The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-20

this DESERT African slave labor is not necessarily exclu-
ded BY the law of climate the climate y mild enough
but then, all labor, free slave all cultivation what
ever is excluded for all time BY the stery Of the SOIL
throughout this vast arid region. There may be trAng
exceptions here and there the banks OF some 81 the
streams but the general character without doubt or
question: Is such as have represented it Major Gaines
very intelligent gentleman lately member Of Con-
gress, and governor OF Oregon. taversed part Of
this country during the Mexican war, and this is his de-
scripton Of It:
The country from the Nneces the valley OF the Rio
ande, poor, sterile. sandy, and barren, with sim
~ Wy a ne s sna
these. The mnsqnt small tree, resembling old and
called perfect waste, aninhabsd and uninaabtsbis.
There is not drop OF running water between the two
Gaudns and these only contain In the rainy
season. Neither Of them had running water when VIZ
y %ss u The Rio This i AID
sandy covered with prckly pear thses and almost every
able underground For any useful agricultural pur-
pose. the country is not worth Sous.
upon the other routes which had been travelled It's charac
every where between the two rivers pretty much the
same We learned that the routes pursued by General
Taylor south Of ours, through country similar that
through which passed also was that travelled by
Grande From what we both saw and heard, The whole
command the conclusion which have already
10 saying that would the life of valuable
and useful man ior every foot q land between San Patriotic
and can never be OF the stghfsst vaiws.
That most amented and distinguished gentleman and
officer, the late Colonel Hardin. OF Illinois, entirely
ours with Major Gaines. Here is his account:
The ohes country miseubiy tcatGed Large districts
have Watr al all The Hsans are small anda great dis
fancss apart One day we marched on the road from Mon
cova Parras, thirty FOE miles, Uthout Uafer-a pretty
we're day march for infantry.
Grass very scarce and indeed there Is none at all in
many regions for miles square It's place supplied with
prickly pear and torny bushes There in
two HUNDRED more probably no. one IN i've hand'sd a
waited the greater part OF II y The most desolae region
could ever have imagined The granite hills OF New
bras and reptiles which intes the barbed bar
Of Mexico The good land and caiva,ed spot. in
very little support Mexican and that the land which
cuI,ivafed yields s produce with li,e labor would be
surprising how It's sparse population sustained All the
towns visited with perhaps the exception of Par
ras, are depopualing, is also the whole country.
The country higher upthat is, along the Rode Nore,
from Paso del Nore Santa Fe and Taosis different in
this respect. Through this part OF New Mexico the
river runs between immense mountains, with strips
rbands OF land along its banks not always continuous
but which cultivated with grains; but only by means
OF irrigation Allow me, gentlemen, to lay before you
the cTeditable the exact the authoritative description
given by MIR. Smith, the delegate IRON New Mexico.
New Mexico Is an exceedingly mountainous country
Santa Re itself being twice high as The highest point Of
Aeghanes and nearly all the land, capable OF cuva
altitude above he a he cold
raj agricultural products wheat and and such
is entirely unsnited slave labor Labor Is exceedingly
abundant and cheap Il may be hired for three four dol
ali tue agriculture Of The Territory There i no cniSaon
except by irrigation and there is not suicency of
As 70 the existence al present OF slavery In New Mexico
Is the general nnde standing that has been altogether
tribunals which have pronounced, yet, what the law OF
tho land In this s IL IS universally considered, how
know persons the country who treated slaves
except such as may be servants TO gentlemen visiting
feeling against slavery universally prevails through The
whole Territory, aud suppose u quite impossible TO con-
vey Il there and maintain BY any means whatever
My speech was delivered on the 7h OF March Speak
ing OF what thought the mpossbility Of the existence
Of African slavery in New Mexico, said 81 would not
take pains useessy e rearm an ordinance Of Nature,
by the will Of God' meant that expression Of the
Divine purpose in the work Of creation, which had given
such physical formation to the earth in this region as
sxc1os ,Ss ssvsy from EYER
10 represent me as speaking IN any other sense was
gross injustice, Yet pamphlet has been put into crcu-
siscn, in which i is said that my remark j., under
taking to settle by mountains and rivers, and not BY the
Ten Commandments. the question OF human duty"
Cease 10 tanscrbe II adds, upon the statute book
what our wises and tes men believed to be the will OF
God. in regard to our worldly affairs, and the passions
which we think appropriate TO devils will soon take
possession Of society" One hardly knows which most
TO conemn, the nonsense the dishonesty OF such com
mentarcs on anothers words know no passion
appropriate 10 devils than the passion for gross
and libel And others, from whom
fairness might have been expected, have not failed
ment against human laws to enforce the moral laws
OF the Deity. Such persons knew my meaning very
we'll They chose to pervert and msrepresent IT, That
IA all.
In classical tines there was set Of small but rapa-
cous critics, denoninated capfdtore vsrbornm, who
snatched and caught at particular expessons expended
their Strength on the diyeca mmbra Of language birds
Of fapne, which preyed words and syllables, and
gosed themselves with feeding the garbage Of phrases
chopped, dslocaed and torn asunder BY themselves as
flesh and limbs are by The claws Of uncean birds Such
critics rarely distinguished for ability in discus
sion than for that manly, moral feeling which disdains
to state adversary Otherwise than fay and
truly and as he meant to be understood
lthas been thought remarkable, that an intelligent field
officer in the American army, writing private letter to
friend here, dated at Santa Fe, the capital OF New
Mexico, two days before my speech was dclivered--
that is, on the 5th OF Marchshoud have used this Ian.
gnage; sStt
We have papers later than the Presidents message
fancy Congress- y debating about slavery New Mexico,