New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-02-01

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ReSutt OF ue Nepoihtko1S
| in MeGico and in the United StdteS-A Neto
Boundary Line Inevitable.
| Special to the New Orleans 0reseent.i
MATAMeRAs, Jan. "a, 1860.
| Mr.. EdRor-In the midst of the dissolution
which threatens the United States, this hitherto
| distracted nation seems to be on the mend. The
| war which has rent us in twain for 10! this many
year, has just been glorously terminated by the
triumph of Liberal principles, and to-day the Mex
lean nation is voting for President for the newly
consolidated Republic. To-day the polls are open
and the voters casting their ballots for sue
cessor to President Juarez. The defeat of Mira
mon on the 25th of December, 1860, has infused
unusual interest into the contest, for since that
event the Presidential office has been assured to
the successful candidate, at: least temporarily !;
whereas, before, while Miramon held the Capitol,
no one could deny the possibility that his genius
might blaze out at any time and destroy his oppo-
nents by some brilliant achievement. He was the
man of resources, and until finally beaten, the
Liberals could count on nothing with certainty.
Then the contest was comparatively tame. Now,
when Miramon is in disgrace fugitive even from
his friends the race is changed. The matter is
one of success and therefore of all pervading in
terest We have four candidates in the field, Jua
req, Tejada, Doblado and Ortega.
Juarez is the favorite in this section, for he is
mserably inefficient that under his rule the States
do just as they please. We have States Rights
party with us as you have with you; and the
northwest of Mexico is equally ultra on that sub
ject as the southeast is with you. Nuevo Leon is
like South Carolina, and has always defied the
Central Government whenever the Central Govern
ment did not act on the square. Juarez is not the
man to act the tyrant, nor yet the ruler even,
when the opposition threatens to be troublesome.
This port is opposed to any strong government in
Mexico fearful lest such an administration might
take away the privileges of this city, which is now
free from anything like tariff regulations. Goods
imported from abroad pay no duties here, and con-
sequently Matamoras is a thifty city. Merchants
can sell European manufactures here cheaper than
you can in New Orleans or in New Y ork. She has
great advantages therefrom, and she votes for
Juarez who will not interfere with her privileges.
But Tamaulipas is not Mexico any more than
Charleston is the United States, and how the elect
ion goes here is no sign as to how it will go else
where. am Of opinion therefore that Matamoras
will lose her vote. 1.u- ..@ -
Ortega and Doblado are the two most prominent
candidates, and am certain that one of them will
the State Of zacatecas, which is one of the most
powerful in the Republic. He has the north of the
country, and the army will naturally support the
leader who has crowned shstf energies with
wreaths Of 1afgsI. Ortega is the man who has
been the heart and soul of the revolution for if the
State of zacatecas had failed the revolution would
have gone to pot. l do not wish to detract from
the Just reputation of Gov. DobIado, who has been
ybo hoe haa nf tha
little State of Guanajuata, with credit to himself
But he is not the man to win, for the army and the
Republicans, in my estimation, have centered on
Cen Ortega, who is popular in all ways.
AS for Lerdo de Tajada, he is very fit man for
Secretary of the Treasury under somebody, or else
to fill the place of Secretary of State. He has no
capacity for government. He is lawyer, de-
Blatant, a logiean and a theorist. He has good
ideas, but his conduct is eccentric. He might in-
vent a form Of government for mankind, but if the
parts did not work just as he prescribed he could
not regulate them. He lacks balancewheel in
his organization. He is not the man for President,
any more than Gen. Scott would make competent
ruler over the free people Of the United States.
Old Lundy's Lane is arbitrary, because he has been
all his life military ehieftain. / admire Tajada
because he has the eye to see and the nerve to de-
clare the evils which alicth his country but would
sorrow much to see him President. Mexico must
have a firm ruler, and such q man is Ortega. I
think and prophesy he will be the next President
of Mexico.
And what then? Do you think the people of
Mexico have conquered peace? Will the flight OF
Miramon remove intestine wars? Far from it,
Disorder and revolution are chronic in this unfortu
nate country. The death Of Fourierism in Massa-
chusetts did not cure the morbid disposition of the
people of that tinkering commonwealth. They
left Fourierism only to fall into spirtualsm free
loveism, Abolitonism and succession of other
isms II is their appetite to be constantly mendipg
something. They tinker at clock or a constitu-
ton with equal readiness. They mistake the man
ner, too, oftener than they meet it, and thus spoil
what they intended to improve. In Massachusetts,
the State attempts to fix the habits of the people
with the same regularity and uniformity that they
do the town clocks. It is meddesome disposi-
ton which results from too little education.
The public schools send out thousands of people
who have just obtained an insight into the sub
limites of knowledge. They stop at the thresh.
hold and foolishy imagine that they are educated,
and bndly set up as teachers. little knowledge
is a dangerous thing. Just SO in Mexico. This
people is constantly tinkering at the science of
Government. No sooner does one system fail than
they experiment with another. The people know
they are oppressed, and they are constantly striv-
ing to throw off the thraldom. They know too
much to be satisfied with any form of government;
and they know too little to be capable of framing
or submitting to good one. Therefore they are
always revolutionary. The death or flight of
Miramon has not educated them, nor changed
their frailties and therefore they will continue to
be afflicted with intestine wars.
1t will not be six months, in my opinion. and at
furthest, it will not be two years before another
revolution will occur. The States have too long
enjoyed freedom from the oppressive restraints
of the Central Government to be content quietly
to submit to legislation which will draw taxes
from them The new President must attempt to
provide resources not only to deray the necessary
expenses of the Government, but to provide for
the national debt. The States will have to re-
spond for their quotas of this sum, and when this
comes about, you will see them in a fury again.
The war will be reopened, and the process of dis
indignation will commence.
And what then? The Sierra Madre must fall to
our share. Mexico is too large. The desert which
separates Buena Vista from San Luis Potosi is her
natural boundary on the north, and it is ours on
| the west. She cannot march an army across it
| without danger-our negroes cannot traverse il
| Fart nh+o 10