New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-06
sIAyERY IN mRXICO.

We publish to-day decisive opinion OIL the
Attorney General, touching the decree by which
the so.caled Emperor of Mexico aims to revive
and systematic a grinding and odious form OF
Slavery, and to invite the immigration OF late
slaye.owners from the United States 1t seems
that while the first article Of AIazmilian's "reg-
Iamento" declares that in conformity with the
laws of Mexico all colored men are free by the
simple fact of treading Mexican soil, this item
of Justice is contradioted by every article which
follows. The laborer, or peOn, is bound by law to
sell himself for five or ten years, during which
time. should he die, his children succeed him in
a still longer Slavery, the patron being obligedto
maintain them till majority, which, in Mexico, is
% years. In one respects the laborer allowed
to provide for himself; his patron, or owner,
feeds, clothes, lodges, and doctors him; he can
not educate himself or his children except by ex-
press permission of his master; he may complain
of harsh treatment, but only to the police, who
may refuse to hear him; while the patron or
master may dispose of him to whomsoever he
pleases On the death of the patron the peon
becomes the property of his heir-a provision
in harshest contrast with another which, on the
death of the peon, destincs his children to hope
less slavery. While it is the easiest thing IN
the world for the master to bring the laD0rer
into debt Gas we learn from an official note OF
our Chargt tGAfaires, Mr.. Corwin), it's the most
difficult of tasks for the peon or slave to extr-
cate himself, and he cannot escape from servi-
tudc until he has paid the "uttermost farthng."
Slavery under such conditions, may last not
only for lifetime, but through posterity. As
if to give matters o still more atrocious plausi-
bility, Articles Nine and Ten ofa supplementary
Decree provide for savings bank, wherein the
master or owner shall deposit every month one
quarter of his workingman's wages, and in
which the workingman himself may deposit
to his own proper credit; but on what sort OF
responsibility the master shall so invest for his
slave, and what amount of wages he shall give,
are artfully obscured We can conceive how
a contract for five years might be prolonged for
lifetime, and (since the peculium or fortune"
ol u ptOu WHO uler lultsldlt phSscS Lito lHc
public treasury how both Government and
master might make money by the operation.
The nineteenth century has witnessed no more
henous innovation than this curious decree, to
whch-sncc the downfall of Slavery in the
United States - the counsels of Commander
Maury, ex-senator Gwin, Gen. Magruder. and
other discomhtcd but implacable Shareholders
have helped Maximilan, with a view of re-
enslaying both Mexicans and Americans.
Slavery" says Attorncy-General Speed, sis
a law by which one man asserts dominion over
the conduct Of another, either for specified
time or for lifc." According to this Judgment,
i, would not require more than one-tenth of the
wrongs complained Of in Maximilian's law to
constitute clear case of Slavery in South Caro-
lima or Georgia. We are glad that the views OF
our Government are so largely defined.