The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-03

Between tAs ChuzOh and the People.
The condition of Mexico, as presented by our
latest advices from that country, lis lamentable
in the extreme. While the power of the federal
government is, and has been for many years,
steadily waning, every little State and petty
leader think themselves authorized to get up a
plan for saving the republic, and.to support it
by q pronunciannento the respectability of
which depends entirely upon the ability of the
leaders to buy muskets and powder. We pub
lished some days since the plan OF Tacubaya;
this was followed by counter plans in several of
the Northern States Vera Cruz and Guerrero;
yesterday We had a "saving PLAN" got up in
Havana by Santa Annals wife and father-ia-
law, expressly for the Mexican market; and to-
day we have sundry others Of the most opposite
character and tendencies. In one thing all of
these plans are identcal that is, in sharp look
out for any possible revenue that may accrue.
Thus Vera Cruz pronounces and remains per-
fectly eatisfed with the collections of it's own
Custom House; Moreno looks after the revenue of
Acapulco, but the trade being small he is not
satisfied; Parrodi makes clean deduction of
ported at Mazatlan; and Cara pronounces at
Tampico, arrogating, in his plan for saving the
republic, the right to make new customs ia
riff to suit himself These movements have re-
duced the federal government to such straits
that it is obliged to borrow, from day to day,
the money necessary to support its semblance Of
power at rates of usury which Shylock himself
might be ashamed Of A perfect exemplifca-
ton of this is given in the particulars of loan
made recently to President COmonfort by Senior
Escandon, through Mr.. Hargous, an American
citizen in order to give an American character
to the claim. Ostensibly s25O,O00 were loaned,
but of this only $l25O00 is cash, and the rest
in bonds of the interior debt which can be
bought at from six to nine cents on the dollar.
This amount is to be fully repaid within short
term in cash, or else the government forfeits
claim it has upon Mr.. Escandon for three mil
lions of dollars of the interior debt, for which
it gives him new stock for the same amount,
with a peculiarly guaranteed interest. In a
few months, therefore, this small payment will
be converted into bonds amounting to three
millions Of dollars, held by an American citi-
zen, with a right to demand certain revenues Of
the government to pay the interest.
The causes of this state of things are simple
and apparent to every student Of Spanish
American affairs. Spain left as legacy to her
American colonies vicious fiscal system, that
even in peaceful times could not but result in
evil; and to this she added a union of church
and State that has been for forty years the great
cause Of intestine disturbance and revolution
among them. Under the protection of this
union the church has gone on accommodating
wealth and power until it has overshadowed the
land. The political ideas of the age have en-
deavored to find development in these coun-
tries, but everywhere they have met the antago-
nistic interests of the church, which has fought,
openly and secretly to maintain theocracy
with political power. Hence it has resisted the
political development of the country, and TO-
mented revolution after revolution as it Is doing
now.
Here we have the true secret of the instability
Of government in Mexico. Attacked Oh one
side by the pressure of the political ideas Of the
age, and on the other by the intense conserva-
tism of the church, If il cedes to one it is
ruined by the other, and falls. We
should have had the same thing here,
but fortunately the power Of the church
was broken in England before the Bri-
tish colonies sprang into existence. Yet
even now the church in New England endesvors
every once in a while TO acquire political influ-
ence. and political parsons claim power which
t,r,x tba 20, tko
people to crush it.
There is and can be no remedy for these
things in Mexico but the crushing ont the
church a. temporal organization. This is the
only fight that is now going on there, hydra
headed as IL seems to b.. The liberals are in
arms for the defence Of their political existence,
and are preparing sweeping measures against
the power of the clergy. In the contest Mexico
may be become deblitated as State and there
is reason to believe that some Of the Powers OF
Europe may look upon her ~ "sick man." az
ter the fashion of Turkey. But they may be
ware how they endeavor TO take advantage Of
her weakness. There are many reasons why
We should sustain republican government in
Mexico. Not only IL there an affinity of politi-
cal ideas and interests between us but we may
lock upon her even In the light Of a ward. We
held her whole territory not long since by right
of conquest, and in giving her back her political
existence we assumed a moral guarantee over
her. Then she is a contiguous territory to our
own, with many mutual interests between the
citizens, which are continually increasing in i'm
portance, and with future that looks to thii
country for its developement Under these cir
cumstances our government cannot contemplate
with Indifference either the decline of or Euro
pean Intervention in Mexico. We are forced to
give some moral if not material support to
liberal government there, and time is pressing
us to solution of the question. In the fight
between the church and the people the United
States will be found on the side of the latter