Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-03

# peaceful industries, in al their maRifo
uses and blessings, We are now loudly ar
+ yehemently exhorted to shut u eyes al
h turn DUR hearts against these delights al
l. to plunge headlong into the new and i
n scrutable expenses, dangers, and horrors
e another great and prolonged war. Ar
f T what2 To maintain the "MonToe Do
trine,n and to uphold u honor. '
q What the "Monroe Doctrine exact
is, we have neveragreed amongst ourselve
Its origin is doubtful. It's purpose W,
uncertain. Its means are, to this da,
r inspected. One thing is very certain
however. 1t is, in the mouths of tspreseI
t advocates, very different in all these r.
q CARDS, from thatintendedby Great Britain
when, for purposes of her own, she sus
f gested il, or by Mr.. Monroe and his Cal
: met, when they borrowed it from Mr.. Car
ming. Another is also most clear. 1t
wholly incompatible with that other, th
fundamental doctrine, which the Father G
t his Countryside very Moses in our earl
) wilderness-bequeathed to us, as a las
legacy, and as a perpetual rule OF our ns
tional action, viz to 'beware Of all en-
tangling alliances"
But the question which really concern
, us now, is, not what its history or its CLAP
{ trap name might imply it to be, but wha
it is in its own simple nature. And, as
seems now to be Translated, it is a proposi
ton for our Government, entirely withou
invitation, to elect itself into q sort of pa
rent or guardian, for the whole family o
batch of Spanish American Republics an,
peoples on this entire con~tinent,and to pro
tect themi by arms, or menace of arms
against a real or imaginary conspiracy b.
all the crowned heads of Europe.
Our first inquiry ought to be whether
in the nature of the thing or by its wore
or spirit, our Constitution has in its origi
nal terms, or-by any amendment or i'm
plication of either, at all endowed our ma
tional Government, with any suehfunctior
of guardianship over all the imbeciles o.
the continent, or the globe? 1t is true
this is a domestic question, wholly between
ourselRes-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, l 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
Republicanism, against the ~accursed prin-
ciple of Monarchy. Well, 1 do not yield
to any, in my devotion to the cause of Re
publicanism-real Republicanism. But,
just because l honor the genuine principle
above all things, do l scorn and despise its
sham and counterfeit pretences. And the
facts are, that Mexico has never been, and
can never be, a Republic-unless her peo-
pie will accommodate US by being born
again-and of entirely different p~arentage.
She, with all her sister "Republics" Of
South America, has been, from the begin
ming, uninterruptedly, a most violent,
bloody, ~incendiary, disgraceful An
archy. In forty odd years of On
dependence and Liberty she has under
gone, it is calculated, more than two humid
red 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 ruth
lessly ruinedand oppressed her own people
and governmental government it can
be called which governs nothing and
nobody-and has brought disgrace, alike
upon the sacred name of Republican
Liberty and of human nature. Say what
we will-do what we may, in this affair
q y AAA 0hAO0hb vi AlI0AlRChCo duu VIZ
tue is indispensable to a Republican form
of government; and it is simple SANDER
upon that great cause to pretend that the
Mexieans, or any such people, are fit for
our form of government. 1t is, besides, a
vain thing for US to attempt to hold them
up in this, their free right of mutual
slaughter and of general ruin. As in
dividual philanthropists it were as wise
for us to spend Jul money and shed our
blood for the abstract right, of an empty
meal bag to stand alone. For the rest; if
they were worth our going to war for, they
would not need our help in war. Attheir
distance from Europe, and amidst their
other circumstances of advantage, they
could easily repel all France and Austria,
much more the corporals guard, which
has s~ubjugated them. Only compare what
they have done in this their war, with the
deeds of our own rebels and traitors in
men, though they wcro follow
in the example of Mexican conspiracy
and civil wars. We may thereby discover
inutility of taring ard drafting our
IN their t0ars.
Perhaps, however, it may be alleged, |
that we need, or may need, theirterritory. |
1t must be a profound ignorance of that
country which would desire its annexa
ton, with, or without its population of |
hybrid fanatics and barbarians upon it.
Without them; Mexico is a land infinitely
as to its natural resources and
capabilities. Very rich in minerals and
precious metals it surely is. But let it
not be forgotten, that a few acres of our
own fertile, arabic lands are of more
orth-and COLDS worth, too-than all
the mines of Golconda. Whilst most of
theirs, for want of rains, can only be cul-
from irrigating bitches. And
shen, IS rich and desirable as it may be,
have more than enough, and better, of
he same sort, now in our possession.
What We want is gold in commerce, not
Mexican mines. It matters not what
nation or people digs or stamps it. w
IRE sure to get and keep our big share of
1, unless, indeed, we forsske our honest
industry and betake ourselves to general
.reebooting for gold, or universal crusad-
ng for Liberty. Let loose in commercial
circulation, it must become the property
If the world, chiefly through American
In the mines, it is like the
''gem" in "the dark u~nfathomed
,aves Of Ocean "a contingencies pos
ibility-a myth. 1t is a lifeless form of
lull Ore-an imaginary we~alth,-darkly |
hidden in the womb of sterile nature, and
waiting the q%uickening touch of the Pro-
netheus of a peaceful industry to waken it
nto life. And we have no population nor
energy to waste in that adventure.
is a latent power, paralyzed by the ter
ors and ruins of R~evolutionism and An
.rchy. And we are not the Nation, at
his time, by our precept or example, to
Iuell their disturbances and to ~supplant
hem by order and industry. We-must
lrst 'set u own house in order" before
undertake the affairs of all our neigh
,ors. ~. q,
In short, one year of peaceful industry,
y the Mexicans, (f they could only 90
Jack into Aztecsr j would be gilmore money
'alue, and of more national honor, too, to
IS, than decades of war, with a century
f conquered possession. of these mines and
II their naked lands. And it must not be
orgotten in this connection, that one
month of a war with France would cost
his nation in the loss of its national credit
nd the depreciation of its currency, more
han all Mexico is worth in fee simple.
md, aOith its people, cusberlng the
rOand-Patriotism averts her ewes from
he horrid picture. Only imagine our
congressman, Senators and Presidents of
be grade Of intellect and morals Of Mex
cans, our new "Southern Brethren" by
be aid of their allies, our raw freedmen,
uling Us and our posterityl For 1t Is of
he nature of u institutions and habits,
hat ITS auorSf cLaSses mast 19Ie aR oreoH,,