The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-07
aTHE MEXICAN PROBLEM.


Express comes to the conclusion that
..The wisest course for this government to pursue in
this emerg cy to strengthen its influence with the
now known to be class Of Mexicans who,
ed with anarchy bloodshed and robbery ready TO
encourage whatever steps the cabinet at Washington may
be disposed to pursue with view to vndicate the rights
of its citizens preminariy by quelng the factions
and restoring something like law and order throughout
the country As things stand at present 1t would seem
that this be best done by supporting General Vidaur
ri, his way to the capital with effective force,
to upset the Zuloaga government few thousand Amer
lean bayones between Vera Cruz and the city of Mexico
probably all that would be needed The presence of
such force there under the prudent and experienced
command of Lieut. Gen. Scotteven If VidauTi is beaten
back, (Which it is not likely he will bewould give en-
couragement to the Mexicans who in favor of Amer
interference but who dare not at present express
themselves and thus in any event. prepare the way for
some sort Of solution of this vexed question. Those
American troops rooud be SENT not as hostile dpadas, but as
police force TO keep Me peace and 10 ranade order in land
Vhere both peace and order virtually at an end.
We are to understand from this that the govern
ment of the United States may, under cover of a
species of "police jurisdiction and by virtue of "a
police force" send the generaln-chief of the Amer
lean armies with dozen regiments into Mexico to
aid the constitutional party struggling to
throw the miserable church government of Zuloaga.
Should General Scott be ordered to join the forces
of Vidaurri, he viii be instructed by the War De-
parment that he is not to regard himself as i'm
vader" but club in hand will be required to keep the
peace by the forciblo overthrow of the existing gov
eminent
We have no great respect for what is called the
republic of Mexico, and none whatever for the party
which is now cooped up in the halls Of the Montezu-
mas, and exercising for the moment the nominal func
tions of government; but when the United States de-
termine to interfere in the affairs of that country,
we trust they will do on basis more manly
and honorable than by sending army there to keep
the peace by crushing out of the numerous fac
lions into which the republic is divided. The
Express will remember that the President of the
United States is not chief of police acting under
species of metropolitan law, embracing half
dozen or more States of this continent His sphere
of action in the absence of Legislative direction is
very much confined to the limits Of this government.
He will hardly, then, order Gen. Scott to Mexico
certainly not without better authority than New
York cotemporary's opinion that it would be legal
and proper to do 50, 'as police force to keep the
.
we are not required to superintend and overue the
factions who fast punging Mexico into rretriev-
able anarchy and death. That work of disintegra-
ton is nearly complete. The present government,
shut out from all the ports of the republic disgur-
ed by almost every species of illegal exaction and
tyranny, hemmed in within the limits of the capital
dscredited, dishonored, and assaulted promises at
an early day to record another downward step in
the rapid descent of the country to ruin and DEATH
If we had any special purpose to accomplish in Mex
ico it is now quite clear that our best friends are
uhn VII :
people, by removing the last vestge of law and or
der in that country by reducing it to such conditions
of helpless dependence to render the invaders
messengers Of deliverance from insupportable an
archy
Meanwhile the people of the United States are not
indifferent to the sick man of our sister republic
whose estate they expect later to inherit
1 by the inevitable laws of destiny. They are pre-
pared not to send "a police force to take posses
sion of the country and appropriate it to themselves
but silently to gaze upon the deathstruggle of the
victim, and when all is with the poor helpless
sinner to witness our armies of industry invade the
estate with all the implements of labor and to con-
vert it into of the richest nations of the world
We submit to the Express whether this theory of
excepting the peace" is not to be preferred to its
project of sending General Scott, with soldiers,
muskets, powder, ball and sword, to aid General Vi
daurri or General Jaurez to cut the throat of
President Zuloaga, who, if left alone, will do
the work for himself after the best manner
of Mexican suicides We have no power to despatch
General Scott on such service ; we have no power
to prevent our people, byand-by, from doing what
no army could do as well-regenerating Mexico by
the axe, the hoe, and the plough What that repub-
lie requires labor and production, and these are
impossible in the midst of continual anarchy. The |
penalty imposed upon those who viii not preserve
order is poverty and death, to be succeeded by an
other race and another rule. The history of this
continent imparts but lesson on this subject;
and the future promises no exception to the law of
population, which has uniformly placed the anglo
Americans in advance all others in the great work
of civilization and progress. They are the supe-
rors, and, as such, require armed force to beat
down in advance their interiors and dependents.
From present indications it would seem quite
probable that at distant day the people of Mexico
will have far removed all traces Of government as
to leave their country open to the immigration of all
nations. Such contingency win undoubtedly give
the United States the chief American nation. the
right to intervene and direct the rule which shall