The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-16

~ THE non II. y. MONEY.

he DISTINGUISHED Mexican Minister, Senior Romero, in his in.
tnrsting paper in the july number of The North American Review.
\ leaves a diSHgrceahIe impression on the mind of the American cu.
zen. "ho has always sIoried in the belief that his government had cordially
ISymrathtcd with any people anywhere in their struggle for liberty. and cS
socially with those Of this continent. Senior Romero declares that the re-
VOTED Spanish colonies established their independence without aid from any
outside source, and dcnic, that the United States ever rendered them ma
tcrial or moral assistance"
one Of the complaints against the United States is their tardinc, in
recognizing the independence Of the several colonies. In this are # tMc
steamship the railroad and the submarine cable, the time rcouired f, dof.
mite action ON the part Of the United States may seem to haye been r,ncces-
~oriy protrctcd, but an investigation into the conditions which prevailed
at the time of the revolution will anluit our government of any undue DELAY
I must be remem'@Ird also that the warning words of Washington in his
farewell address, against foreign complications, we're st recent as TO have
hardly lost their echo and had with other causes, induced an exceedingly
conservative and cautious foreign policy. There were then no regular mail
communications between the United States and the South American colo
Mes and very little commercial or social intercourse: and that was made
hazardous by the S"armS of priyateers, who on the South Atlantic and ON
The Spanish Main, file" the insugcnt flags and committed the most atrpdous
acts of piracy.
The Spnhh subjects in Amcrh did not originally conceive the dom #,
independence from any particular love of it. For three centuries thev had
suffered tyranny, prescription, repression, cruelty of their sovereign lord of
Spain, with a constarry which was more crcditallc to their patience than
to their enterprise In fact with the exception of perhaps Cuba, Costa Ri.
ca and Chilli, the proportions of whites to Indians would not average nein
twelve with a considerable number of negroes in La Plata and Venezuela
especially, who were unpcparcd and unfit for selfgovcrnment,
The Indians, who were the victims of the Spanish opprcssp1 and M
prc>Sors were perhaps, indiHcrent. to what they believed would he = mora
change of masters, hoping for little benefit under any circumstances Tho
native whites were as much Disseminated against, and almost as mucb on
pressed, as the Indians and blacks! The Smnmrds held the offices, civil and
military They were the merchants and capitalists, and controlled almost
every business enterprise, this condition of things giving them a mononnv
of position wealth and advantages which they did not care to submit to the
fortunes of revolution. Personally, they were thriving, and their interests
committed them to the policy Of ohuz try.
1t may be well doubted whether the Spanish subjects in Americ, wore
not forced into revolution more by the chaotic condition of affairs in sp,in,
which left them virtually to their own resources, than 10y any desire for in.
dependent government, or for the position of an autonomous dependency If
Spain. 1t must be admitted, however, tina. the torch kinded at the altar of
liberty in the British provinces was taking its luminous course, firing the
hearts of the people in both the new and the old worlds, and it's gencrou
lame gave, no doubt, warmth to the efforts of the patriots of South America
The status of the representative governments asserting their indemnd.
cncc was difficult to.bc asccrtaned, and the United States sent special com.
miSsoners, carried by warshipS, to enquire into the true condition of the
cvoIutionEts. Before attempting by this means to inform themselves. the
| United states had very promptly proposed to Great Britain and France to
unite in recognition of the independence of the new governments. Another
fact that added to the uncertainty was the efforts being made by Peru, Chill.
Ii and La Plata to organize a confederate republic. New Granada and Ven.
c1uela were coalescing into the republic of Colombia, and the Central Amer.
Nan States into the republic of Central America, while, during the whole
struggle from Mexico to Patagonia, there was continual talk of alliances
offensive and defensive; sc that the United States might well hesitate before
taking any action likely to prove offensive to Il friendly power. It should
be remembered that when, after due elaboration, the United States did rec.
"Eh'"c 'e NpanlNh'Anner'can governments in 1922, the act was made the
subject by Spain OF u grave and emphatic protest to the United States. and
of "A circular to the members of the Holy Alliance, invoking their assistance.
In fact, her dspeasurc amounted to resentment, and caused her not only to
demand explanations, but. ako, to refuse to ratfy a treaty already nepotia.
ted for the ccsShon of Florida aud the establishment of our western bound.
ay. In that negotiation the Sn,nisb mi,itsro ,do,,or,a En- ahs""
pledge from the United States that they should not acknowledge the indie.
pcn0ence Of these provinces. The United States would make no such pledge,
even to her own profit; and this is surely good evidence of a support. both
material and moral 1t is quite probable that the cesson as at last
made by Spain for fear Of the forcible occupation of the territory by the Uni
ted States, which would have been a blow at her power in America and her
prestige in Europe.
lii is worthy of mention that the sam desire to observe strictly tbe
faith of treaties and the obligations of friendly neutrality, which inruorced
the United States in the hardness of this recognition, oneratcd ouite ,s Dis
tincty in favor of Mexico in postponing the recognition of the republc Of Tevos
which had driven every hostile Mexican from its shores, organized its gov.
ernmcnt and performed It's functions and maintained a position becoming a
member of the family OF nations For years the Texans impaticntly waited
their recognition by the United States: and Notwithstanding the ords,,
sympathy of the people and the passage of repeated resolutions by eacb
of congress; promising support to the executive. ret NJ action v,s
taken, NJ resolution of congress evr signed, until the last day of the official
term of 'Od Hickory. y That ardent lover of liberty recognized the indie.
of Texas by sending "a diplomatic representative to her, Still
when the French and Austrian troops had placed MAMMALIAN o the
throne of the Empire of Mexico. there was not only aslowness but an ahso.
lutte failure to recognize his government: and his expulsion from Mexico was
due as well to the decided and determined attitude of the United States as
to the prowesS Of Mexican arms.
The United States have Away. recognized the dc fato government, and
were the first to recognize the imperial government of DomPedru and 1tur.
bide; and Notwithstanding the charge OF cold Indifference to the success NJ
The Spanish American revoutonkts they were the first TO recopnize to ~.
of these governments Under the bonds of their treaty with
they could not tolerate the fitting out Of military expeditions in their
but the revoluttonists and the Spaniards were equally permittedt IN
purchase in her cities all kinds Of material not contraband Of war. or this
both avaied themselves to the full extent, and the curious spectacle was af.c