may never work, is intended to march, and it has
an into!. it by the European standard. Mexico is a tropical country, leetual interest as the latest attempt of an enlightened despot with a semi-civilized population and a civilized Government, to give his subjects guarantees for good government without and it is by comparison with countries similarly situated that imposing substantial checks upon his personal power. It is it ought in fairness to be judged. Tried by that test the on the whole an able and, we should imagine, a perfectly Constitution, if honestly worked, does not appear illiberal, original attempt. The Emperor, to begin with, is unusually does not differ, for example, very greatly from that which honest, makes no attempt to create a manageable Representa- exists in India. Theoretically the Indian Viceroy is just as tire Body or a purchaseablo Upper House, but boldly pro- unfettered, and practically he has even more political power. claims that the condition of affairs requires an autocracy, and No council, or representative body, or other organization of accepts the responsibility of exercising it. " I," he says in natives has the smallest right of interference with his action, the third clause, "represent the national sovereignty, and or even of formal remonstrance, the right of petition, except until it shall be otherwise arranged in the definitive organize- to the Throne, being unsecured by law. The native has in tion of the Empire I exercise by myself or by the inter- fact no privileges which cannot be overturned by the decree mediary"—his wife, who is appointed Regent in certain of the Viceroy, no remedy against official oppression except cases—" all public authority, and fulfil all public fano- an appeal to the official's superior. Yet he is in practice the tions." The Elect of the people will govern as he does in freest of human beings, far freer than the average France, but without the forms which in France have been Englishman. He can say what he likes without per- devised to limit Imperial responsibility. This, if cynical, is mission, and sell what he likes, spirits excepted, without at least honest, and it is by no means certain that in the licence, travels without a passport, may if he pleases spout existing position of affairs it is not also wise. It is doubtful treason by the half-hour in the Townhall of the capital crime ; slavery is prohibited, every inhabitant of Mexico being free by that title alone ; and the confiscation of goods is for-
within sight of Government House. Nobody can forbid him to do anything unless prohibited by law, or force him to attempt any thing unless enjoined by statute, and he is for all bat political purposes as free as an inhabitant of Massachusetts. So under this Constitution may be the Mexican, if only it is honestly worked, and the Emperor has every interest in honestly working it. His object evidently is to wine all the per-onal power he can with as little indivi lual oppression as he can, and his mode of attaining his end see ns to us singu- larly able, so able that if he is not attacked from the North, and if he can secure honest adminis'..rators, and if the Menlo ms when oppressed will appeal to his promises, he may conciliate the nation and establish in Mexico a society accustomed to justice, secure in its property, familiar with municipal business, and ready for the certain concession of the political franchise. Not one of these conditions All of course be fulfilled. The Empire, even if it survives, is as certain to be assailed by American partizans as the Imperial agents are to differ from Indian civil servants. There does not exist in Mexico a class which can be trusted to use the absolute powers of the commissioners, or the adminis- trative powers of the prefects without oppressing the people, and the people have learnt too long the lesson of distrust to appeal readily to the Emperor. In the remoter provinces misgovernment will probably only become worse through the irresistible strength acquired by good government at the centre, and the individual guarantees only produce misery by tempting their possessors to resist instead of bribing oppressors. The scheme is suited only to a country in which the governing class can be trusted, and Mexico is not such a country. Still it has in it as many chances of success as any other scheme possible under the circumstances, and as an effort to secure to a debased people individual freedom without political power it must have for all calm observers an intellectual interest. If it succeeded the great problem of securing social freedom among the Latin and black colonists of South America until they were ready for political freedom would be in great measure solved, and though it must fail, every failure helps to avert a renewal of disastrous experiment.
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