New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-03-04
Navigator Of the Rio Grande.

| Some wisescres Of our day are as positively
certain that the Rio Grande is not navigaole as
their leaned prototypes Of Salamanca were IN
their day, that there was no lands for Columbus
10 find On the unknown side Of the Atlantic
When il is navigated as it can and must be, many
hundred miles above their utmost limits Of pos
able navigation" they will be as much puzzled
to understand the feat as the prosecutors OF Cali
leo were to comprehend the impossible" possi-
bility Of the earth moving around the sun These
positive gentlemen have not yet even learned the
name OF the River on whose capabilities they pro-
nounce for the most part, on the hearssy Of those
who have some petty sectional interest to nurse,
without ever examining for themselves the full
data for a candid decision. They use the old
Spanish term of description of " Rio Grande del
Norte"-tbe great River Of the North-or simply
the Rio Grande,' the Great River, applied TO
il by the inhabitants near It, 70 distinguish 10
from the smaller streams-its tributaries In the
earlier reports on this river some of these schol
arlv writers talked Of the River "Rio" Grande
and the River Rio del Norte. taking in their I'M
taught innocence the Spanish for river (rlO/ as a
part of its proper name. BRAVO is the proper
name of this stream, and the English prefix Of
"river' would be more suitable than the Spanish
word "rio" In a national document of record in
our own tongue, as its distinctive appellation
of Bravo would be more correct than the terms OF
description OF "large' or from the NORTH al
though those were very well IN the hrst maps OF
newly explored region.
The Bravo River is not the chosen river Of my
heart, vet it is of high vaae as a boundary river;
as the avenue TO rich mining country, still to be
learned and developed; as the naturs hIgh way Of
an immense region, inferior indeed 10 rich and
Astounding Middle Texas, but still Of fee capsbli-
ties and rare saubrty; and. finally. as a line
I nh he fai ia nj
ken, we are bound TO Mexico, ~ our oSn people,
and to civilization, TO relieve from its bondage to
! Mexican aggressors and Indian murderers. To
make this River available as a means OF union and
communication, and render it barrier OF comfort
and protection to the vast region it waters, 1t
should be made navigable and to the great cross
thorougbfares that cover outlet and inlet for the
endangered country, should be transferred the
forces now snugly quartered in safety and idleness
in the central towns.
1t is said that the river is not navigsble, al
though of the only three efforts TO test this, every
one was successful. These three efforts were
made in common boats, at diverse seasons, with
out any preliminary knowledge OF the current or
its various difficulties, and without the force or
means TO remove the slightest impediments IN the
bed of the river. The first boat, the Harry Love,
came up to Eagle Pass and Fort Duncan, and re.
ported the rapids of Las Isas, Tor Kingsbury s
Falls as the only important obstruction. The
boats crew, however took her through these
rapids and where that can be done strong, suit
ably constructed, iron steamer could force les way
when a channel is cleared. To place on unan'
swerable ground the facility of cOnquering this
"impassabe barrier to navigation the official re
port of a competent engineer which has been on
/ record in the War Department already nearly
| two years without action, states unequivocally
that a channel can be made for a small steamer
| for IS GEO. Contractors could probably be found
who would give bonds to the United States TO ex.
Al. - To- q md q
open to steam navigation one thousand miles OF
| this boundary river The boats would be small,
but they could carry each small gun or two, and
traI sport troops with activity from point to point
70 meet, drive back, and etfectuah Overawe, the
wandering tribes of savages who now battle and
set at derision our slow, and always alter time,
pursuits.
/ The second boat was the "Maj. Babbett"
keel boat fifty feet long sixteen wide, and draw
ing eighteen inches water. In this Capt. Love
ascended the river goo miles aud to within 200
of FL Paso finding as before the principal, 1t not
the only important obstruction, at tho rapids at
Kingtbury's Falls, through which the boat was
warped by her crew. The last exploration was
made by Lieutenants Smith and Mechler, who
went up from the mouth of the river to about one
hundred miles above the mouth of the Pecos, and
this at the very lowest stage Of water. Their re-
! port have not seen, but their trip confirms the
feasibility OF the Bravo TO light draught steamers
since they actually navigsted it at the worst sea.
son up 10 the very gates of the silver region, and
through the range Of Indian infested country, in
which even the smallest steamers would be the
most Efficient Of all defences
Before the government or any OF its servants
ventures 20 abandon the protection OF the IRON
tier let $4,000 be placed at the disposal OF
the Secretary of War, for the purpose OF open.
ing the channel Of the river and, il it can
be done we have tribled the hopes and security,
and cleared away the worst impediments OF the
frontier settlements. How any practical man
dare or can, set bis private interests and opln-
ions against such a national necessity as the nav
igation OF the Bravo TO its utmost capacity, would
be a marvel if we had not so many official short
comines TO take the edge off our astonishment.
| Until distractions are cleared at kngsbury Falls,
| Rsmall iron steamer with swivel gun should
be placed on the river above those rapids, to
| cruise up and down from the PecOs 70 PresidiO,
and cover that 800 400 miles of frontier. After
a million or two has been squandered in forts
where there is nothing TO defend, as Tor example
| in the rocky bArrens above l. as Moras where set
Elements will find no sustenance in half ceatury,
and after the blood of another two hundred citi.
zeps has fertilized these plains and after private
enterprise has labored out the clear and perfect
| way, this plan which am about TO state will be
| adopted. The Rio Bravo the west and the
| most direct line Of communication between Santa
| F6 and that coast will enclose between them the
country most to be defended in this direction
| These great lines, resting at their southern ex-
tremities on the Gulf Of Mexico, and converging
at their upper extremities to where the great
traverse from the valley of the Mississippi would
inteTse CT their northern apex, if well defended,
would defend the whole region. Steamers on the
! river. on the one side, supported by stationary
forts at such points as command, like Eagle Pass,
a large inlet to the most populOds actions, and
connected with the coast by protected trails
range of temporary forts on the other or eastern
| line, extending from the upper edge oil inhabited
the interlocking tributaries of the Colorado and
RIO Bravo, and a cross range efforts from the Rio
Bravo eastward, to meet the great land highway
from Santa Fe TO the Gulf is the only sufficient
plan Of protection for the wide expsnse of Indian
infested country that separates New Mexico from
| her nearest neighbors and the seaboard. Until