Daily national Democrat., 1859-01-19
The Protectorntc.

/ EVERYBODY is thlklnS now ABOUT Jne pro
tectorate over Sonora and chihuahua by the
Government of the United States, as pro-
posed in the Presidents Message, but origi-
nally proposed by Senator Houston, Of Texas.
Contrary to the general expectation, it seems
to be probable that the plan will be siren
uously opposed by some of the leading South
ern Senators Senator Hammond has'already
expressed his opposition to the acquisition of
Mexican territory, and it is generally conced-
ed that the occupation of Sonora and Chi
huahua, in the kind. protecting way proposed,
would directly lead to that result. Senator
Hnmmonds objection is that the Mexican
soil and climate, &c, has already shown
themselves unfavorable to slave labor, and
that the same geographical causes would op-
crate to the like effect, were the territory ac-
ouired by the United States. Without the
proper union on the part of the South, this
leading, favorite project of President Bu-
chanan will scarcely be carried into effect, for
the general sentiment of the North will be
opposed to it at all events, and only such por-
ton of the Northern States will agree to it
as would suffice to carry it by a conjunction
with the entire South Senator Hammond's
idea that the soil, climate, DC, are net favor
able to slavery, is hardly rational one, in
asmuch as it is well known that negroes work
best where the climate is warm and, further
more, that many portions of the Mexican ter.
tories produce sugar, cotton and other staple
Southern productions. But there is much
more reason in his other assertion, that the
Free States have vast advantage over the
South in colonizing the Territories and that
under this process of colonization, and the
operation of the doctri of popular sover-
egnty, as defined by Douglas, the new States
to be formed out of the acquired territory
would be almost certain to be free. There is
certainly some foundation for coming to such
conclusion, whether it be correct one or
not.
For our own part We very much doubt
whether the South will ever regain anything
like her former political preponderance in
this Government, and, therefore, that her
statesmen would do much better to consider
how best they may preserve slavery where
it is, than how they may manage to extend
it. At the same time we have no objections
to its extension.
But there is one other great difficulty to
be considered in this view, and that is, what
:. g.. l., Jono With tbo r,;lI;ops of thA deUrad.
ed lower population, which forms the ma
iority of the people of MexicoH Moreover,
the country having been SO long settled,
nearly all the land, fit for cultivation, is al
ready in the hands of Mexican citizens, and
a transfer of the territory to the United States
could not affect private rights-so that the
vast landed arstocracy of the country, with
their peon system of villeinage, would be
composed of Mexicans, and the benefits of
the acquisition would be, for many years at
least for the Mexicans, and not the Ameri-
cans. True, the minerals in the soil are re-
served to the Government in most cases, al
though many grants are made without the
minerals being reserved. This consideration
would, Of course, balance to some extent
against the disadvantage of the land owner
ship alluded to. But the landed proprietary
of every country is the great govern ng
power, and this proprietorship would certain
ly be in the hands of the Mexican, instead of
American citizens. Such state of things is
not pleasant one to contemplate.
We have thrown out these considerations
not by way of objecting to the acquisition of
Mexico, or any part oft, but merely for the
purpose of showing the difficulties which at
tend the policy. The most serious difficulty,
next to the fact that the land will all be
owned by different race, is the one we have
already limited at, towit the degraded, mis-
erable, mongrel population which would be
included in our limits and for which we
would have to legislate. Probably there are
ten millions of this ignorant, worthless,
wholly uncivilized or demi-civilized but
vicious population. What is to be done with
them? The result will simply be that our
iails, hospitals, poor houses, penitentiaries
&c, will be filled with them, and the charac-
ter of our own people deteriorated, gradual
y but surely and morally and Intellectually
as well as physically, by amalgamation and
other contact. The Indian races native to
Mexico it must be remembered, are vastly
inferior to the North American Indians prop
er-whose blood is honorably mingled with
the best blood of America. But, these infe-
rior South American Indians (for they came
from that portion Of the continent,) number
in Mexico at least seven millions, while there
is mixed Mexican population of at lest fouI
millions which has strong infusion of the
negro blood. This is the population will
which our own people would be brought
into direct contact.
Still, notwithstanding all this, we believe
that the more enlightened and more intel
lectual races must ultimately possess, not only
this continent, but the whole globe, be tn,
deteriorations of contact what they may.
The LAuNcH.-The new steamer Sophi,
McLane was successfully launched at Steam
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