Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-22

a
OF six hundred miles in extent, which, in its general
character must be described as barren desert agree
that IN considerable part Of this DESERT African slave
labor is not necessarily excluded by the law of climates
the climate is mild enough but then, all labor free or
slave, all cultivation whatever is excluded for all time
by the sterity OF the SOIL throughout this vast arid re-
glon There may be rlting exceptions here and there
on the banks of OF the streams but the general
character, without doubt question, is such as have
represented it, Major Games very intelligent gentle
man, lately member of Congress, and now Governor
Of Oregon, traversed part Of this country during the
Mexican war, and this is his description of it.
The country, from the Nueces 10 the valley Of the
Rio Grande, is poor sterile, sandy and barren with
not single tree of any size value on our whole route
The only tree which we saw the musquit tree and
very few of these The musqut is small tree resem-
bling old and decayed peach tree. The whole conn
try may be truly called perfect waste, uniuabed and
unlnhablable. There is not drop of running water
between the two rivers except in the two small streams
OF San Salvador and Santa Gartrudus and these only
contain water in the rainy Neither of them
mad running water when we passed them. The chap
para commences with forty or fifty miles OF the Rio
Grande This poor, rocky and sandy; covered with
prcky pear, thistles and almost every sticking thing
constituting thick and perfectly mpenetrabe under
growth For any useful agricultural purpose the
country is not worth sous.
So tar as we able to form any opinion OF this de-
ser upon the ohet routes which had been travelled
character every where between the two rivers is pretty
much the same. We learned that the routes pursued
by General Taylor south of ours, through coun-
try similar to that through which passed. as also was
that travelled by General Wool from San Antonio TO
Preside, on the Rio Grande. From what we both saw
and heard the whole command to the conclusion
which have already expressed-that it was worth
| nothing have no hesitation in saying, that would
not hazard the lite OF one valuable and useful for
every foot OF land between San Parcio and the valley
of the Rio Grande The country is not now and never
can be Of the slightest raiue
That most lamented and distinguished gentleman and
officer, the late Col Hardin, OF Illinois, entirely con
ours with Major Gaines Here is his account
The whole country is miserably watered Large dis
trcts have no water at ALL The streams small and
at great distances apart. One day marched on the
road from Monclova to Paras thirty five miles with
out water-a pretty severe days march for infantry
Grass is very scarce, and indeed there is all
in many regions for miles square Its place supplied
with prickly pear and thorny bushes There not one
acre in two hundred, more probably in five hum
dred, OF all the land we have in Mexico, which
ever be cultivated the greater part of the most
desoate region could ever have imagined. The pure
granite hills OF New England are paradise to it, for
they are without the thorny brars and rep
tiles which nfest the barbed barrenness of Mexico :
The good land and cultivated spots in Mexico are but
dots the map Were not that takes very lit
tie to support Mexican, and that the land which Gull
tvated yields its produce with little labor, it would be
surprising how its sparse population is sustained All
the towns we have visited, with perhaps the exception
OF Paras, are depopulaing, as is also the whole
try.
The country higher up--hat is, along the Rio del
Norte from Paso del Norte Santa Fe and Taos-is
different in this respect. Through this part of New
Mexico the river runs rs between immense mountains
ways continuous, but which cultivated with grains;
but only by means OF irrigation. Allow me, gentlemen,
to lay before you the creditabe the exact the auhor
tative description given by Mr. Smith, the delegate from
New Mexico.
New Mexico is an exceedingly mountainous country,
Santa Fe itself being twice as high as the highest
point of the Aleghanies and nearly all the land capa
bic OF cultivation, is ofequal height, though some OF the
valleys have less altitude above the The
try cold Its general agricultural products wheat
and corn and such vegetables grow in the northern
States OF this Union. 1t entirely unsuited for slave
labor Labor is exceedingly abundant and cheap. 1t
may be hired for three or four dollars per month"; in
quantity quite sufficient for carrying all the agrcu
ture othe Territory There is cultivation except
by irrigation and there is not suhciency of 10
| irrigate all the land
As to the existence at present of slavery in New
Mexico, it is the general understanding that has been
altogether abolished by the laws of Mexico but we
have no established tribunals which have pronounced
as yet what the law of the land in this respect is 1t
is universally considered, however that the Territory
is altogether free Territory. | know ofno persons
In the country who are treated as slaves, except such
as may be servants to gentlemen visiting passing
through the country. may add, that the strongest
feeling against slavery universally prevails through
the whole Territory, and suppose it quite impossible
to convey it there and maintain it by any what
ever
My speech was delivered on the 9TH of March
Speaking OF what thought the mpossbility of the
would not take pains useessy to reafirm ordinance
OF Nature, or to re-enact the will of God" Every
body knew that by the "will OF God" | meant that
expression OF the Divine purpose in the work of cea.
earth In this region as necessarily exclude African
slavery from it forever. Everybody knew l meant
this, and meant nothing else. To Represent me as
speaking in any other sense gross injustice. Yet
pamphlet has been put into circulation in which it is
said that my remark is, undertaking settle by noun
ains and rivers, and notify the Ten Commandments the
question Of human duty Cease to transcr be- it adds
upon the statute book what wisest and best men
believed to be the will Of God in regard to our world
~ affairs and the passions which we think appropr
ate to devils will soon take possession of society,""
one hardly knows which most to conemn the non
sense or the dishonesty of su-h commentaries anoh
er's words. know passion more appropriate 10
devils than the passion tor gross Misrepresentation and
libel And others, from whom more fairness might
have been expected have failed to represent me as
arguing, or aftordmg ground of argument, against
human laws to enforce the moral laws OF the Deity
Such persons knew my meaning very we'll They
chose to pervert and misrepresent it. That is all.
In classical tmes there was set of small but rapa
cious crtlcs, denomlnated cdptatoreS perborum who
snatced and caught at particular expressions expend-
ed their strength on the diecta menbra OF language
olrds OF rapine which preyed on words and sylabes
and gorged themselves with feeding on the garbage of
phrases chopped dsocaed, and torn asunder, by
themselves as flesh and limbs are by the claws of clean
ords' such critics are rarely distinguished for
apihty m discussion than to that manly, moral feeling
winch dsdalns to state an adversarys argument other
wise than fairly and truly and as he meant to be UNDER
stood.
It has been thought remarkable, that an intelligent
hello ofcer In the American army in writing private
letter to friend here, dated Santa Fe the capital OF
New Mexico two days before my speech was delivered
that is on the 9Th OF March-should have used this
language:
We have no papers later than the Presidents mes
sage fancy Congress is debating about slavery in
New Mexico where sIapery is prohibited By stronger
than all human la,os-the lao Of climate, and pro-
auction, and seJ-interest. Not more than hun
dredth part OF New Mexico could ever be cultivated if
water were ever plenty, such the SOIL topography
and rock OF this land But in the centre Of vast area
without large bodies OF water, the rocky surface sending
what little water falls upon rapidly down to the ocean
under an atmosphere ever thirsty into which evapora
ton is naryellonsy rapid not more than part in
two hundred and fifty can ever be improved.
And now. gentlemen, have one other consideration
to bring your minds; and that is that the slavery oil
the African race does not exist in New Mexico that
is altogether abolished; that there not single African
slave to be found among any OF its mountains or in any
part OF Its vast plains And the people OF Mexico TO a
man. are opposed to slavery their state OF society re-
leels IT. Their use OF cheaper labor rejects it, the opn
It as warmly and decidedly ash rejected Ivy the PEG