The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-03-07


be attention Of the people.
The Struggle Between Church and state
In m~xsco-shaI We BeiP . Roman
Catholic Oiixsachy9
The struggle that is now going on in Next
co is part of the great movement of the
world, which is gradually but steadily advanc
iug to the entire separation of the Church from
he State. Its development has already
reached that stage Of action which extends il
influence beyond the limits of the republic
and forces the coterminous powers to provide.
ny Intervention of some kind, tor their own de-
fence and the preservation of peace upon their
borders. At this moment the condition Of the
Texas frontier is awakening among us war
cal party can successfully resist; and on the
southern border Of the Mexican republic the
same causes, along the boundaries Of Chiapas
and Soc0nuscO, are pressing themselves upon
the attention of the government Of Guatemala.
On both sides, the question presented is,
shall Intervention or invasion be the adopted
policy?
This is the question which the pending treaty
with Mexico has been designed to meet, and
in our opinion it establishes the only
safe and statesmaplike policy that is open
to our adoption We do not want the territory
of the Mexican republic, nor can we contem-
plate the admission of its ten millions of mot
ley population into the Union, either as citizens
or as subjects to the federal power. Therefore
we do not want a war, which will compel us to
invade that country, and occupy it, ia order to
preserve peace on our frontiers. We do not
want to perpetuate q condition Of things there
which will lead to the revival of the fllibuster
spirit. and enable Sam Houston to carry out
his idea Of establishing government in Mexico
on The plan of the English East India Company,
which, administered by and in behalf of pri-
vate citizens, shall lead to the establishment of
slavery and an oligarchical occupation of the
country. We do not want to be forced to es.
tabiish large army along the whole boundary
line, for The double purpose of defence from
the armed bands which disorder permits to
roam in Mexico, and the restraining of our own
misguided citizens who believe that fame and
fortune can be found in a private invasion of
Mexico.
In order to avoid all these evils-and they
are great ones-it is necessary for us to
look at the real issue of the domestic con.
fiict in that country, and, ascertaining
which is the party that legitimately
represents the sentiments of the people and the
cause Of order and progress, TO give to that
party such direct moral and indirect material
support as are compatible with our system and
policy of government. This party is the one
which holds the legitimate authority of the re-
public, which is predominant in threefo
Of its territory, which b defending the high
principle that the clergy and the soldier shall
not possess peculiar and special privileges 10
the State, which seeks TO destroy pernicous
system of accumulation under which few &c.
clesiastical corporations are rapidly absorbing
the land and overshadowing the civil power,
and which, in its official representation, has re.
specied its official obligations to the rest of the
world, and has been recognized and treated
with by our own government. To tbs legiti-
mate representation of the Mexican nation, the
treaty now before the Senate extends the only
assistance which we can make available at this
time; and should the fate Of that treaty be de-
cided adversely, there is no doubt in the mind
of any man who has taken the pains to look
into the subject, that we shall be compelled to
draw the sword ourselves in defence of those
rights and principles which the Juarcz govern.
ment is defending now.
a.
hand to Juarez now, the rebellious ard cor
rupt clergy are enabled to triumph, we shall
at once see one Of the most popular crusades
undertakes against the dominating Roman
Catholic clergy in Mexico that has ever agi
tated this republic. Sam Houston is bringing
already to hear upon IL the principles and
practices which be learned in the Know Nothing
lodges, and the republican Senators who to day
suppose they are opposing the Mexican treaty
on purely logical grounds will find themselves
stances, in the position of either defending the
most corrupt branch Of the Roman Catholic
church that exists on this continent, agsics,
popular and rising agitation, or else Of giving
tacit consent to vast fiibuster scheme
which will lead them no one knows where
We call upon the republican Senators to look
upon the great questions involved in the Mex
lean treaty as statesmen, and not as partisan>.
We know that several OF the wisest of the
republican leaders look on this treaty in the
same light tha, we Go, a requiring Immediate
",ifcalion, and we warn them nov Of the dan