12
THE WAR IN TEXAS.
but few experienced naval commanders. Foreigners,
in whom the government can repose
confidence, are therefore occasionially appointed
to the command of its armed vessels. I
have before'stated that the colonists were extensively
cngaiged in contraband trade, the
introduction of slaves, and both
Methodists and Presbyterians held their meetings,
openly, in the colonies, without the least
degree of molestation from the government or
individuals. Even laws were enacted, by
Mexicans, providing for their protection in the
enjoyment of their religious privileges. Had
they shown a disposition to unite with the native
inhabitants in supporting the laws of the
country, there can be no doubt that these privileges
would eventually have been guaranteed
them by permanent constitutional regulations.
I omit the notice of sundry items in the list
of grievances, set forth by the framers of their
", Declaratiou of Independence," as aforesaid.
Many of them are merely incidental to the
state of war, in whiah they have designedly
involved themselves. But before I conclude
my remarks, I must ask the attention of the
reader to one more important specification,
which they dwell on with particular emphasis,
viz:-that "the whole nature of their government
has been forcibly changed, without their
consent;" (meaning without the consent of the
Mexican people at large;) and that their
" rulers" have establishel " a consolidated central
military despotism, in which every interest
is disregarded but that of the army and the
priesthood," but in the sequel,
they admit that "the Mlexican people have ac.
quiesced i,n" what they are pleased to call ".the
destruction of their liberty, and the substitution
therefore of a military government." A
few extracts from the Decree of the general
Congress, relatinig to the proposed changes in
the Constitution of the Republic, will throw
some light upon this part of our subject,
which is so completely involved in gloom by
the "Declaration" of these revolutionists. The
articles of the Decree aforesaid, from the third
to the ninth, read thus:"
3. The system of government of the nation is a
republican, popular, representative one.
4. The exercise of the supreme national power
will contiinue to be divided into Legislative, Executive,
and Judicial, which cannot be united in any case nor
for any pretext.-There shall be established, moreover,
means sufficient to prevent the three powers
from transcending the limits of their attributes.
5. The exercise of the legislative power shall reside
in a Congress of the representatives of the nation,
divided into two Chambers, one of Deputies,
and the other of Senators, who shall be elected
periodically by the people. The constitutional law
will determine the qualifications which the electors
and the elected must possess; the time, manner,
and form of their elections; the period of the elect
and every thing relative to the essential organization
of these two parts of the aforementioned power, and
to the circle of their prerogatives.
6. The exercise of the Executive power shall reside
in a President, to be elected indirectly and periodically
by the people, a Mexican by birth, whose
other circumstances, as well as those of his election,
his term of office, his powers and mode of exercising
them, will be determiined by the constitutional low.
7. The exercise of the Judicial power shall reside
in a Supreme Court of Justice, and in the tribunals
and judges, which the constitutional law shall establish:
their prerogatives, their number, duration,
radication, responsibility, and mode of election, the
said law will establish.
8. The national territory will be divided into departments,
upon the basis of population and other
conducive circumstances: a constitutional law will
detail their number, extent, and subdivisions.
9. For the government of the Departments, thlere
shall be Governors and departmental juntas; these
shall be chosen by the people, in the mode and in the
number, which the law shall establish; and those
shall be appointed periodically, by the supreme executive
power, on the proposal of the said juntas."
These are the principal leading features of
the Constitution proposed for the Mexican
Republic, under its new organization. It
