on a people, lo whom the cheapness of Auricular Confession, supplies an easy substitute. The general character of a nation affords a safe rule of precaution, in all transaction with such nation or any portion of it; and it did form a criterion in. the negociation with the Mexican President. The executive government have hccn ignorantly charged with reposing an undue confidence in the promises of Santa Anna: whereas our rule of action has been, that no confidence could he safely reposed in Mexicans. We acted indeed under a firm persuasion, which nothing that has since transpired has shaken in my mind, that Santa Anna was fully and deeply convinced, by evidence which no after suggestions of his own vanity, and no pompous sophistry of his less experienced compatriots in ~lexico could disturb, that his own highest political interests and the hest interests of Mexico loo, would be advanced by a prompt and decisive ratification of the treaty. We were there confident, that so far as he was personally concerned,· there was lillle reason to apprehend a breach of promise. But we did apprehend that the general faithlessness of the Mexican character, would present some formidable obstacles lo the completion of the treaty. Much has been said of the individual faithlessness of Santa Anna, but we took a broader ground and acted on the national characteristic of Mexicans. We did not fear that Santa Anna would be faithless lo himself and lo his own ambition; but we did believe that his late political friends and dependents in Mexico would soon prove apostate to him; for we knew the faithlessness of Mexicans was less exclusive than that of Turks and comprehended their own kindred and nation. We believed that so soon as the captivity of Santa Anna was known in Mexico, new factions and new chieftains would rise up, and a new revolution ensue: and that the vaunted "Idol," being a prisoner abroad, would soon be discarded and powerless at home. Thal a new dynasty would be established, with whom it might be an affair of malignant gratification or of party politics, lo denounce every act of Santa Anna, and to build up their own popularity on promises to retrieve the disasters of his campaign. The reputed faithlessness of J\Iexicans does not preclude them from a large share of national vanity. This feature of their character is as distinct and prominent as the other; the only difference is, the one is ridiculous, the other detestable. The vanity of the new chieftain would prompt him lo allriLutc the failure of
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