Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-04-03
Letters from the Border---No. 8.
BY CORA MONTGOMERY.

EAGLE Pass Saturday, Feb. l. 1851.
The Rio Bravo (ronter-includng the strip of country
about which much is said and little done in the way
of protectonwill present. it deveopes, geograph-
ical arrangement Of morals, peculiar 10 itself Like
three layers of different coored earhs ranged above
the other and showing their edges on the uncovered face
OF the bank we have, between Santa Fe and the sea
the three colors of servitude We have the upper
line the Red Race peon slavery, which is thought
most moral and excellent thing by the Mexicans-hat
is, by those rich enough to own peons-and it will be
counted as kindly and harmless thing at Washington
until it be manufactured into kind of combusti-
bic gas, wherewiih light up the province Of Bum
combe. Then the middle region the land Of ores,
and wheat and vines, into which the White Race are
rapidly forcing their servtude of wages. Here the
cords of bondage twisted of the triple strands oi
want, ignorance and intemperance. In this abcpndng
country, the first would soon dwinde cobweb but
the other two but together they hold numerous and
miserable Of slaves in bondage They mostly
foreigners but wherever born they little their
masters to any honorable purpose, the Red seris in
the district North of them the black slaves the
South. They live and toll, grove and die, in closer
equality with their different ceored neighbors, than they
and other whites to admit-and OF course society
IS never to blame for their fall The army and navy
would be lively and instructive parallel, il tle gentle
men of the whip and gallows school had free sway
Well, enlistment, whatever cramping debasement
be imposed upon the ignorant oiler for wages, is
also innocent and moral 1t must be, why do gallant
officers and wise Congressman and rich capitalists,
cherish it heavenordaned thing! If opposition to
it is wrong. and ridiculous bcsides why
ed at by these nigh ones when speak OF instruction,
employment and support, the natural right of all the
children of man? Decidedly this must be an absurdity
and the Golden Rule of Him the tabeBorn, was only
intended TO regulate genteel e and the proceedings Of
legislative bodies
The third class of servitude is stringent and
changing than the other two though generally attended
with less personal suffering. Black slavery Is
sharply Defined but it is the best fed.
line drawn in the most direct and available course
from Santa Fe to the Iiulf-and the Government will
find it without help, years may well be
mentioned again, that it would nearly hundred
miles, something than that to the east OF the
nearly impracticabe road Preside del Norte
down to the grassy and welwatercd wales in which the
higher of Colorado approach the OF the
PecOs and thence skrtng and defending it went, the
settled edge Of the counry 1t would keep sonthward to
the Gn TO meet, and to some purpose the Rio Grande
line of defence, and make safe all that is enclosed be-
tween them-On this line, like three beads a string
will be found the three shades OF seytude to which the
maternal lorehought OF society devoes her children from
their brth-each one best BELTS mercy justice, and
his color. Geography has TO do than people are
willing own with their moral views servtude
Negro servitude is abomnabe in Great Britain; but it
is perfectly moral there il not absolutely praiseworthy
to keep soldiers, and sailors, and servants " in their
proper place" Now in Louisiana Shareholders may be
ound who think it improper to brutiiy enlisted men
with the lash and TO compress the life OF factory chill
dren INTO an iron coffin, which mind and body is pinch
ed down 70 a senseess clod. Then people have
preIudlces about the ensavement of the Red race bat
1t Is not an immortality in the latitude of Mexico, though
African slavery is and they hold the chain of the
crouchng peon in one hand, while with the other they
beckon the negro TO steal his owners horse and fly it
to their arms and liberty. That may side by
side the beauties and the blessings of all the varieties
we-regulated servude known to domestic and
Christian institutions here they unroed togeth
er and offered to comparison, in the genial soil
of Texas Like her vast diversity of soil and produc-
ton, which enables the opposite tastes to find what
pleases them best those who wish pet morality,
can have it of any color they fancy; they can
choose the sin they have mind to- and make all
right with their conscience and what people think
of, with public opinion, by double amount of
verify to those they not inclined to-"
CORA MONTGOMERY.