The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-06
The lie e3tion---Tg gr.

From the London Times, Januarv %
; II the hezicaus have rot vet spo.1.
themselves a nation, they have ~ asb
themselves difficulty Their e]as,, @a3 rate
Ject OF embarrassing Interest to moro :, lorna
power, and complete puzzle to TIM e4aa an, One y
; They are regarded as people H. Fl9e M IA
government" and they have cortafnIr r@25o!e d
able to govern themselves Or to accent ssteF Yet Il
the hands Of any other nation. Whc,, soFey@
sad that they resemble no other people. f +
1oF&otteii that they represent Spanish e{Sas9.
that aeAIco alter all, izreaIly very like ~, aTa
the actual state OF the country at this saA q
what do we fnd ''' "loHeat
The possession Of political power in Nov;
puted by half dozen military headers 's .1o
profess any principle but who are rqadrt. "o 5eaa
2dYeFsaries by force Of arms and 10 s&a ~ oPpo#s
any rival who may. fall into their hands o. 5a8
! proceedings they are nos controlled bn Ats
opinion: indeed, theFe appears to ho rn aog p1
Mexico, according to our acceptatio2 or P0aas.
me more adventurous or turbulent sDfrits ., S ID
under the banners OF one or the osher Of n.y. ~ 'a
tending chiefs, but as for the rest Of the po1rr.
never 50 much as hear Of it. The Deo915 spu't0aa
indifferent to, the quarrels Of The military a al
because it matters little to them which so19a1rt '4@
most for the time. One or other Of tho.., ffs
claims the power Of government, and eiho. %a5a
clutches or prevents anybody else from fe;r o|s
latter is the more common result, and thpyaf9 ~ i
co is usually in a state Of anarchy; but aIn~t +@
this absence OF a preponderating force IN rl
Mexico differ materially GSom SPAIN Or ,o """ u
character Of the Mexican chiefs il affected 6n y.
dtlNHs 0! RIDER country and lower rfyifr,.$: 's@
would 1t be just to Aarv&ez Or 0DonucIl Or p.
compare them with Marquee or Miramo9 Or 'rss4&
Practically, however, the course Of atfaiFg IN rr1
country is nrettE mnch lie attiffff7r - s--t
scramble for power by military means. In &os $a2
army is regular army, and therefore DoIfioT.
tests take tie form Of regular military aslrraof.
In Mexico there is 10 regular army but onlr.-@
factions, and so the contests take the form oe fa
age. In neither case do the public or tbp naoa
large appear 10 take the least interest Or c,;
least Share in the revolutions accomplished 7'u@
There is, however, one very important and es.o,.#
difference between the mother country and itS ia ~
ony Spain has settled form Of government -
settled dynasty at the bead Of it, The Onos
Spain satisfies Spaniards, who arc content With
the monarchy and TIE monarch It is oa1y =
sphere below the throne that the quarreI3 Of fa ~
tary factions are carried on This relieves the corS
from anarchy, and secures the machinery Ct an c%1
lished government, which may, indeed, be aon,~,
ated by one successful soldier after another hrt ~
is net itself subycrtcd or destroyed. We can hrs
say that Spain preserves a constitution, but she a.
preserve all administration, such as it nav ba
Mexico this centre of attraction has been wantinr a.
80 the resot is v hat it might be in Spain if Ears
and Frifn fought for the command of the S..%
stead Of the control of the government IT.
appear, therefore, to follow that Mexico nrt%
'ased at any rate, to the level Of Spain nv tlao<
iShmen5 and recognition Of some so7creign norr
Unfortunately, this is difficult thing to brjnasr~
Or in no respect are the Iexcans more ranrs
5panlard5 than in their objection to foreign i3arg
ion. IaximiIion in Mexico has Jared nrI7lr ~ M
King Joseph in Spain; but he has at last rot cb,~
which never fell to Jusepl's lot lie is to bp LG
seems, entirely to himself, without patronage Or q
}ort, and this prospect has acknowledgements him hi
ay0r. at the same time his opponent, Juarez Fs
)een taken under foreign protection, proporti0nsr
o his damage; and haXimiIiian gains in both v,r
1t may perhaps be asked why any people, and oh,
ii why We in England, should concern ourerg
bout the affairs OF Mexico, What is Mexico to,
ny mole than Madagascar? We can only renlv ta
1eTlco owes us a great deal Of money, which VaA
ascar does not, and that, like Spain again, she m&s
cry little approach towards the DISCHARGE Of her d.
gatons Besides this, The country is 50 alra9t9rqo
aced and SO prodigioaaly rich in natural rasomrs
hat it is impossible 10 look with indifference orh
buse OF such gifts and the utter loss of what nfl-
e precious contribution to the wealth Of the sr,l
ne actiS, We began some years ago With an extra
mary sympathy for these 1texicans qhev we're
3ost much in favor Us the Greeks. They had b.
ition9 Of their own which, if net o3 classical va
,arccy less Interesting; they rose in arms for As
'depenGcHco, which gave them cFedi5 in cur era.
I'd all England looked upon the Spanish colo1iaa
merca, and upon Mexico above all the rest, as e1ta
e upon a long and prosperous career.
How widely diferontthe actual result has beeura
7t be now remarked, bat it may be observed ,@
nee other Spanish colonies have realised 1T aDYEa
portion OF the xpectat008Iori1ed Of Them a
ilurc OF Mexico caDno5 be ascribed excIusireIYa
Z condition Of its origin CT population Ne5m
ght to be, at least, MS good as Feru or Chill ODD
t it has never been able to settle down 10 apY sui
'litical organisation would allow Of the 1fye.a
ent of its means and resources. There has beeag
ant OF foreign capital or enterprise. Foreign REF
ANTS have Hooked to Mexico, il spite Of tie tre>
ent they received, aud the Mexcaus might bayaa
ost as much a monopoly Of silver as the Dutch i
ids in the East have Of spice The ruin Of
untTy has been civil war, doronoratng, in e0os
ence OF the weakness Of all the combataats mo
ron!c anarchy 1t is probable tia: Ike S1aDir3
t fatal legacy in wefIfitvau and bir0fal nr;ashoI
lacou5 alike Of endowment and power; attG
AIN, cannot have been peculiar to Mexico among1a
onjeS Of Spain. We know also or, atauv rate, We
told OF certain principles more pure " political
len created strife in Mexico; but the ualostuaaa
t was that whatcyer might be the Subject Of OUR
there was 70 bringing it to an end bY tie deas
pTedom'nance Of one cause over a2othor E&
ahce OF power pTotEacted the contest until at G
principles ccMtended for, whatever they NAV Inn
n, were forgotten in the mere british QuinclG
Al iacuoHs II there be any party Hith d define
Sc ana Yell conceived object, We IT,? g:7cs5@e&
'e tue party OF the priests and that party h&5 male
rs with Inximi!iaa.
We can see bat one nractfoa1 conr1r-fcu rrca,%
sc facts, and that is, that Intervention in Yr,g
rs II take the shane rf r1-rv,fnt1 o9rTts'