Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-31
UNION AND AMERICAN.
4 SLICE OF MEXICO.
The Cameron and Tom Scott Excur-
sEOn-Is Territorial Expansion the
Last Trump in Grants Hand?
CI,foa-o Time

Chicago Times.
The territory proposed to be annexed
is all that part of Mexico lying north
Of the Rio RapidO and the Rio Grande
de Santiago, and comprises the States
of Sonora, chihuahua, Coahuela, Nueva-
Leon, CinalOa, Durango and Zacatecas,
one.half Of Jalisco, a small portion of
San Luis Potosi, and the territory OF
Lower California, altogether about
1884, 600 square miles Of territory, and
over 100000 Of population, Of whom
less than 100000 are whites, the rest
being Indians and mixed races.
While by the proposed annexation
the United States would acquire SIS
per cent, or about fOur-sevenths, Of the
entire area Of Mexico, they would &C
quire a population Of only about one
and a half millions, or only 1876 per
cent. of the population Of the Mexican
republic. The number Of inhabitants
per square mile IN the portion which it
Is proposed to annex Is only 342, while
IN the rest Of Mexico II is 23.7. And
this suggests an explanation Of the
desire Of the Mexican Government to
get rid of the northern States and Ter |
Titories. The population Of these dis |
tricts Is so sparse, and Is composed Of |
such lawless and turbulent elements,
that, with all their natural resources, !
they canrOt be greatly coveted by a |
government that is perpetually threat |
ened with sUbversion. 1t appears to |
be the opinion IF the Mexican movers |
IN this matter that the more pOpulous !
southern portion Of the republic can be |
better governed, and Will enjoy a far |
greater measure Of peace and prosper
ity by itself, if the northern portion |
should be transferred to a power ca |
pable of subduing its turbulent popu- |
latiOn, and securing the development |
Of its abundant resources. Doubtless |
1t also enters into their calculations to /
relieve Mexico from debt with the pur- |
chase money, and II this way, and by /
diminishing the ordinary expenses Of /
the Government, TO tighten the bur- /
dens Of taxation.
The ability Of the present authorities |
Of Mexico to carry ont this scheme and |
effect the transfer may well be doubt /
ed. They certainly cannot c0nsUm" /
mate the sale without the consent, at /
least, Of themost powerful OF the South |
ern States. Should they attempt It, |
they would presently find themselves |
involved IN a civil war, with a fair pros /
Qect Of losing their heads Nor can
they rightfully make the transfer with |
ont the consent Of all the Northern |
States interested, any more than the /
President and Senate can rightfully |
cede the Southern States Of this Union |
30 Mexico without their consent.
And if all the Mexican States inter
ested should consent to the transfer, |
the question would still remain wheth- /
eT the bargain would be d good one for /
the United States. To the acquisition |
of the territory there might be no /
serious objection, provided 1t should |
not cost too much. 1t Is undoubtedly /
worth something, though not SO much 1
as the territory which we acquired /
from Mexico in 1913 by conquest. But |
there may be a very serious objection /
to the acquisition Of a million and a |
half Of people, most Of whom are in |
capable of self-goVernment, and unac- /
scustOmed to submit to lawful authOri- /
". The telegram above quoted states |
that not more than 100000 of these |
people are whites, the rest being In |
dams and mixed races. The prObabl- |
ity is that the proportion Of whites /
is very much less than one |
third, as the whites constitute /
only about One-seyenth Of the POpula- |
ton of all Mexico, and it Is hardly to
be supposed that more than one.third |
of the entire white population of the
republic is IN the Northern States. 1t
Is probable that Of the million and a
half not more than three hundred
thousand are whites, and Of these a |
very large number are desDeradOes and
bandits. who are so thoroughly familiar
-yith the wild country they infest that
tleir subjUgatIOn OF determination
would require a considerable army and
4 long period or time. The remainder
of the population, mostly Indians,
might become as useful citizens as the
whites, rs many Of them belong to the
more civilized tribes, and are probably
quite as peaceable and industrious as
the Spanish creOles. 1t might
pay to undertake the govern
ment Of so large a number OF
asemi-savages, but the investment
would be pretty sure to yield small re-
turns for many years. The undertake
ing would involve a large original out
lay IN purchase money, 4 further large
outlay for the construction Of railroads,
and the maintenance ot an army not
less than ten thousand strong, which
would be necessary inorder to open the
new country to settlement, and afford
toIerable security against the depreda-
tons Of banditti. The American peo-
ole are undoubtedly afflicted with a
5hirst for territorial aggrandizement,
lut If the question were submitted to
them. they would probably vote by a
large majority against the purchase Of
four-sevenths Of Mexico, and a million
and half Of scmi-savagcs, under our
present circumstances, except at very
low figure.
EEov- IN EBuEEERVE A RVTQEET,