Mexican government

“ This force, should Congress respond favorably to the Presidential recommendation, is to act in concert with the Juarez government, and to "restore" it to power. In return for such aid, that government is to indemnify the Americans, and to provide that no more Americans shall be wronged by Mexican governments. Does the President believe this theory of Mexican settlement will be accepted by the world? If yes, then is he a man of marvellous faith, considering the uncommonly excellent opportunities he has had to learn what the political settlements of Mexico really mean. ”

“ The Mexican Government hopes the Northern Republic will respect the sovereignty and independence of Mexico. To violate them, claiming the lack of guarantees for its citizens, or inconvenient legislation for its interests, would constitute a transgression of international right, and would demonstrate that the worst misfortune for a nation is to be weak and unable to protect itself against stronger nations. * * The revolution has implanted reforms making for the welfare and progress of the Mexican people. ”

“ The Mexican Government is ever ready to encourage American enterprise, and has quite often got the worst of its bargains. It has been led to promise support to enterprises beyond its power of fulfillment. And this makes me think of the charge that Mexican officials are corrupt and are bleeding American investors. It is quite possible that concessions have been bought, and that some Mexican officials have betrayed their trusts; but that is as much the fault of the investors, familiar with the crooked ways of legislatures, both State and national, in the United States, as of the officials. ”

“ Having had dealings with savage Indians for over three centuries, the Mexican government has finally evolved a policy that should commend itself to our own. The squaws are, indeed, nearly as irreclaimable as the men, but they endure confinement with stoical indifference, and some of them even take kindly to service in Mexican families. The children are assigned to good masters, and though scattered throughout the State, so as entirely to remove them from tribal influences, they are treated with great humanity. ”

“ He knew, of course, that the Mexican constitution made impossible demands upon the political capacity of the people. He was himself mainly of Indian blood and he believed that he understood the temperament and limitations of most Mexicans. Knowing how tenaciously they clung to political notions, he believed that it was safer and wiser to forego, at least for a time, real popular government and to concentrate power in the hands of a strong man who could maintain order. ”

“ As the period of reconstruction progresses, Mexican affairs will again assume importance not only in American international policy but in that of all the great powers. There must be created within the republic a government that can establish order, that will respect individual rights, put the great resources of the nation again at the service of those living within its borders, and enable it to contribute its due share to the maintenance of the family of nations. To make that possible all true friends of Mexico and all true friends of the United States must strive. ”

“ Unless it be assumed that the Mexican government was indifferent as to the disposition of its lands, and that anybody and everybody possessed power to convey them, as a matter of course, to whoever chose to ask for them, proceedings such as those we have reviewed cannot be treated as having had the effect of devesting the Republic of Mexico of title to a portion of its public lands.
Sustaining, as we do, the first two contentions urged by the government, it becomes unnecessary to consider or pass upon the others which were pressed upon our attention. ”

“ It is manifest to all who have observed the actual condition of the Mexican Government for some years past and at present that if these Provinces should be retained by her she could not long continue to hold and govern them. Mexico is too feeble a power to govern these Provinces, lying as they do at a distance of more than 1,000 miles from her capital, and if attempted to be retained by her they would constitute but for a short time even nominally a part of her dominions. ”

“ The criticisms of the government in the opposition papers were often lurid. Mexican journalism is nothing if not colorful. But active repressive measures were unnecessary as a rule because there was no active opposition. Peace had come, a peace that, laying its strong hand upon the people, took away from them the right of self-government, which they had used only to abuse it. Peace had come to bring to the country the longed for economic development that might make Mexico one of the leading countries of the New World. ”

“ That they hold it to be their right, during the disorganization of the federal system and the reign of despotism, to withdraw from the union, to establish an independent government, or to adopt such measures as they may deem best calculated to protect their rights and liberties, but that they will continue faithful to the Mexican government so long as that nation is governed by the constitution and laws that were formed for the government of the political association. ”

“ Until the army and the clergy were shorn of those special privileges which enabled them to bid defiance to constitutional authority the republic would be a failure. What Mexico needed was "a government of the people for the people by the people." This thought was embodied in the famous law for the administration of justice now known by the name of its Indian author—"the law of Juarez." The key-note of progress was struck on the passage of this bill by the Mexican Congress in 1857, and millions of the long-enslaved people of Mexico joined in the shout of joy with which it was received. ”

“ You think Mexico is a good joke on the Guggenheims, the Standard Oil Company, and Wall Street, but when a long war in Europe, where you are now to take the forefront of the battle, has softened your heart and the income taxes have come down to the smallest savings, you will be less of an Indian, less of a savage, less of a Mexican, yourself. You will be more thoughtful, more tender of heart, and a more worthy son of the men who first brought freedom and true democratic government into the American jungle. ”

“ To protect the Mexican citizen in the enjoyment of his property and rights, would require the arm of a much more vigorous and centralized government than ours is at present, or than its true friends wish it to become. ”

“ And if the United States had wrongs of their own citizens for which to seek redress and indemnification from the Mexican nation, was that a reason for refusing to do whatever might appropriately be done towards assisting any government which the Mexican people might be disposed to support and acknowledge, to acquire the position and authority of a legitimate representative of the nation? ”

