Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-06

tl0, duu WullC buOy WCtO IL AAO-s
taking San Antonio, in Dec, 1885, tried to
get uD an expedition for the interior, and
painted in rich colors the Spoils OF Tamau-
iipas. The terms of the treaty prepared
by Gen. Houston with
GEN. SANTA Anna
shows that Tey as had not claimed beyond
the Nueces, and the treaty entered into be-
tween Gen. Santa Anna and D. g. Burnett,
as president, shows that it only applied to
the territory of Coahuila and Texas, and
again, the fourth article of the secret
agreement between Santa Anna and tha
President of Texas, reads, "a treatyV< Of
ccn n1aroe. s.33siity. and limits, vii be es-
tablshed between Mexico asnse Texas, the
territory of the latter not to extend 3eyono
the Rio Bravo del Norte. That shows that
Texas did not then claim dominion over
any territory beyond the limits OF Coahulia
and Texas, even when capitulating with
Santa Anna, who was then in durunce Vate.
in law not capable of making treaty that
would bind him or his gcyernment Texas
did not absolutely claim tie territory be-
yond the limits of Coahuila and Texas, and
left the question open for subsequent stipu-
lations and contract, if they could get it.
AUdlU, Ill buG l6ttSI VI Odubd Auud " OOhs
Houston, dated Nov. 5th, 1886. the ques-
ton of boundary was discussed, showing
that nothing definite had been determined
in regard to boundary. The treaty of
Feb. 2nd,. 184S, contains the following
clauses as to the Mexican boundary, 'be-
ginning at the mouth of the Sabine river and
running West along the Gulf of Mexico
three leagues from land, to the mouth OF
the Rio Grande river ; thence up the prin-
cipal stream of said river TO its source, DC. y
This settled permanently the boundary be-
tween the two Republics. By the
ARTICLES OF ANNEXATION
consent was given by the United States,
that the territory properly included within
and rightly belonging to the Republic OF
Texas may be erected into new State, to
be called the State Of Texas, upon certain
conditions and guarantees, one of which was
that the State to be formed should be, ''sub
ject to the adjustment by the government
of all questions of boundary that may arise
with other governments" The assent OF
Texas to such terms was formally given in
the convention, by an ordinance, on the 4th
day of July, 1915; and on the 29th of April,
1S46. the Legislature of Texas adopted a
joint resolution, declaring ''that the ex-
elusive right to the jurisdiction over the
soil included in the limits of the late Re
public of Texas was acquired by the valor
of the people thereof, and was by them
vested in the Government of the Republic
that such exclusive right is now vested in,
and belongs to, the state, excepting such
jurisdiction as is vested in the United States
by the constitution of the United States
and by the joint resolution of annexation,
su ject to such regulations and control as
the Government thereof may deem expe-
dient to adopt" 1t is evident that when
Mexico or majority of her people claim a
portion of Texas that they either are igno-
rant of this treaty of'49 or contend for it
knowing the contents of the treaty. 1t is
true that Mexico is
REPUBLIC LIKE OURS,
but it is such only in name, and not in real
ity. The resemblance stops there the prac-
tical administration of public affairs has its
beginning. The republic was established
by force and certain measure of fraud,
and it has been maintained in the same
manner. If the people were allowed to
pass upon it in a free and safe way it
would not endure for twenty four hours.
Such thing as fair and honest election
has never been known in the country. 1t
has the sincere and persevering support of
the enlightened minority of citizens. but
the great majority neither endorse nor un-
derstand it, and do not submit to it except
as necessity.
AT THE BEST,
it is but republic subject to conditions
and prejudices which are essentially H.
logical, benumbiDg and despntic. Even
those who are truly loyal do not believe in
it according to the American fashion, and
do not accept our ideas of its relations
to personal welfare aud happiness. Presi-
dent Diaz himself, with all his hberality,
is not republican in the sense that we regard
the term, and does not think for moment
of trying to govern his people as an AmeIi-
can President is expected and obliged to do.
He would quickly lose his power if he
should adopt course of that kind. In the
past fourteen months
FORTY FOUR EDITORS
and students have been imprisoned in che
city of Mexico alone for either printing or
publicly expressing views in opposition to
The policy of the administration. Every
thing which comes over the wires in the
regular way to the press has to be submit
led to sort of Government Censorship be-
fore it is perm itted to be published. The
editorial utterances of each newspaper are
carefully weighed, sometimes before they
appt ar in print, by Government officials
Editors, proprietors and publishers are
held to rigid accountability for every in
fraction of governmental regulations, which
regulations are often in direct antagonism
to the law of the land. Democracy of the
Mexican brand is in no sense less arbitrary
and repressive than the despotism of the
Sultan or the Gear.
THE POPULATION OF MEXICO
is wholly unlike that Of any other nation
on the earth. 1t may almost be said to
constitute separate race-the product of
a peculiar and continuous amalgamation for
which history furnishes no parallel Only
38 per cent of all the inhabitants are native
Mexicans of Europeans descent; 90 per cent
are of European origin, and the remaining
42 per cent are of Indian or mixed blood
As recently as 1874. seventeen years after
the founding of the republic, the Indians
one-half of the population.
The civilization of the country reaches
back far beyond that of the United States,
and yet it is to day mere pretense and
compared with ours. As Mexico
herself by her own efforts from
one of the worst systems of ecclesiastical
rule ever known in the world, and as her
government is in all essential particulars a
copy of our own, we jump at once to the
conclusion that she must be definitely per-
meated by the spirit of liberty and progress,
and on that theory expect her to share all
our sympathies and aspirations, and to
manifest the same energy and intelligence
that we display in the promotion of sound
and wholesome purposes-and yet as mat
ter of fact we have no right to look for such
conduct on her part.
Long before the Pilgrims landed at
Plymouth Rock, Mexico sent exploring
expeditions as for North as the Missouri
R yer, and practically possessed all the in
termediate territory, and yet to day it is in
every respect inferior to countries that have
grown up during fifty years in the very
same region where it SO early held absolute
sway. She has thrown off the burden OF
church rule that rested upon her like a
curse for centuries, but the old
TRADITIONS AND DsUPERsTITIONs
still survive and stunt and degrade her ma.
tional character. She has established re-
public and kept it in operation for nearly