from humboldt’s essay politique.

MEXICO.

We wish to compare the extent and population of Mexico, with the two empires with which this beautiful colony has relations of union and rivalship.

Spain is five times smaller than Mexico; and probably in less than a century, the population of Mexico will equal that of Spain.

The United States of North America, since the cession of Louisiana, and the claim of Rio Bravo del Norte as their limit, include 240,000 square leagnes; and their population is but little superiour to that of Mexico.

If the political force of two States depend only on the space which they occupy on the globe, and on the number of their inhabitants; if the nature of the soil and configuration of the coasts; if the climate, the energy of the nation, and, above all, the perfection of the social institutions, were not the principal elements of this grand calculation of power (calcul dynamique) the kingdom of New Spain might now rank with the Confederation of the American republicks.

Both feel the inconvenience of a population too unequally distributed.

That of the United States, though occupying a soil and climate less favoured by nature, increases with a rapidity infinitely greater; nor does it include, like the population of Mexico, nearly two millions and an half of Aborigines.

These Indians, brutalized by the despotism of the ancient Azteque, Sovereigns, and by the vexations of the first conquerors, although protected by Spanish laws, generally wise and humane, enjoy, in fact, but little of that protection, on account of their great distance from the supreme authority.

The kingdom of New Spain has one marked advantage over the United States; the number of slaves, either African or of the mixt race, is, in Mexico, almost nothing (presque nul)—an advantage, which the European colonists did not begin to appreciate until after the tragic events of the revolution of St. Domingo; so true is it, that the dread of physical evils operates more powerfully than moral considerations on the true interests of society, or the principles of philanthropy and justice, so frequently declared in Parliament, in the Constituent Assembly, and in the works of philosophers!

The number of African slaves in the United States is more than a million—it is the sixth part of the whole population.

The Southern States whose political influence has increased since the acquisition of Louisiana, have, inconsiderably, augmented the number of slaves.

But, by a national act, the result of both justice and prudence, the commerce in negroes has been abolished.

This would have been done at a much earlier day, if the law had permitted the President of the United States (a magistrate whose name is dear to the true friends of humanity) to oppose himself to the introduction of slaves, and by that to save future generations from great misfortunes.

Thomas Jefferson, author of the excellent Essay on Virginia.