The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-24

Our contemporaries, although possessing
some good ideas upon The Mexican question
appear to be at fault in one OF the most essen.
tiai features which characterize the struggle
that has been going on in Mexico since hel
declaration of independence. When that ac
took place the Mexican people looked about
them for form of government There were
three great parties existing at that time, and
finally, upon the refus Il of Ferdinand VII. Ia
accept the throne which the Vaccinations Of
the clergy offered him, the Yturbidssns came
into short-lived power. The republican sen.
timents which upset the old European mo
narchical ideas and deposed Yturbide then
became predominant aud took an organized
form; but, unfortunately for Mexico, in cast
ing about them for political rules suited to
republican system, they struck upon the
very heresies which nearly wrecked our
political fortunes. Jefferson and Madison
planted thorny seeds not only in the United
States, but In Mexico, and State rights have
cursed that county as we'll as our own.
These State rights became Tao great disinte-
grating element of tao Mexican system, and
threw into every State centrifugal in,tead of
a ceutripctal force az it rcyolved in its polti-
oal orbit The result was nntural-the nation
mad no centraliz;ng force, and was what the earth
might be without centre of gravity. Tho
S.ates held together by an uncertain bond,
were in worse condition than we were under
our old federal compact. Governors shaped a
Of toto ol oh horI
within its frontier lines all the elements of a
separate nationality, and pretended to be o
breathing, thinking body of itself, while it
formed part, limb, Of giant that thought
throughout bis organization in as many differ
ent ways as there were separate paris. The
result of these numerous impulses tended to
wreck united endeavof and make any central
lied and accidental power that existed within
the national limit, the ruling force. The very
elements which the wise trainers of the gov
ernment thought they were forming into u sys-
tenn of checks and balances were tho conflict
ing forces which, radating, could have no
common resultant and, consequently, no CEN
trail effort giving national stability.
The only great monopoly existing in Mexico
at the time of the war OF independence was the
Catholic Church, and, like any religion, either
Catholic or Protestant, it saw its vantage
ground and occupied it. The liberal senti-
ment Of the age which permeated every State,
and gained ground as modern and civilizing
ideas advanced, had no organizltion-ther
was no governmental unit representing CEN
traliacd idea. The consequence was that in
dividual blows struck the dense armor of the
clergy with but little force. II Mexican
State in the North raised its standard for libe-
raj principles, the force which the clergy
possessed in neighboring sovereign territory
was Immediately, like nationality against nation
atty, thrown into the lists and thus, although
there were but Two great principles struggling
against each other in the country, still one was
q unit welding spiritual power and three
hundred millions Of wealth against disin-
tegrated effort mud disorganized blowt In OPP
position. Long since we should have sesn the
struggle closed and Mexican civil turnlotls
ended, had 1t not been for these State rights
which, famed into action by our own mis-
takes, were copied by our neighbors.
bears resemblance to the slavery monopoly
of the United States, inaemuch as both waged
war md fortified themselves through the same
political and unfortunate hereses. The
former made State rights the weakness and
confusion Of lis enemies; the latter seized
t., ss tho foundation pretext upon which to
defend cause rendered still weaker by the
basis upon which they attempted TO fortify it.
In Mexico we find to-day all those conflict
ing elements Of government which must come
to focus before any permanent peace can be
attained. An cratic system OF nationalities
existing within a nationality must occasion
the very worst political perturbations. A
the guiding principle Of the new Congress that
must soon assemble TO shape the future of that
republic. They must guide themselves by the
same law that exists in nature-that two an
tagonistic forces cannot work in harmony.
Now is the proper moment for Mexico to
throw aside entirely the political heresy thai
has almost wrecked both Of the republics
of North America. We fnd II necessary
to centrallze; Mexico must do tie same,
for her State rights were and are even
more Utopian than our own, and che must
crush them at once. Her constitution Of 1857
gives the republic still more consistency and
solidity but it is the duty Of the new Mexican
Congress, now about TO assemble, to apply not
only oil the sweeping reforms which were
prevented by the French Intervention, but to
inaugurate others, tear down State monopolies,
overiurn antagonistic forces and abolish
that last relic Of feudalistic principles, State
rights for had these not existed Mexico to-
day would have counted forty years less Of
revolution.
Accuracy Of the Herald.
One secrat of what has been called the mys