The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-30
THE MEXICAN PRoTECToRATE.

Mr.. Buchanan IS as unfortunate in his efforts
to please the South as his rival Douglas. He
naturally supposed that man could not be too
" sound upon the negro question; and So at
one fell swoop, he proposed to take Mexico and
Cuba, thereby cutting Of the possibility of any
body out bidding him. But he is like the Ia
dams gun which was so straight as To lean the
other way and his policy is denounced Ly the
great oracle of Southern opinion, the Charles
ton Mercury, as fraught with danger 10 the
e yeculiar institution"
The Mercury argues, justly that Uaiiit.ry &C
cupation Of Northern Mexico would produce
war with that nation, as a necessary conse-
uuence: and that war would result in conquest.
We concur equally with the Mercury, that the
free States. and not the slave, will populate
and control the territories We are to seize, =
and that the result will BE- to hem in the South
on all sides by a chain Of free States The
Ne,cry says:
"As the head Of the Government of the
United States. the President cannot look to the
Antagonist interests of the different sections of
the Union. He must regard the United States
as whole. and make his Recommendations ac-
cordimg 10 such a state Of things. But, unfor-
tunately, the people of the United States are
not a homogeneous people. They have war
ring elements amongst them. which render rec,
concentrations made with the most patriotic
motives, and apparently equal, dangerous and
unjust. We allude especially to the policy pro-
posed by the President of taking military pos
session Of the northern frontiers of chihuahua
and Sonora and ,stabl ishing military posts
therein 1t is true the President proposes such
AN occupation to be only temporary, until Mexi-
co is capable of governing herself, and of pay
inc the ten millions Of dollars said to be due by
her to our citizens. But we presume that no
one. in or out of tho United States, will doubt
that our possession of these territories will be
permanent The President aiirmS that Mexi-
co can never pay US the ten millions of dollars
we claim and if she could do so at some future
day, the American population entering these
territories under the military authority and pro-
lection of the United States would be- quite AIDE
quate to hold them. So that in reality. the
proposition amounts to this--to seize two prov.
inces of Mexico to pay ourselves for ten mil
lions of dollars which we alege Mexico owes
to US.
Now, the first question which this course
BILE military possession by our country of a Dor
ton of another, clear act of war? 1t is true
the President seems to advocate this course as
an expedient to avoid war. To avoid war by
committing an act of war, seems to be a queer
method of avoiding it, The only reason why il
will not produce a general war with Mexico
must be the presumed inability of Mexico tc
make or sustain war with us. She did, how
ever, declare and make war with us, because
she supposed that we aggressed upon her terrific
ries as part of Texas. May she not do the same
thing again, under far more insulting and ques
tionable circumstanceSp And If she accepts tn,
| war we tender her, which nation will lose mos
| by the war? Having no commerce herself, sh,
may grant letters of narque and reprisal to tn,
| Adventures of every nation in the world, anC
sweep the seas of our commerce by her priva
teers and if we conquer her by land, VIVA
then She may he very willing to be conquer
ed. Beyond doubt, the greatest blessing I,
| Mexico would be her entire conquest and an
nexation to the United States. The cours
recommended by the President seems to us t,
be the beginning of this policy, and must inevi
tably end in its contamination. Standing in
very different position from the President, w
of the South must ask the question, what vii
be the effect of this policy on the destinies 0
the South? Who viii populate and control tn
| territories We are to seize? Will not the fire.
States take them all ? Has not the Kansa
controversy, have not the late elections at tn
| North, clearly manifested that no more slav
States viii be admitted into this Union? vii
not every province wrested from Mexico be