Mexico is troublesome. Commemorating a victory over the Spaniards in
its dark ages, that is some twenty years ago, the Mexicans gave a ball, and displayed some captured flags. English- men were invited to the ball, and an English flag was placed among the trophies. Now, as the Mexicans could not have iron 4,VOtii the English in the ordinary course, it was naturally assumed that there was "some mistake "; and the fact having been forced upon the attention of Mr. PERCY DOYLE, the English Chargé d'Affaires, he requested the removal of the objectionable bunting. President SANTA ANNA refused ! Os Excellency's exquisite reason does not appear; but as such tenacity was shown to retain the unearned trophy, a suspicion suggests itself, that the precedent was thought dangerous,—that if the flag had been given up merely on the ground that it had not been won, many other flags must have followed, until Mexico would have been stripped of its false colours. Or perhaps President SANTA ANNA supposes flags to be of the nature of bills of exchange, and conceives that the flag may have been won or bought from somebody, have passed by purchase or bequest to some errant Texan, and thence by conquest or treasure-trove to some Mexican,—conveying to Mexico the credit of the original victory over the English, if any : a very ingenious way of establishing a circulating medium for the diffusion of mili- tary renown. Whatever his motive, SANTA ANNA was obstinate on the point of bunting; the English withdrew in a body from the feast ; and Mr. DOYLE suspended diplomatic relations. It does not appear what else be could have done. The easus belli is very paltry ; but so are most affronts, and often very fierce wars, in their printordia—the siege of Troy began about a sour apple. If there is a country to which Mexico must look more than another for countenance against encroachments from without, and for aid in encroaching upon the still wild riches of her own soil, that country is England ; yet Mexico's chosen chief thinks it dignified to volunteer a gratuitous little insult that must be resented ! Perhaps Mexico has not yet attained that stage of civilization to have madhouses ; which may account for SANTA ANNA'S being at large.
