Since the discovery and forcible entrance of the golden Empire of Mexico,
and the display of her marvellous mineral treasures by the bold Cortez and
his companions, we have seen a constant stream of the Spaniards and the
affiliated nations of the Latin race pouring across the Atlantic to the
new worlds which were given to the house of Castile and Leon by the
sublime genius of the Genoese, following the stars and the traditions of
the Northmen.
Wealth and the baseless fabrics of martial glory were the alluring objects
of this migrating column of men.
"Hast thou gold?" exclaimed they to the Mexican princes. "I and my
companions have a malady which is only cured by gold."
After these four centuries of occupation of the elevated plains and
table-lands of Mexico, where the mean temperature does not exceed 77 deg.
Fahrenheit, and where the mildness of climate, the wealth of a wonderful,
prolific nature, excite the ambition and the cupidity of men; and after
the long efforts at colonization, in which the parent country was almost
exhausted by the drain of her best blood,--Spain finds that the
predictions of Dr. Knox are rapidly being realized, and that only 600,000
Europeans and their hybrid descendants, and but 8000 Spaniards of pure
blood, can be found of all the numberless hosts that have embarked for
these lands. Spain halts, and reflects upon this report of her scientific
commission, which shows a decrease of one half since the estimate of
Humboldt, in 1793; whilst France, always blind to reason whenever the
eagles of glory desire to expand their wings, persists in her useless
occupation of Algeria, where Gaul has again and again vainly endeavored to
rear her colonies in times past; and she now attempts to unfurl her
standards and establish her institutions on those Mexican shores where the
blood and energy of a stronger and better adapted people have been
expended in vain. Idle effort! The elements of nature are stronger than
the will of men; neither do they give way to the desires or attacks of
human ambition.
There are geographical boundaries which races cannot pass in pursuit of
wealth or the dreams of ambition. A single generation will not determine
the law of expansion and decay.