New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-27
Tur PAST AND FUTURE OF MEXICO.


F,om The London Timer, De T.
When, some four centuries ago, t'e enterprise Of
Spssirh navigstoTs Opeued the vase continent of
America 10 the aGmratiOn of Europe, the civilization
Of the New World found to concentrated IN two
spots and tvo only, Of that enormoas territory. One
of these favored regions was Perm; the other was
Mexico II WAS in Mexico especially tbat art, politics
and sciepce bad received their greatest deyeOpnent
An the rest of North America from the shores Of Hud
sons Bay to the mouths of the Mississippi, desc
late and barbarous diversifed only by ssanp fores
or prsirie and populated by savages without know-
edge or laws. MEXICO alone redeemed the char
acter Of the new continent, and paeseoted
10 the eyes Of the invaders n spectacle so
marvellous as to satisfy even the expectations
which the great discovery had raised. There the
Spanards found organized State, an sncient poy,
an opnlent capital, ex7ted dypasty, Formidable
priesthood, and people well skilled Ia mechanical
and decorative arts 50 great 10 fact, the prof
cheney Of the workmeD, elaborate the system Of
government, and 20 impressive the wnOie evidence Of
wealth and grandeur that for some t1e the cviliza
ton Of Mexico was regarded as superior to that Of
Europe Although, indeed, the researches Of III 'dern
ipquers have enabled 10 apply corrective to
these ideas, it is really probable that in certain re-
spects the Spaniards found Mexico more advanced
than Spain; aud have been recently assured,
the authority of comprehensive history that this
civilization the Necessary incident of geographical
ano natural advantages Such was the situation aod
confguraton Of Me xicO that it could hardly fail to
make progress; and all that discovered there in
the shape Of national wealth or political order repre-
scented the extraordinary opportunities which nature
had provided.
Such the picture given of Mexico 40 years ago.
Our American intelligence Of yesterday gave
another sketch Of the c)uLtry it exists at this
moment and it wonld be hard to imagine n contrast
more surprising. Ih re If literally spot ia the
tire American continent from tine Arctic Seas to Cape
Horn which presents such spectacle of dsorganza-
ton and rsn. The Indians OF Patagonia are better
ordered than the Mexcans Of 1873. In the old seat OF
American civilization there If Government, no
recognized poly, 10 public order. Life and property
are insecure, not through the accident OF pohtics
revolution or as the DsequeDce of transient con-
vu)sioD, bat necessarily and permanc1tly from the
utter default and breakup Of sl the ibsttnt ns de-
signed for their protection. We cannot had In any
European histOry-ntt in that of Spain itself
any parallel or Illus ration of the preseot state of
things in Mexico The country is spht into factions,
but no faction has any priLcple nor does II seen to
be much anticipated that there is any party, or
any leaoer Of parry, by whose ascendancy or pre-
dominance the existing anarchy could be terminated.