“ The fact remains, that the republic was born of Mexican ideas, has been maintained exclusively by Mexican arms, is based upon sound principles, and must gradually awaken the entire people into a healthful and independent interest in its perpetuation. Charges of dishonesty are freely made against men in high administrative place, as well as against government officials generally. We had no means of ascertaining how much truth might be in these assertions. If they be true, Mexico cannot be accused of isolation in that, at least. ”

“ No fair-minded person believes that such acts are attributable to the better class of Mexican citizens or that they condone such abuses. They deplore them as much as do any civilized people. But no government can escape the responsibility for allowing conditions to continue indefinitely under which such crimes can occur, and upon the best citizens of Mexico falls the duty to join hands to bring their fatherland again into the control of those who can maintain public order within its territory. Upon their rising to that high opportunity may depend the future of independent Mexico. ”

“ The high contracting parties bind themselves not to seek for themselves, in the employment of coercive measures foreseen by the present convention, any acquisition of territory, or any peculiar advantage, and not to exercise in the subsequent affairs of Mexico any influence of a character to impair the right of the Mexican nation to choose and freely to constitute the form of its own government. ”

“ If the Mexican people prefer a monarchy to a republic, it is our plain duty cheerfully to acquiesce in their decision and to evince a sincere and friendly interest in their prosperity. If, however, the Mexicans prefer maintaining their former institutions, we have no reason to apprehend any obstacle to the free exercise of their choice. The Emperor of the French has solemnly disclaimed any purpose to impose on Mexico a form of government not acceptable to the nation ”

“ That the adventurous citizens of the American Union, knowing little or nothing; of civil strife and commotion in their own country, should be unable at all times to distinguish between the party in power and their opponents, and should sometimes disregard the regulations and enactments which appeared to them to have been unjustly and arbitrarily established, were the natural consequences of the unsettled character of the Mexican government. ”

“ The national sovereignty is vested essentially and originally in the people. All public power emanates from the people, and is instituted for their benefit. The people have at all times the inalienable right to alter or modify the form of their government.
Art. 40. It is the will of the Mexican people to constitute themselves into a democratic, federal, representative republic, consisting of States, free and sovereign in all that concerns their internal affairs, but united in a federation according to the principles of this fundamental law. ”

“ No feature of Mexican public life shows more clearly the lack of real self-government in the republic than the condition of the cities and towns during the Diaz régime. It is almost axiomatic that where a vigorous local public life is found there is good soil for the growth of self-governing institutions, the foundation upon which a strong and effective public opinion and public authority may be raised. Mexico has never enjoyed that blessing. ”

“ Annexed or not annexed, at the rate that foreigners are now occupying the country, the power of the Mexican Government there will be merely nominal before long. The taxes levied by it are extremely light, and sensible settlers have absolutely no trouble with the officials; judicious investments there can hardly fail to prove profitable, therefore. [Pg 252]
Whilst we have been discussing the fate of Northern Mexico, our waggon has made good its way to Smith's Wells, where a little adobe building of three small rooms was to be our shelter for the night. ”

“ Mexico has been in a state of constant revolution almost ever since it achieved its independence. One military leader after another has usurped the Government in rapid succession, and the various constitutions from time to time adopted have been set at naught almost as soon as they were proclaimed. The successive Governments have afforded no adequate protection, either to Mexican citizens or foreign residents, against lawless violence. ”

“ The granting of such assistance should be a part of the policy of the United States, not only because of its obligations to its neighbor, but also because of its obligation to itself.
Most of the means by which Mexican-American relations can be improved are, contrary to popular opinion, those in which the two governments are involved not at all or in a secondary manner. Greatly to be desired and fundamental, is the establishment of a better appreciation by the people of each republic of the people of the other and of their problems. To this end the government can contribute but little. ”

“ Fish by his own countrymen, whose conscience naturally revolted from a system of government which, as its chief claim to the sympathy and fellowship of foreign peoples, set up its power and willingness to banish from its jurisdiction all that was purest and holiest. Yet Mexico is as far from “general freedom and prosperity” as ever, and Messrs. Fish and Foster, the instigators of this last outrage on humanity, continue to be high and trusted officials of our freedom-loving republic.
Still, the faction that controls Mexican politics was not content with constitutional and statutory “reforms.” ”

“ Today, with the indigenous heart which is the dignified root of the Mexican nation, and having listened long enough to the voice of death which comes in the government's war, we call on the People of Mexico and on the men and women of the entire planet to unite their steps and their efforts with us in this stage of the struggle for liberty, democracy, and justice, through this... ”

“ I had a long talk with her and learnt something of the Mexican aristocracy’s view point: She said that decent and honest people in Mexico try to keep out of politics, and not to meet the politicians or the Generals. Otherwise they are persecuted by whatever Government follows for having even been friends with the Government that has been overthrown. The politicians 161 of whatever regime have always been self-interested. Their object is to make as much as they can while their Government lasts. ”