The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1866-01-10

o. our national action, VIZ: 10 beware OF
all entaugling alliances"
But the question which really concerns us /
now is, not what its history or its claptrap
name might imply it to be, but what it is in |
its own simple nature. And, as it seems to |
be now translated, it is proposition for our
Government, entirely without invitation, to
elect itself into sort of parent or guardian,
for the whole family or batch of Spanish
American Republics and people on this en-
tire continent, and to protect them, by arms,
or menace of arms, against real or imagin-
airy conspiracy by all the crowned heads of
Europe.
Our first inquiry ought to be whether, in
the nature Of the thing, or by its word or
spirit, our Constitution has in its original
terms. or by any amendment or implication
of either, at all endowed our National Gov
ernment with any such function of guardian
ship over all the imbeciles of the continent
or the globe2 1t is true, this is domestic
question, wholly between oulseives-the
people and its Government. 1t is not for
Europe to make this point of objection
But. as one of the people, and without
present argument | demand the warrant for
this doctrine or measure.
A second natural inquiry is: To what
good end can this intrusion and usurpation
come? 1t is said to be the sacred cause of
Repuhlicanisu, against the accursed princi
pie of Monarchy. Well, do not yield TO
any, in my devotion to the cause Of Repub-
licapism-real Republicanism. But, just
because | honor the genuine principle above
all things, do scorn and despise its counter
felt and sham pretences And the facts are
that Mexico has never been, and can never
be, Republic-unless her people will ac-
comodate us by being born again-and of
entirely different parentage. She, with all
her sister Republic" Of South America,
has been, from the beginning, uuinterrupt-
cllv, most violcut, bloody, incendiary, dis
g,aceirl Anarchy. In forty odd years of
'Jndependence and Liberty" she has un-
der9one it is calculated, more than. two
hundred public revolutions, all of them of
force and most Of them bloody. She has
continually injured all the nations with which
she held communications: has Iuthlessly
ruined and oppressed her own people and
government-if government it can be called
which governs nothing and nobody-Id i
has brought disgrace, alike upon the sacred
name of Republican Liberty and of human
nature. Say what We will do what we
may, III this aiiair--a certain amount OF IN
telligence and virtue is indispensable to Il
Republican form of Government; and it is
a simple SANDER upon that great cause to
pretend that the Mexicans, or any such
people, are fit for our form of government
It is, besides, vain thing for us to attempt
to hoM them up in this, their free right of
mutual slaughter and Of general ruin. AS
individual phiNanthropists, it We're as wise
for us 10 spend our money and shed our
blood for the abstract right Of any empty
meal bag to stand alone. For the rest; il
! they were worth our going TO war for, they
would not need our help in war; At their
distance from Europe, and amid their other
circumstances Of advantage, they could
easily rcpel all France and Austria, much
more the corporal guard, which has e"h-
iugatcd them. Only compare wha they
have done in this, their war, with the leeds
OF our own rebels and traitors i'll ours-reaA
! men, though they were following in the
: eXsmDle Of Mexican conspiracy and civil
wars. We may thereby discover the inuiil-
ity of taring aud drafting oar people IL
Mfi WaJS.
Perhaps however, it may be alleged, that
VIC need, or may need, their territory 1t
must bt a profound ignorance Of that cpuu-
tiy which would desire its annexation, with,
: or without its population Of hybrid fanatics
and ba1Ja'tans upon it. Without thrn;
i Mexico is q land infinitely oveyprljsod as to
it's natural resources and capabilities. Fely
lich in minolals and precious metals it sure
: y is t}lt let it not lie forgotten. that a Few
acre; OF our own fertile, arabic lands, are OF
more wJrth.-and Colds worth, too-than
all the mines Of Goiconda, While most OF
theirs, for want of rains, can only be cuItiva-
ted from iriigating ditches. And then, as
lich or desirable as it may be, We have more
than enough, and better, OF the same sort,
now in our possession.
What we want is gold in commerce, not
n Mexican mines. 1t matters not Wfat ma
ton OF people digs OF stamps it. We aru
sure to get and keep our big share oft, un-
less, indeed, we forsake our honest indus
try and betake ourselves to general freeboDt-
ing for gold, or universal claSading for Lib
crty Let loose in commercial circulation,
it mn8t become the property OF the world,
chiefly through American channels. In the
mines, it is like the poets gems in the
| dark unathomed caves Of ocean "a con-
tingency--a possibi|isy--a myth. 1t is a
Gteless form of dull ore-an imaginary
wealth-darkly hidden in the womb Of ster-
lie nature, and awaiting the quickening
touch of the Prometheus Of a eacatul indus
try to waken it into life. And We have no
/, population nor surplus energy to waste in
that adventure. 1t is a latent power, para
J lived by the terrors and ruins OF Revolution
ism and Anarchy And we are not the Ma
ton, at this time, by our precept orexampe
to uuell their disturbances and to supplant
them by order and industry. We must first
'Eset our own house in order" before We
undertake the affairs of all our neighbors.
In short one year Of peIc9ful industry
bv the Mexcans Gf they could only get
bark into Azteos! would be Of more money
value, and of more national honor, too, to
US than decade of war, with n century OF
conquered possession of these mines and all
their naked lands And it must not be for
cotton in this connection that one month of
a war with France would cost this nation,
in the loss Of its national credit and the de-
probation of its currency, more than all
Mexico is worth in fee simple. Aud with
it's people cumbering the ground Patriot
ism avefts her eyes from the harrid picture
Only imagine our Congressman, Senators,
. and Presidents of the grade OF intellect and
morals of Mexicans, our new Southern
brethren" by the aid of their allies, our
raw freedmen, ruling us and our posterity!
For it is of the nature Of our institutions
and habits that its worst classes must rule
US greatly beyond the proportion OF their
numbers The heart SINKS and almost set
ties in the sadness of despair in the appre-
hension Of such dismal late for our ''ren-
oyated" nation.
The lesser questions of this subject are all
on the same side and in the same direction.
We arc asked to go to war with France. or
to menace and bully hcrin behalf OF Mexi-
co. In other words, we must plunge into
war with one of the formost nations and
peoples of all this world or Of Time, in the
imaginary interests of one of the lowest and
last. We are to be involved in bitter, and
it may be, incurable controversies and en-
1 ,,..L - ro+;ay opl ,,oo,la 70