The weekly union record., 1865-02-04
Gwin's Dukedom and Napoleon.

In reference to the flank movement Of Ma
poleon on the United States, the Stockton
independent has the following:
We are of opinion that il was mainly through
/ the counsel and statements OF Gwin that Ma.
poleou, in the year 1862, changed his pro
gramme sgainSt Mexico, broke with the Eng
lish aud Spanish allies, and resolved npou coz
quest and the course be has since pursued. In
{ the event of the success of the rebels, Gwin
dould safely promise him security for bis Mexi-
can conquest as against the United States In
the event of the failure of the rebellion, be
could at least guarantee that thousands of the
expstriated rebels would gladly take refuge in
Northern Mexico and assist the French in
euslaving the entire population. Monsrchy
and aristocracy are not likely 10 be very often
sive TO the Beauregards, Rhetts, Gwins, Da
viseS, Masous. etc, who sought 10 DESTROY the
American Republic for the purpose OF estab
fishing an aristocraey upon It's ruins. Moreover,
il the rebellion was TO fail, Gwin reckoned cuu-
niDgly enough that the Government and people
of the United States would be very apt to de-
port themselves with great mercy to the
wretches who had raised il, and that, therefore,
they would not be averse TO allowing them TO
escape into Mexico. Gwn might also say TO
the French Emperor of Mexico that, upon
mature reflection. the statesmen OF the American
Union would see great objections TO the con.
quest of that country by the United States,
aud its subdivision and admission into the
Union as States, from the fact that, of the
eight millions of Mexican population, not more
than half million have sufficient intelligence
to make good citizens or TO be safely inirusted
with the right of franchise He might very
plainly say 10 the Emperor that the Government
J nf tho ITuifp1 Sfafas uopl1 cOnci1ar itc.,if "a
! lieved of an elephant" in the conquest ard
reorganization of Mexico, socially and poiti
cally, by European Powers.
These are the sort of arguments which Gwiu
probably used to alay the fears of Napoleon
against the interference Of this Government.
/ If the Mazatlan news be true, they appear to
have been satisfactory to the French Emperor
and quite advantageous 10 the Duke de Gwin.
/ And now for the motive of the French conquest
and the demand of sovereignty over the five
/ States above named. First, it gives France
! what she had not before-valuable aud exten-
| sive mines of the precious metals. The richest
mines in Mexico are in Durango. Sonora and
/ chihuahua. Second. it gives them the second
best seaport on the Pacific with entire control
| OF the Gulf of California and the navigation of
/ the Colorado river. Third, II enables France.
by means of a railway from Guaymas to the
mouth of the Rio Grande, to flank all the
world, San Francisco included, in the trade
with China. Japan, Anam and India. Such
railway can be constructed for less than half
that it will cost TO build railway from San
Francisco to the Missouri river, and, when
built, it will be unobstructed by snow. and not
half as long as our projected road. What the
French nation requires more than everything
else, TO make it the foremost power of Europe,
and especially to give it precedence OF England,
is commerce and powerful navy. The two
go hand in hand. No nation can maintain q
large navy without commerce. as without
navy commerce cannot long be secure. The
French Emperor has constantly acted on thi.
theory. Cherbourg, Algiers, and Saigoon in
Anam, attest his passion for commerce, naval
power and colonial acquisition. He is the
rival OF England for the trade Of the East, and
if he makes good his footing in Mexico, he will
have gone long way toward securing 1t. In
this connection what we may next look for is
sort of French protectorate over, or French
conquest of, the Sandwich Islands. The port
of Guaymas is five days nearer by steam and
ten days nearer by sail TO Saigon, Hokodadi,
Canton or Shanghae, than is San Francisco
1t will be remembered that, when Gwin was
United States Senator from California, be
Railroad, with Memphis as its eastern terminus
and that then the port of Guaymas was earn
estly coveted by many Americans We are
not advised as to who it was that kept US from
acquiring the State of Sonora when we ac-
qured Arizona; but it is now admitted by all
intelligent travellers in those regions that, with
out the port of Guaymas, Arizona is worthless
TO Us. Gwin has doubtless posted Napoleon
on all these matters. He has pointed out 20
him our weakness in Arizona, ana the vast
superiority of the railroad route frou Cuaymas,
as well as the advantages that port has over
San Francisco for the trace of Asia; and he
is therefore well recommended for the import tani
office which rumor assigns him.
But all this, so fine for France and so oppor-
tune for the ambition of the Duke de Gwin,
will be very likely to excite the jealousy of our
own Government They have committed the
mistake which all good lawyers deprecate
they have proved too much. 1t was a poor
way to concliate the United States TO place
one OF our enemies in Gwin's high position. so
close to our weakest back door and Gwin has
made the matter still more dispeasi3g by call
ing around him lot of rank traitors and bitter
enemies of the Union. We do not know what
the Government may have resolved upon in
reference to Mexico. Perhaps nothing definite
So far We have had our hands full at home.
But the day is near when we can better afford
to make known a policy When the South
comes back (which we think will be in less
than three months), her people will have a
right TO voice 10 the matter. There may be
conflicting opinions on the subject but we
can hardly believe that this country will allow
either Napoleon or MaximiIian to organize
governments in Mexico whose rulers are the
bitter enemies of the United States We
could better afford to govern Mexico ourselves
and take Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua for
our pay.
Leathern Artillery.