The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-01

Consultations Of New Mextoo.
1 The Citizens or New Moxico, it is urred. are
| anfit for self government This accusation
seems, however, but the expression Of an opinion
unsustained by evidence, impeaching either their
] intelligence or their regard for law and order
i five may Judge of the fitness of New Mexico
I for self-government, by the provisions Of its
Constitution, we are ready to welcome her into
\ the Union That Constitution is more enlight-
ened, more liberal, and more Republican, i'll its
] provisions and spirit than the Constitutions OF
/ Virginia, or New Hampshire.
So says the Albany Erening Journal.
Passing by the compliments paid to the two
States referred to, for censure from such source
may, properly be SO regarded; we would merely
call the attention Of the conductor Of that Journal
to the annexed statement Of the Nep Orleans
Picayuns, as to the social status of a portion Of
that population. The provision for the con
4 tinuance of Peon slavery, is no doubt g more
LIBERAL more enlightened, and more republican
in his estimation than any contained in the con-
sttution of those States: aa
PUEBLO VOTERS IN NEW MEXICO.
In the enumeration of the population of New
Mexico, by Hugh N. Smith, who claims to be the
territorial delegate at Washington, the number
of Pueblo Indians entitled to vote is set down al
twelve thousand. The right attaches to them
4 because they live in settlements and are taxed
i but it is an error to suppose them to be much
more advanced in civilization or more intelligent
than the neighboring Tubes about them Mr.
Calhoun, the Indian Agent ut Santa Fe, has
stated in an official report to the United States
Government, that the Navajoes, and other tribes,
are much further advanced in intelligence and
/ civilization than the Pueblos, cultivate more
| land, have more focks and herds and make bet
ter cloth than the Pueblos. The same authority
corects the erroneous opinion that the Pueblos
form distinct tribe
The number of Pueblos, each containing in
habitants from three to six hundred, is about
! twenty, not including the Indians west or south
ofthe Moques OF these twenty Pueblos, Mr.
Calhoun says, the languages of at least ten OF
them, are altogether different and it is said by
| some who claim to be Judges, that there is not
the slightest analogy in language existing be-
tween any two of them, and they communicate
with each other through the instrumentality of
Mexican interpreters, or pantomimic action 1t
is by this class of voters, Mr.. Calhoun says, that
Mr.. Smith was elected a delegate to Congress.
That was the first occasion upon which they ex-
ercised their rights as voters, which were acqui-
red under decree of Santa Anna, made in l843.
So far as the Mexican decree is concerned, the
| Camanche Indians are also voters, for it enacts
that all persons born in Mexico are citizens.
l These Indians, thus uncivilized, ignorant not
| only of our laws or institutions and of our Ian
guage or of the language of each other--form a
| large part Of the constituency which in fort
/ nights notice got up convention ut Santa Fe,
made State convention, and having taken one
/ third of Texas to make out their new sovereign
i ty, demand admission into the Union.
I Why, in this State Of Louisiana, where we
| have few mail facilities, and our people can
read and understand what they read and have
some experience of civil government and know
| what constitutions are such sudden summons
! to a convention would not reach half the people,
and would collect only a scanty number In
New Mexico, however, where there are neither
mails, newspapers nor roads, nor intelligent nor
Ineligible people, they make constitution in
twenty days notice for a space covering eleven
degrees of latitude and seven hundred miles of
! longitude; and witha similar rapidity, may send
in another month a couple of Mexican Indian
! Senators in Congress.
| SINGULAR VEGETABLE PRENoMENoN-The
Knoxville (Tenn) Register gives the following
account of singular, and perhaps important
vegetable phenomenon
| About this time last year the cane upon
several islands in the rivers of East Tennessee
was discovered to be producing small grains,
which very much resembled rye, both as to size
and shape. 1t grew in heads and was covered
with chaff, like that of wheat. The production
| was then considered remarkable, and so unusual
| that not even " the oldest inhabitant' had ever
seen anything of the kind The conjectures
respecting the cause Of the appearance of this
unusual grain were numerous--many persons
| land some of them skilled in botanic learning,)
supposed that the cane had, by some means,
been inoculated with wheat.
This year we are told that the cane through
out East Tennessee is bearing, in almost in
credible quantities, the same grain. At some
places it would not be difficult to collect as
much as twenty-five or thirty bushels per acre.
Some persons owning cane lands have already
gathered large quantities of the grain, which
they find makes a flour equal IN appearance to
that of wheat, and equally as palatable when
cooked in the form of cakes, &c. Hogs and
fowls eat the grain as it falls from the cane,
with the same greediness that they devour any
other small grain.-Another remarkable feature
about the matter is, that so soon as the graiu
begins to mature the cane begins to die and
the indications now are that all the cane in East
Tennessee will die out this season.
1t has been suggested to us that the farmers,
by collecting this seed, might sow it upon their
woodlands, and thus have excellent cane pas
lures for their stock, and there can be little
doubt but that the gain will terminate, espe-
cially in moist lands.
= y
The MEETING IN MuscoGEE.-The meeting in
the city of Clumbus on Tuesday last was mem
orable and enthusiastic. 1t is estimated that about
three thousand people, including at least five hum
dred ladies had assembled there, making, in the
language Of one of our exchanges, /" grand and
imposing demonstration. The Columbus Time,
thus concludes an article descriptive of the occa-
sion
There were no signs Of WEAKNESS exhibited
intensity hot as the evening was, the people seemed
L. II. 1917 1zx- L..