Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-10-25
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE LATE EVENTS ON THE RIO GRANDE.

THE LATE EVENTS ON THE RIO GRANDE.
BROWNSVILLE, ION the Rio Grande,)
OCTOBER T. 1851.
MEssRs. EDIToRs The suuggiers' war on this
frontier has at length commenced soldiers In the
defence Of their country's laws and innocent women
and children at their homes have fallen by the
bloody hands of band of creatures lnred on to
such acts by the thirst for plunder and the bribery
of those whose dollars far exceed their principles
in NUMBER and who seem TO be striving TO increase
the disparity between the two.
For some time past the valley of the Rio Grande
has been in state of ferment, arising principally
from the stagnaon in trade, added to the naturally
restless disposition Of the population. This stag
nation has arisen from the fact that under the pro-
hibtons and high tariff Of the Mexican Govern
ment (the northeastern States being now stocked
with goods from the United States) the end will
not justify the means, and fortunes cannot be made
by smuggling as easily as they could twelve months
ago. In other words, times are getting hard"
Property which twelve months ago was worth
thousands is now reduced to hundreds and some
method must be adopted to meet the repeated calls
for money from the creditors.
The valley Of the Rio Grande, SO much vaunted
and held forth to those UhO haze neuer seen 1t as
the Eden of Texas, if not of the South, and in
praise of which the most vivid imaginations are
so largely drawn on to describe waving fields OF
golden grain, where naught but thorny chaparral or
desert wastes exist is, in fact, without the utmost
diligence, energy, and industry, nothing more than
desert Unfortunately, the inhabitants possess
but small portion of any of these qualities. They,
like all people among whom it has been common
for individuals to rise from penury to opuence in
few months, neglect or discard the slower and more
certain way of obtaining livelihood; and coun-
try which, by the application of small amount OF
capital and two of the greatest elements of success,
industry and energy, might be made to rival the famed
valley the Nile in poductveness, is left, for the want Of
these, almost in a state Of nature.
The soil is aluvia of immense depth, and will venture
say surpassed in richness BY any in the world but,
though containing but small proportion Of sand possesses
the properties Of sandy soil in absorbing immense
amount Of water. II possesses this quality in such great
degree that in two days after the heaviest rain the surface of
the ground is almost dry as it was before it,
During the months it rains but seldom, and when
it doer not very copiousy The thermometer ranges from
about 9Oo 1899 Fahrenheit and the result is that the
ground becomes cracks open in great 6ssues and
unless kept well moened vegetables and grains Of oil
kinds lose the power of drawing from the earth and
burnt up. is attempted remedy this in cuivatng
by planting very thick that the leaves stalk may
shade its roots and with the help of the dew keep the
earth about them moist But this succeeds only partially
and if the weather happens to be dry during the planting
season, the seed will not come up at all
In the winter months there rains; they
regular there is less heat Of and the ground kept
moist and open But crops very uncertan and, al
though they may succeed very we'll for time, any
moment liable to be cut down by FROST and the efforts and
labor Of whole lost The poor people, in the
tme having trusted to their crops and made other prov
sion for their sustenance left almost in of
ton. This the last year, when, the 9th Of De-
cember, all the crops down heavy FROST the winter
supply destroyed and many families reduced actual
The thing needul therefore, 10 do away with the
cess for raising two BY raising enough in
to satisfy the Of the whole year. ,Uater How this
be obtained By artificial irrigation, Of course raising
the water from the river. By the investment of few thou.
sand dollars in ,vnd % water enough could be obtained
10 keep the land constantly irrigated for miles around abun
dant and luxurious crops could be raised and the ground cu
vated with ample during nine months of the year
and with industry this valley could be made gar
den spot indeed far exceeding any thing that has yet been
described by the most lively Imagination There is hardly
day that there wind sufficient keep these mills in
constant motion.
Thus has bounuly placed ready the hand of
all the necessary for carrying successfully
agricultural operations, and all he has do put bis own
shoulder to the Wheel and with comparatively slight efforts
bis part reap rich harvest But what the facts of the
case Notwithstanding every thing said by certain class
of writer's with reference to the producveness of this valley
facts speak against them. Not solitary MILL any other
structure for raising water has yet made its appearance on
the banks of the Rio Gande Cultivation ) goes of
DID, principally with the wooden ploughs Of the Mexicans
crops distress arises where plenty should abound and
the only to relieve the want is by importing grain from
New Orleans and this is done in large quantities for will
that FIVE hundred bushels of the native
grown has been sold this side of the this year.
any preceding Even the Mexican military obtain
this imported grain romth sde Thesuppy Of the Mexican
population the other sde any great extent prevented
by the prohibitions tariff of the Mexican Government
Such being the position Of affairs, is it to be wondered there
many restless and abandoned characters this from
tier, that they should seek promote popular excitement
in order to advance their ends i
The American merchants have hand large Of
goods which legally be into Mexico with any pro
fit account of the high tariff and in attempts to smugge
them in large quantities have been SEIZED and lying
in the Mexican custom-houses the river. To get posses
sion Of these goods and open the ports for the purpose of
sing in Others these mercenay individuals work upon the
passions few dscon,ensed Mexican and employ great,
number Of Americans place themselves under the
mana Of certain Carvaa from the American side Of
the riser and, under the Of revolution, attack the
town. rather Of Camargo. After the slaugh
ter Of about fifty Of the Government troops and number of
helpless and children, they take possession Of the
place, publish pronunciameno, seize the
declare the port and for the purpose of dividing the
fha oiod