Democratic banner., 1847-07-12

achieved that conquest, without the loss Of
a man, or the fire of a gun. That work
finished, and New Mexico. itself so distant,
and so lately the ultimatiule-th outside
boundary of speculation, and enterprise
SO lately a distant point to he attained, be-
comes itself a point of DEPARTURE begin
ming point, for new and far more extended
expeditions. You look across the long and
lofty ~chain--tlle Cordilleras ofNorth Ameri-
ca-which divide the Atlantic from the Pa
ciic waters, and you see beyond that ridge
a savage tribe which had been long in the
habit of depredating upon the province
which had just become an American con-
quest. You, a party only Of the suisse
quent Chihuahua column under jackson
and Gilpin, march upon t~hem-bring them
to terms-and they sign a treaty with Col.
D Jniphan, in which they bind themselves to
case their d%epredations on the Mexicans,
and to become the friends of the United
States. Anovel treaty, that! signed on the
western confines of New Mexico, between
parties who had hardly ever heard each
others names before, and to give peace and
prote ction to Mexicans who were hostile to
both. This was the meeting, and this the
parting of the Missouri volunteers with the
numerous and savage tribe Of the Navajo
Indians, living m the waters Of the Gulf Of
California, and so long the terror and
.scourg Of Sonora Sinaloa and New Next
CO.
This object accomplished, and impatient
Of Inactivity, and without orders, General
Kearney, having departed for California, }
you cast abnut to carve out some new work
for NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. a rich and pop
ulous city of near 80. 200 souls. the seat Of
government of the State Of that name, and
formerly the residence of the Captain Cen
eral of the Internal Provinces under the
vicc.regal government of New Spain, was
the captivating object which fixed your at
~ten,ion. 1t was a far distant ~city-about
AS far from St. Louis as Moscow is from
Paris: and towns and enemies, and q large
river, and defles and mountains, and the
desert whose ominous name pretending
death to travelers-eijornadd de los mnertoS
The journey of the dead-all lay between
you. 1t was a perilous enterprise. and a dis
couraging one, fer a thousand men, badly
Equipped, TO contemplate, No mattcr.-
Danger and hardshiplent it a charm, adven-
tuous march was resolved OH, and the exc
%cution commenced. First, the ominous
desert was passed, it, mournful appellation
Ian arid plain of ninety miles, strewd with
the bones of animals persisted Of hunger and
l,!irst-little hillocks of stone, and the soil
AIRY cross, erected by pious hands, marking
the spot where some christian had fallen,
rictim of the savage, of the robber, or Of
the desert itself-no water-no animal life
mo sign Of habitation. There the Texan
prisoners, driven by the cruel Salazar, had
met their direct sufftrings unrelieved, as in
other parts of their march in the settled
parts of the country, by the compassionate
ADMINISTRATION { for where is it that UOman is
not compassionate y Of the plying woman.
The desert was passed, and the place for
crossing the river approached. A little
arm fthe river, Bracito in Spauish) made
out from this side. The enemy in superior
numbers, and confident in cavalry and ar
%tillery, undertook to tar the way. Vain
pretentions! Their discovery attack, and
rout, were about simultaneous operation.
A few minutes did the work! And in this
way our Missouri volunteers of the Chihua-
hua column spent their Christmas day Of
the year 1916.
The victory Of the Bracito opened the
way to the crossing of the river Del Norfe,
and to admission into the beautiful little
town of the Pas0 del Norle, where a neat
cultivation, a comfortable people, fields,
orchards and vineyards and a hospitable re-
ception, offered the rest and refreshment,
which tolls, and dangers, and victory had
won. You rested there till artillery was