The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-05

Mexico and Central Anerica-What Course
| Should the Cabinets or America and
Europe Pursue
The intelligence from Mexico, and the de-
velopement of the plans of the filibusters which
was published yesterday are fun of import to
our own government and to those of Europe
| Affairs between the Rio Grande and the
isthmus of Panama are so shaping themselves as
to call for the serious attention of the Cabinets
of the world. There the routes of trade between
our Atlantic and Pacific empire lie; there the
paths of commerce between Europe and Aus
trala and China are to pass there the merchants,
| the diplomatists, and the navies of the Old
| World and the New, are to meet and harmonic
in safety Yet every wind that comes from be-
yond our Southern border brings tidings of civil
wars and social anarchy, of nations crumbling
to pieces, and peoples relapsing into barbarism.
| 1t would be criminal, at time when all nations
are looking forward with hope to the peaceful
| transit of the isthmuses of America, to blinl
our eyes to the true condition of affairs there,
and to the manifest anarchy to which they
are tending However much the short
sighted politicians of any country may
| deem it wisdom on their part to oppose the es
tablishment of preponderating influence by
| any other over these now discordant elements,
the time has already come when the true interest
| of the whole world demands that some such
influence should exist. The peaceful develOpe-
ment of commerce must continue undisturbed
and whoever or whatever is inimical to it be-
comes the enemy Of ALL
First in geographical order comes Mexico.
There we find bitter contest raging in regard
to principles vital to the organization and pro-
gess of society," but which in itself is destructive
of society. The church and the army cling to
the system which maintains ecclesiastical and
military privileges, and defend it tenaciously;
the people have listened to the teachings Of the
age, and claiming political and social rights
| equal to those of the priest and the soldier,
combat fercely for them. The result of such a
conflict is evident Wherever the remnant OF
the veteran army appears victory crowns its
banners and the undrilled popular masses are
scattered No sooner is the army drawn to
some new point of danger, than the popular
hordes gather again and wreak their vengeance
on all who are opposed to them. This is
the key to the constant movements Of
General Miramon between the capital and
San Luis, and San Luis and Guadalajara;
of General Echeagaray between the capital and
| Puebla, and between Puebla and Orizaba and
Perote; of the defeats of Degollado, Vidaurri,
Blanco::a Cara, and their constant re-appear-
| ance at the head of new armies, claiming new
| victories. Both parties are rapidly consuming
the resources of government and society
while neither is able to defeat the other, or to
control the anarchical principles within them
selves.
In Central America the elements for similar
conflict are arraying themselves. President
Mora, in Costa Rica, has suppressed by force all
expression Of opinion antagonistic to himself
caused himself to be proclaimed by the old Span
ish colonial title Of Captain General, has adopt
ed an exploded system of finance, and monopo-
lized for his own benefit the sale ofseveral articles
such as liquors and powder, and has adopted as
the policy of government some of the most des-
potic theories of the past ages. Nicaragua is
pursuing the same course. The socalled Con-
stituent Assembly of that republic has adopted a
constitution during the last year making the
government Of President Martinez pure despo-
| tism. He is empowered to arrest and confine
any one without previous accusation or trial, and
in conjunction with any two senators, con-
vened by himself, can Danish them from
the country upon the sole ground that he
believes public order to be menaced. These
two despotisms-for they are nothing else-are
at this moment seeking European protection and
| a firm alliance with the halfbreed Carrera. the
| Dictator of Guatemala.
These facts are the key to the connivance
which has recently been discovered between the
liberal party in Leon and Honduras and the
Walker filibusters in this country. The course
of the socalled conservatives who are in power
is driving the liberals to desperation, and lead
ing them to call in the ibusters, in hopes to tri
umph through their aid rather than enter upon
the long war of devastation and ruin that is now
raging in Mexico. The past errors in policy and
government made by Walker, and the incompe
tency exhibited by him, have been the strongest
support and the most perfect defence against
public opinion that the Mora and Martinez des
| potisms have had. Without the fear of a fill
buster invasion Nicaragua and Costa RIGA would
probably have exhibited again before this all the
horrors of civil war. AS it is, the present state
of peace cannot be long maintained.
| Such is the course of events in Central Ameri-
ca and Mexico; and there is a philosophy in them
which should not be passed lightly over by our
Cabinet and those Of the Western nations
of Europe. That system of military
and ecclesiastical despotism which was
built up by Ferdinand and Isabella and their sue
cessors on the ruin of the .furos of Aragon and
comuneros Of CASTLE, and which has endured for
three centuries in Spanish America, is now
crumbling to pieces before the spirit of the age