; we hope it is never to be our condition
hen it is, the people viii already have been
saddled and rider, booted and spurred, would
soon mount into the saddle, seize the reins with
a firm hand, and apply the whip, spur and
curb
What the future Of Mexico is to be is mat
ter of speculation, but we feel sure that she win
never be quiet well-governed, prosperous,
industrious and commercial nation, under q
republican form Of government Her sceptre
must be that Of the sword, rather than that Of
the win Of the people as expressed through the
ballot box. Her manifest destiny" is anarchy
| or monarchy. She is now ruled, 80 far as the
masses are q. all, by her priests, who have
monopolized nearly all the soil worth cultva-
ting, and enslaved, bodily and mentally, four
fifths of the people. No man, however patri-