The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-12-01
The Mexican q

The Mexican huddle .
1t Is all a muddle, SAYS Stephen in
" Hard Times" and the same ma te said
by even the best informed in REGARD to
Mexican affairs Ut the present time. Meg.
lcan history for The last half century has
been one Of revolutions parties rotating
INTO and out OF otice-coning round with
a. much certainty as Sunday and almost
as often. The Jand has been drencbed
with blood 10y these struggles of factions.
lighting for no principle, for no end but
WIN 6riden''y Tho snn'o ~predisrosition for
' Hat'i' which prompts the Irishman to
wed his shlllaIeh at Donnybrook Fair:
The onlJ difference appears to be in the
fact that the Mexican has a Mavfs;, all
the time! If anything was gained in the
end, there would De some reason for the
Mexicans to revolutioniae, but every over.
turn only leaves the nation worse than Il
was before.
Mexico has no responsible government.
1t Is at the present time in the position Of
a spoiled orphan child, p0werless to pro.
tcct itself from insult, or to control itself.
or take care of its fortunes. While tbus
distracted internally, it is beset by Spain.
and now reports reach US that the Texans
are TO make a foray into its northern
provinces; in addition there are some
nervous gentlemen in the latitude of
ashlngton who would have u, believe
that France and England are disposed to
doctor up the sick man of this continent
What, in view of all this, will be the FL.
ture Of that country
There are those who would have tie
United States assume the protecterate of
Mexico at once but it will be we'll for ~
to ponder a little upon the effect of such a
course, before we exercise our philanthro-
Ply. What will it COST What shall We
gain by it2 Is it a duty which We owe
to humanity that we must at any cost be.
colneVhe guardian of the crumblinQ re-
public? The word protectorate implies
protection and protection implies an in.
crease of the army and navy-more sol.
diers and ships-more guns, powder, Of
GERS rations and imports-more corrup-
hon-moreo Of the one-man powsr-and a
great deal more than all these, which Is
hidden now, but which with a protectorats
Will become real Is this country ready
for this
Why should we protect MsxicoT The
argument must lie in one. or both of tw O
thlngs-either on the score of pbilanth,. %.
py, or to collect what she owes us. -But
as the United States, in its intero ,prsa
with foreign powers has made the NJ ouroe
doctrine the Sunsmum 6onum of its viz.
tue philanthropy will hardly be tie plea.
Taking the other argument, it may be
asked whether it is or is not goo d policy.
or sound economy for the general govern.
ment to undertake the guard ansbip for
the satisfaction Of the claims held BY spec-
ulators IN mistortune-men who, for a
song have obtained original claims from
honest and despairing claimants.
Whether it is worth while to 20
through so much to find out so little, said
the elder Mr.. Weller to Samivel, in re-
gard to the widows; and a similar query
is pertinent in the present case-whether
it is worth while for the United States to
60 through so much to obtain 80 little
Who does not know that it would be vast
ly cheaper for the United States to pass
Mexican spoliation billiard pay-it even
by a forced loan. than t oassume the guar.
dianship of a race, which by force of hab-
it would be likely to " revolutionire " o.
casionally, for mere pastime7 Seriously,
the assumption of guardianship by this
country is more than appears upon its
face. If we become its guardian, how
about the claims of England and FrancsY
Shall we pay their claims? What if they
should make reprisals, after we have got
our thriftless neighbor in good condition.
provided we can do that i! Gould we shbf
responsibility
The question is the complstest rid die of
modern times. 1t is impossible to. di,cov-
er a ray of light anywhere. No wonder
that the administration is pelplexed: no
wonder that it waits to see vshat will turn
up. There are times when. it is good pol.
icy to make haste slowly, and we cannot
believe that the United States will be
over-zealous to make "~entanglinp ALI
ances " in a matter beset with the diHieul-
ties which surround the Mexican question