When, in the year 1891, Republican GOvernment
was definitely substituted for the dominion exercised
by Spain left for contests bet ~een Federal
ism and Capitalization, which have never ceased and
which, perhaps, hnd more or less expression iu all
Aexiesp revolutions. We observe aiso a. present,
that the Roman CathOhc hierarchy OF Mexico are
throwing such weight they possess toto the scale OF
absoutlsm with the same views whicn have recently
characterized then proceedings IN various paris Vi
Europe But except for these features there Is posi-
tively nOthJg to be discovered IN the clV war now
raging in Mexico which rsse it above the level OF
common ana promiscuous brlgandsge. Society Is re-
polved into It's primitive clements without, as yo',
IL would be- too a6stIuse speculation t. inquire
phiosOphcaly into the causes when have thus Ope-
rated county fair and SO fortunate as To nave
once produces an exceptional civilization OF l's own In
the uidst of general IOaIism. Historically the case
can Re taken in at glance. Spain ruled tue subject
State OF NJ xco for exactly 300 years. tnen came three
yeaIs OF coDvusioD, and then some 81 years OF pup
fcanism, on a remarkably pure and genuine model
Mexico had its union ITS States and lis I~rrtones, It's
Chamber of Deputies, and is senate. Blenaiai Paf
hsmeDs and equal electoral districts gave 10 the Popu
Ii. hirE Mr. Rftg at1 do
sire and except that there was no educ ,ion ana no
federation in religious matters the institutions OF Mex
Eco were, at any rate m theory, as liberal as taey
could he. All tins, however, was OF no avail. Inc
Mexcans can neither govern themselves nor hnd any
body ftrong enough TO govern them ard the State, II
II can still be called State, is sunply tumblng to
pieces for wsn of anything like vitality or conesion
The ordinary interest which might sttach TO
spectacle like this is materially enhacced by two l-
portant considerations. On the northern frontier OF
Mexico lies formidable neighbor already aggrandized
by large ACQUISITIONS Of Mexican territory, aud pre-
pared for the absorption of more. WHAT gives TINS
contingency still greater weight ia the ta't that te
politics of the North American Union will be Intimately
Affected by any further anDe Natlon ward the Slut
md its wisest statesmen ale spprehenslve cf the
results which might ensue. Certainly, up 10 the
the present time the Government of Washington
has exhibited considerable forbesrance IN d. ahs Win
The proyocations to which the anarchy and license pre-
xailrg throughout Mexico have Naturally gwen
rise Wehaye, however, more dlract interest In the
matter. Engsh capital hss been largely invested 10
0leXCAn
Carried their energies to Mexico TOR he JOINT advantage
Of both countries together The oiulonst IN Their
suicidal folly, have actually visited with indighueS
and penalties the fOreguoIs who were coptr buns 10
the resources of their state, snd, though Engshnen
who lend their money to foreign governments DO 50 III
their own responsibility, British subjects may CLAIM
the protection of British power. The affairs OF Mexico
are nothing 10 us but entitled 10 demand that
its Government be it wha IL may, shall ABSTAIN from
visiting our countrymen with injustice or wrong.
TIE only apparent parallel to thus strange breakup
Is that the case OF Poland and here the
paralel is apparent only. Poland, 1t is true, vas
Turbulent ana unquie State, with system OF gp'rn-
mept which never worked My and which, perhaps,
must have ultimately proved lncomPau0ls wth tne
better Oyganzed politics on Us uonNers Dut 'nS
Poles had natiouabty which gave them strength and
purpose and which for generations enabled taem
10 extend their territories ot the expense oil toelr
neighbms. They once paftitioned Prussl' and they
once nearly annexed Russ'a Moreover toer ulsoI'
eanizetop extreme as II was, had been Ia some mea-
sure srtifcaS created and the spirit whlca even 10
this hour is not extinct showed Whist genuine vitality
the nation posse ssed. 10 Mexico there u not
u vestge OF nationality. VI us seven or eeh'
millions ~ popul,ton about one million only
are whites the rest being Indians or mixed breeds;
and these Mexican Spapiards have nor succeeoed IKE
the French Canadians, IN preserving the spl' "hicn
they broue ht soross the seas Mexico nas o'oSeu up
foIr pure lnospeelty for setgovernment Inc license
which ensued the extinction of absoutism ~ years
sgo has never been exchanged for any regular or
stable administration, that what should hsye been
amere temporary suspension of authority has proved
q permanent abeyaIce Of order. Despotlsn might
relieved the country, but Mexican has besn strong
enough fof despOt, AID Affairs therefore have gone
from bad 10 worse, with inierminsble cOlvulsons
hopeless wars Losses of territory, and 81 length, with
such absolute political d,sorg AM zstion that DO stage
Of de cire csu be runous ana men are only look
jrg tosee what may follow.
DICKENS On SELF-TAUGUT MEN
The Institutional Association Of Lancashire and
Cheshire held its annual conference and public meeting