Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-06-13

,s TIE MExicANs AND LApoR.--Gen +. gives
q sorry account ofthe disposition of The Mexi.
cans for industry.-He Gays that during his
residence in that country, the feelings which
were excited, caused exultation in our own
happier destiny, and superiority in every thing,
as well the more generous one Of profound
sympathy for the wre,clcd condition Of cou.,.
try upon which a bountiful Providence has
showered it's blessings with a more Irofuse
hand than upon any other upon the face Of the
earth. Whilst in our cities and towns you hear
the busy hum of incessant industry, and The
shrill whirtls of the steam.engine, there you
hear nothing bu, the drum and fife; whilst we
have been making railroads, they have been
making revolutions. A more striking proof Of
The unconqucrable repugnance Of the Mexicans
to labor cannot be given. than the fact that
short staple cotton sells there at from forty to
forty five cents per pound, while they have
LANDS and climate as well adapted to its culture
ne ours, and these lands dirt cheap; yet they
nsver make enough for their own smu'l con.
sumption. The Importation Of cotton is posi-.
lively forbidden by law; but this law is often
relaxed, by selling the privilege to mercantile
companies to import certain number Of ba'es.
| II such prices could be obtained at home. our
Northern people would discover some plan Of
RAISING it pro6,ably in hot.houses. Although
| the whole road from the city OF Vera Cruz to
the city of Mexico passes through country
,ncxpres.ibly picturesque and beautiful, yet the
ignorant, idle, md degraded population. the to-
tai absence Of cultivation and improvement. and
Q general appearance si wiidness and desols
tion, produced with me feelings partsking o
gloom and melancholy. in going mol
returning did see one human being, msa, NO
n,sn. or child, engaged at work of any sort
The great mass Of the population dcze out thr
lives with no higher thoughts or purposes thar
the beasts which perish around them '7't
THk Cry os MEx,co.-Thc city of Mesic,
is said to be the finest built city on the Ameri
can Continent. In some respects il certainly i
70. IN the principal streets the houses are al
constructed according to the slfctest atchtec
tursl rules. The foundations Of the city wer
laid. and the FIRST buildings were erected b
Cortes, who did everything well which he al
tempted, from building house and writing
couplet. 10 conquetine an empire. Many {
the finest buildings in Mexico are still owne
y by his descendants. The public square 10 sai
to be unsurpassed by any in The world il col
!, ,sihs some twelve or fifteen acres paved wi,
}. stone. The cathedral covers one entire sid
l. the palace another the western side 10 occ,
o pied by q row OF very high and subsianti
10 houses. the second stories Of which project in
70 the street the width ofthe pavement the 10,
!. er stories are occupied BY the principal re,'
ID merchants ofthe city. The most of these hous
OF were built by Cortes, who, with his characts
~ istic ssgacity, and avarce which equal
characterized him in the latter part Of his Ii
selected the best portion Of the city for h
self,