Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-08-27
The ker to Mexican Politics.

Since Americans gre so largely in
 terested III Mexco, It is worth the while to know something of the political status of that nation, and what kind of treatment they are to expect in their persons and property.
 When Mexico became independent there were two parties who struggled for supremacy, tlc conservatives and the liberals. The conservatives, the partisans of continuing the old, were for keeping up the privileged classes as they existed under Spain, to wit. the nobility, the clergy and the military. In Mexico there being no nobility, the privileged parties consisted Of the clergy and military. These classes under the old law were not subject to the civil law, but they had what was called fueros that is, jaws of their own and tribunals composed of their own members to
 judge them. The liberals or republicans
 aned at the abolition of all tuerOs, or
 privileged classes, and to bring all the
 people under the rule of the civil law.
 A first to last, small and great, turns upon these two points. At first the en-
 thusiasm of the people earned the
 liberal victory so far as to adopt the
 forms and laws Of a Republic. But the
 plotting Of the conservatives, ths money of the clergy and the brutal force of the army, managed to get into power, and
 under the names Uf presidents, gov ernors, legislators and other repubu- can soubriquets, they ruled tyranlcauy iu favor of their uwII class m she lace Of the written law to tine contrary. lt were tedious to follow the ups downs of the cOntending parties; suffice 1t to say that
 the last effort of the clergy and military
 as allies, was the calling of MaxImilian, and with that battle disappeared the clergy from the face of Mexican politics. But to overthrow the power Ot the con servatiyes. 1t Was necessary to use an armed force, au army of the liberals: and so It happens that though, the clergy Is gone, and ln theory the military are made by law, the subOr- linates of the civil authority, yet &C., customed to the arbitrary uses of war, and having been the instruments to put down revolutions, army commanders do not comprehend that they are the mere instruments of the civil authorities, but claim supremacy over them and often treat them with contempt and con tumeiy. The States are supposed to l stand in the same footing as ours to the 1 General Government; but, the fear of l revolutions being a very common oc- currence in Mexico, the federal forces 1 are created, trhned and distributed with l view to suppress q pronunclamlentO ID | any state, 1t gives to the Federal army a ! sort of guardianship over the States | which IS tantamOunt to actual suprema- 1 cy over the civil authorities. In many 1 states the Federal commanders are really the rulers of the states where they | are quartered, but in others like in SO- | nora Just now, d governor sometimes 1 dares to assert the supremacy of the l civil over the military, and then there l may be danger of clash. General | Carbo about five months ago, attempt l cd to dictate 60 Ortiz, but the latter told l him to minC his own business, hence | the quarrel. Now the general govern ! ment, while It sees the necessity to keep | up the army to put down rebellion,ht | does not coun.enauce the arbitrary aIrs l which the particular commanders some times put on, and there Is no fear that l President Gonzales will support Carbo 1 in destroying a state government to l satisfy persO2al spite.
 As for the culinary arbitrary conduct | of officials in Mexico or Sonora, the law | IS all right, but the magistrates, accus- | toned to the tmult of war and the vIO- | lent measures which are then required, | they are apt t. practice in these times | of peace, a rather unusual state in sev- enty years of war, the usual proceed | ngs, very etiedual during a lively pro- nunciamIentO, but withal in contra | vention of the law To the Mexican, | more accustomed to revolutions than to l peace, the arbitrary conduct of an official l seems perfectly n order, and goes right l along, yet there are those who some 1 times remind the officials of the law, and | they always get justice. Americans wIll | never fail to demand the law, and for | various reasons they are apt Co get the | law, and if there k any deviation from | it at all, it is Co save them rather than | Co damn them. Even iu the midst of a | revolution, American interests aTe al l ways repected, while every thing else l goes to the wall In fact, the hope Of | Mexicans ever realizing that they have 1 any rights at all, rests upon the frequent | demands that are likely to be made by | the Americans Co obtain the redress which the letter of the Mexican cDnsti- 1 tuition and laws give to the iIdivdual. l Mexican officials vii. then learn Co do as the laws command, and MeXicaus learn tO know and demand their rights.
 NEEITAS.