The morning call., 1892-10-01
MEXICAN STATESMAN.

Ia
eral Torres. the Governor OF Lower Caii-
fornia. at the Cabrillo celebration at Gan
Diego. is calculated to attract attention 10
him, and may lead to his advancement 70
posts higher than the one he MIS-
exhibits breadth Of view which does MIN
credit. When contrasted with certain Ut
te1ances by a former Governor OF this state
and a former member of Congress from Los
Angeles il exhibits the Mexican statesman
in an attitude of superiority which Is not
gratifying to Californian pride
General Torres says he does not regret
the transfer OF Upper California from Mex
lean to American hands. His countrymen
generally do Their national pride has
never been recOnciled to the dlminution OF
Mexican territory which followed the war
But to men of large grasp. like General
Torres, sentimental considerations wegh
little in comparison with the practical gain
which Mexico derives from the proximity
of an active, enterpTising and prosperous
neighbOr There is reason to lear that
Upper California might not have been what
it is il il had remained under the Mexican
flag Sonora, which is half as large as
California, and contains an enormous area
If fertile land, besides treasures untold in
PEOPLE, and its main seaport has never fur
nished traffic to the railroad which connects
it with the American railroad system. 1t
has not, Ike California. great background
of vigorous people, to draw from. Some say
this State will develop its intercourse with
the western littoral of Mexico, and then the
Mexicans will have to agree with General
Torres that the loss of Upper California
was really a gain.
The general justly appreciates the service
which the United States rendered TO Mexico
when Nj Seward insisted on Maximilan's s
withdrawal from the continent. He prob
ably knows the inner history of that busi-
ness. It is only since the catastrophe of
Sedan that the world at large has under
stood how deep laid and maevolent the
purposes Of the Emperor Napoleon were.
Memoirs which have appeared in print since
! then have laid bare the whole Of the con-
/ spiracy, which contemplated the active in-
/ terference Of France On behalf of the Con-
! fedeTateS IN return for their acquiescence in
| the foundation OF a French prOteetorate on
| the ruins Of Mexican independence. Lord
| John Russell and Lord Palmerston did not
! love US, but they were not prepared to en-
/ bark in an enterprise Of which the dangers
were so potent and the profits so pTOblemat-
| ical. They let the Emperor play a lone
hand. And il Grant had been beaten back
| from before Richmond as Mcclellan was
! Napoleon would undoubtedly have found a
| pretext to place his feet at the service of the
! COnfederates. which would have protracted
! the war.
! This Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Seward well
| knew. Before the surrender Of Johnston,
! Dat alter the victory Of the union was
assured, they and Stanton had laid ali their
/ plans. Shern,nn -~--sS -
pact army Of veterans down throush OOa-
buila. Zacatecas, Guanajuato and Mexico,
driving Bazaine's army before them. while
an American feet blockaded Vera Cruz.
| The result would have repeated the surren-
| der of Yorktown. There were, however,
| men in France who possessed the common
! sense which had de serted the Emperor.
| Bazaine's army was re-embarked in haste.
| and the unfortunate Maximilian eXpiated
his folly with his life. The bloodess defeat
! of the French scheme was really Napo-
! Icons deathblow. He reigned for five years
| afterward, but his prestige and his strength
! were gone. Mr.. Stewards dispatch requir-
| ing the evacuation of Mexico by the French
was the precursor of Sedan.
| General Torres does well to express the
| Of the United States at this crisis. For it
! is evident that if this country had not inter-
| fered. Mexico would have been a prey to
anarchy for an indefinite period, perhaps
till the present time And the intervention
| constitutes a precedent which secures the
| independence of Mexico so long as the
! American nation endures. 1t was notice
to Europe that no power, however we'll
| equipped and however audacious, would be
| permitted to subiugate Mexico or TO invade
its territory. What Mr.. Seward said to
France. bis successor will probably say to
| Great Britain or Germany or Spain if either
| Of them attempts TO establish a protect
crate on this hemisphere. Wise statesmen
in Europe have read the Seward dispatch
in this light. 1t is not at all unlikely that
we shall hear a good deal about it pres.
emily when the controversy over the navi
CATION of the Orinoco becomes active. Il
is possible that President Harrison may
have had it in mind when he ordered a fee
to Caracas.