The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-05-05
Thursday Morning, May 5, 1864.
From the N. y. Erening Post.
The Burglary of Mexico.

To the long list of infamous crimes which
are to be charged upon the authors of the re-
bellion We must add large part of the re-
sponsibility Tor that which is about to be in
ficted upon Mexico. No observer of events,
no one that discerns the motives by which the
European nations are commonly actuated, can
doubt for moment that if the United States
WAS at peace, in the full possession of all its
powers and able to dispose of them at will the
nations which have presumed TO interfere in
Mexico would have withheld their hands.
Knowing the settled policy of our govern
ment as it has been expressed ia the Monroe
doctrines, knowing the earnestness and the
might OF the republic, they would have re-
Trained from this impious business of extn-
gushing the sovereignty of an independent
state; this cut-throat atrocity OF crushing the
life out Of a whole people.
But taking advantage Of our preoccupation,
like burglars who assail an undpfended house
when the neighbors are absent or the police
man around the corner, they pounce upon the
distracted and enteebled Mexico with perfect
ease and impunity. The great Republic, they
said to themselves, which stands as perpetual
barrier to the introduction of monarchical in
stitutions in the new continent Is now ab-
sorbed in the turmoils OF a civil war; She is
writhing in death-grapplc with some of her
own recreant sons, who, prelerring slavery to
freedom, and their own political ascendency TO
the eternal principles of justice and order have
risen against her, and she can no longer exert
her force abroad. Now is the time for us;
now is the opportunity of cunning; now the
New World may be snatched from the crasp
OF that young and vigorous liberty which
seized it at an early day, and be restored once
more to the embraces Of the paterna absolu-
lists of Europe.
Ofthis project of wrong and outrage against
fellow-nation-as sneaking and hypocritical
in Its methods as it is murdcrous in spirit
the perildious politician Of the coup d'etdt, who
waded through the blood of his fellow citizens
to impose the yoke of his own schemes upon
the unofending French people, made himself
the appropriate instrument. His instincts
would seem to lead him to do all the unclean
work that nations have to do. With charac-
teristc duplicity, on the pretence of mere
enforcement Of money claims, he inveiged
England and Spain into an expedition against
the delinquent state but no sooner were they
fairly on the way, fully embarked in the un-
dertaking or committed TO the expense than
he disclosed his burglarious intentions He
let 1t out in his eagerness to seize the plunder,
that his design was not simply TO exact the
payment OF money due, bit to break open the
doors o. the debtor, seize his goods, set a
guard in his house, and finally turn him out
and take possession. So carefully had this
treachery been concealed in the beginning,
n
dulged IN no suspicious but no sooner was it
revealed than the honesty OF the islanders and
honor OF the Castilians reyolted at the iniquity.
They abandoned the Emperor of the French
and his Forey, which ought to be written
foray, with disgust.
Nevertheless, the Emperor has persisted;
he has overrun Mexico with troops; he has
constructed provisional government by the
aid OF few traitors and priests; he has offer
WhnlQ ar nnr 60
Prince, and that Prince is on his way to the
unseasoned throne which has been prepared
for him by French bayonets. On the l4th of
April he left Mramar for his destination,
amid salvos OF artillery and Of printers ink.
All the journals which support the monarchi-
cal and reactionary policy of Europe, all the
hireling scribblers in the interests of the rul-
ing classes, all the haters of the popular cause.
all who in England now fawn upon Garibaldi
while they detest ut heart his aims and pur-
poses, unite in an outburst of congratulation
and rejoicing at this happy prospective settle
ment OF the Mexican difficulty. But it is
very clear that these saluting files who tsuch
of the guns OF the press, have not been well
trained to their duties. They do not aim in
the same direction; they do not give the same
meaning to the ceremony; they do not justi-
fly their feelings Of irrepressible glee by the
same reasons. With one il is the Catholic re-
ligion that is to profit; with another the Latin
race 4. e. under German rulerl; with a
third constitutional government, aud with a
fourth French civilization.
The London Times in that high style which
always covers its turbulence and fasehood.
announces that /" the country and eapital of
an American state has been transformed from
republic to a monarchy that "a prince
from one OF the reigning houses of Europe
has been introduced" and so on because
Mexico was miserable shpwreck, to be ap-
propriated by the first conner. II is, more
over, most gracious benelaction TO the Mex
leans, who cannot govern themselves, to get
somebody to govern them. But the Paris
Constitutional does not scruple to divulge
the real object, which is nothing less than TO
put an end to the colossal strides of the grand
republic OF the North. " Half the territory, >
ii exclaims, was the sure and speedy con-
quest of the United States" Thus it was to
save the nation from Others that the continen-
tai assassins step in, and they take her life in
order TO preserve it from the knife of the
Yankees.
Now if the allegation had been true, that
Mexico was perlshing, it was for her neigh
bors, not strangers. TO offer the last consola-
tions and administer the estate. But il was
not true. Mexico was rapidly recovering
from the anarchy of former years; her pros.
perity was revving, her people were growing
in knowledge and industry, the obscurantist
aud unpatriotic classes were losing their
power, the bad priests were going out, and
the real guarantees of civil liberty and order
getting to be more aud more properly appre-
ciated by her citizens 1t was in this very
hour Of her reviving hopes that she was smit-
ten by the spoilers; and we Of the Union are
compelled, by the course pursued by our Ad
ministration, to look on. "Oh for an hour o