Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1847-05-31
MEXICAN CHARACTERISTICS.

Domestic Slavery in Mexico-The Condition of the Pc
ons cr Sssvcs--1hcir Habits and Esinvagsnce--
The Freedom q! a Peon pureha sod by Gen. Shields.
TIM ST Louis Republican has able correspondent
with the army in Mexico. whose letters pssess a pecu
liar interest. as the following extracts will show:
AT tho hacienda llernanas there one hundred and
fifty poems The services Of these poems are hired to-
gelher with the land. Ips plantation and pegroes
leased cut n LOUISIANA. On hacicndas there
gnore fnan Thousand poems.
This system Of peoaaee Of the mos, singular char.
aeerisics Of Mexico. by the constitution Of Mexico.
which went into operation in 1884 slavery Is ftcver
prohibited in Nexieoo Yet notw outstanding this pn,-
vision, there county in the world where
the slavery Of mind and body is more ahlect than
IN Mexico. IL is true there me called savos-tle
ze Is Domestic serYanis-hut the services required
al ssa and the power OF the over them arc as
great as those possessed BY Shareholders the Southern
United States over their slaves
Mexican may become Jeon IN two ways-voun-
tniis BY contract. sgreeine TO bccome pcon fr wa.
ges agred on between The penn and his master 10 whom
lie lis himself "a iuFoio0aril,, where Me,cau Is
sad ~ debt, Of sud By parent Im dca u other con
sdefztia.
Aesles@ sIe s'rsnsyly fond of gauly clothing and
FEsrlmcs " ihei' hoEsas. T. shisn those they will
IN dsh 10 The sacrifice. ,f tei, liberty The lower
rassfs rarilcuiar, fond Of wearing silver buckles on
then hat hands Al Nj nclovia heard a French NO.
-r<z who resided there, pointing 10 Mrxican enclan
-"Nai fool tina, fellow Is he sold himself to De
5eon 10 buy that hat hand -
zr,iclrs. he ssles wealthy man fpr them h,r
Eain " ssScL b. WHICH he booncs indebted 10 his more
wealthy ne'rhbo in sum. This sum b, agrees
to qudaie domestic scrviiudo al spala,ea pr,ce
Tr nssh, which IN Northern NeS ieo range, from two
30 81 dollars pr month When man has become in
'Seed to sa9hor. ard unable psy he bas no alter
native but 10 make similar sgrecmont
II debtor IL unable Hing to pay his creditor
e"s a~ ~ ssnida sod makes ls complaint The alcado
si-er,s hm assify me debtor 10 come h.s,,e linn
md II ta4 - 4 "a,
I'D snd punished 1r contempt The parties are thus
tIouSh' sninrnsrily boiOTe the slcalde, who hears
the sisieaaenss II both Pr os, sometimes under
Tsih and often without administering an, wha,oy-
." "hen there ,s difference Ia the statements
II the parties - as to make the alcalde doubt
he hoars witnesses iihets saiis6ed what decision he
ahOsld uzkn he decides upn the ~.tg statements Of
She parties II the decso. against the debtor he is or
derod pay the due The creditor a, once and if
he Notable iodo he is forthwith imprisoned in ,he cal
sbs~e. II the debt still remains unpaid and the cred
1T feprsisai r'e deoy b'onp IN and sold for the
sfaaaii' "A tie deta, wtt~ he pay in wages of from
two and five dollars monh The debtor t,ls b,c,mes
peon until he discharges the debt
Poems have the privilege Of changing masters b, get,
ting some one else to pay the deb, they owe When
tins Is done. transfer ii the right 10 the psn takes
Iaoe, and he has o bis master as he had In.
hfsi yner.
Women become poets in the samo y,y ss men b,,
lnost generality by contract.
" hen a man bccomesa peon, he removes his family
he has 10 house, rather hut provided Tor
him by his fnsster by law CUSTOM (he latter being
al much the mea yalnly) there are allowed To c,cb
peon Nv" aHnodes OF corn, (siou half hnsholl each
week, which Is given 20 him usually on SUNDAY morn
ing lhs IS adj the provision master has To make for
his Teon. All his other food and all his clothing. the
peon has TO provide for himself This want of provision
~ the clothing and Of the pco, leads 10 ano
ihor scgsavaton Of his condition.
II the master furnishes his any food or clothing
w other aTties,a regular account s,or should be kept
81 them, and they become addition the debt which
tho Peon originally owed. And ,sSr. he ran obtain his
freedom, he has pay these debis as well as the
I'D one No one will trust peon cxcrp, his master for
he has no means OF payment The Mexicans are motto
fiousiy an impwvident. extravagant people When
'h"s see an object, even baube. which they desire
they VIII seek TO obtain H. even the expense Of free
uom. And thus, by supplying the actual wants, and
randering 10 the yliiaed taste of the peon for paudy
finery, the master keeps his peors perpetual suboc.
II rs very rare, when man once becomes peon tina,
he ever aains his freedom. The extreme low rate @,
~ages, the small price paid for the products Of the soil
and or stock Of all kinds, and his real wants and best
ting extravaganza retain tho peon in unonding bond
age.
The custom of The country requires tina, there be some
time duriug the week allowed the peons who reside
IN the ranches and haciendas. labor poop of In,
ine fr themselves IN ga dens which are allotted to
hen by this MEANS and by the help Of their wives and
ond'en some poems have an abundance Of vegetables
Ihey do mol. however. seem 10 desire many II they
have god picb Of red peppers, seems TO supply ali
heir nans, as fully, II, least, potatoes do the wants
a the Insh Their principal fiod consists of ,orlas
and peppers Meat is raIel, by the peons Some
o them have fowls goats. Sleeps and cows Of their owl
and from these. occasionally supply themselves Yet,
they mol fond Of meat, like tie the Americans and
cat bu, little Of it, Wheat bread is an article of winch
they taste but little
When peon misbehaves. he is subjected 10 the lash.
Oh II his owner prefers he gets order ,m an alcalde
'ompnson him. When addressing his master, or one
q the wealthy citizens, poon takes off his hat, and
speaks as respectfully Americas would do before
court Of justice.
THERE'S however, one great difference between Mex.
lean and American slavery. In the United States the
slavery Of the parent descends upon his children II is
not 90 in Mexico The child is not ensaved because bs
rafen'e were, lie he bound pay their debts And
as far as can perceives it lie stigma to have been
the u peon. Color here is no badge Of disgrace
and II man can distinguish himself, he s free to dc
without having the stigma Of birth OF color attached
Tit
The labor required Of the poems is not ususnaly Sc
we're. AT every rancho and hacienda there il large
number Of them, in proportion the work that is to IL
d'no Onr-four,h Of the same number of Americans
would do the same amount Of labor.
In tho vicinity Of Hermanas, we were Informed that al
es nihe teniis Of the inhabitants were poems should