The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-12-18
FROM NEW MEXICO.
SANTA FE NEW MExIso,

SANTA FE, NEW MExIso
October 80 1851.
NO The Editor Of the National Era.
But little has transpired here during the last
month of interest other than what Won will
find recorded in the Ga=etts Of this city. The
- cal sttse.es 49, s.rts--ss ,syte s.s~sa.5 IL
! was aRS,slnaiad sJ6I'..s' .neEsons here when it
s!arteI :" -.Lo.y' oOnccryvo anu
abortion was but Reasonable expectation
Whether Colonel Sumner OF the Department
at Washington is TO blame for the precipitate
movements made here by the military depart
mept | am not able to say; but there is Ger.
tainly great lack of judgment manifested
somewhere. There is but little doubt in nv
mind that the policy Of retrenohment in the
army as Colonel Sumner is carrying it out
here, will in the end be vast increase of ex-
pcnditure. A great number of horses died in
the Navajoe expedition, mainly, suppose be-
cause they had not enough TO eat, while there
was an abundance of corn and other forage
on the road, which Colonel Sumner would not
buy because he could not get it at has price
Three or four hundred skeleton-lookng mules
have been started for the States which will
probably die on the road The military head
quarters in this city, which had but Just been
comfortably fitted up Mt vast expense have
been abandoned and new works are being
erected at the Moro This is economy and re-
trenehment with vengeance
Besides this the army IL in n bad condition
The officers are chagrined at the result of the
Nayajoe expedition. Sumner has made per-
sonal enemies of several of them while even
the more prudent and reserved intimate that
they think him greatly lacking in Judgment
and not adapted to the post he is now filling.
The policy of Colonel Sumner in buying, or
rather refusing to buy, grain, has been some
thing like that of the fellow who tried to learn
his horse to live without eating anything, and
the result has been the same--just US he got
them learned they died
| You will have quite a sprinkling of visitor
from this Territory in Washington this winter
Major Weightman and Major Wing6eld lef
us some time ago Chief Justice Baker lie,
' with the October mail Hon. J. Houghton lief
here last week, in company with Captain
w. Reynolds; and the Governor learn, pun
poses leaving as soon AZ the coming Legislator
(which meets the first Monday of December
adjourns Besides these there will be j. l.
Collins, Esq, of the Gaeefte, ]. Quinn Esq, o
laos and know not how many Others.
What means all this posting off Of so many
OF our officials to Washngton-especially the
Southern ones? Have the slavery propagand.
lists some new scheme in caucus touching New
Mexico
! wrote you by the last months mail that
Judge Baker, or some of his friends for him.
had got up paper to be sent to Washington
endorsing his official character since his arrival
here, and that a counter statement had been
also gotten up by the citizens, setting forth the
particulars of his discreditabe conduct during
the fret term of his court which then stated
would be sent in by the same mail The lat
| ter paper was not sent, as supposed then, but
! learn it is to be sent by the present mail, or
perhaps has already been sent by some of those
who left here last week IL is but q simple
statement of facts az they were The Judge
got jealous in the temperance cause Just before
he left here, and assisted in organizing Di-
vision of the Sons. He was elected Past Worthy
Patriarch of the order and, thus endorsed left
for the United States, drank glass of gin be-
fore he got one hundred miles from Santa Fe,
and will probably have spree before he gets
to Washington. The better portion of the
Sons here are now satisfied that the whole
movement, 80 far as Judge Baker and his
friends were concerned, was political man9u-
vre to make capital OF in the States, and bolster
him up with the authorities at Washington.
Soon after the departure of Judge Baker, it
was remarked that the friends of the Governor
had similar paper in circulation, for the Gov
ernor's benefit, to that which had been gotten
up in behalf Of the Judge, stating that he was
sustained in his administration by all the in
telligent citizens Of the Territory and only OPP
posed by u few renegades in Santa Fe who
were opposed to oil law and order, Steps were
being taken 10 get up counter paper for cir
culation through the Territory, making no re.
Election Of severity upon the Governor, but
simply asking the authorities mt Washington
to make an Investigation, by candid and dlsin-
terested men, Of the state Of things here, and
agreeing TO abide by their decision Whether
luded TO in circulation or not, am not able to
say positively, rs did not see it; but If he had,
he either deemed it prudent to drop it, from a
consideration that prudence is the better part
of vslor,D or it has been subsequently 40 Sc
cretly circulated as to elude detection / think
it probable, however, that he has none such
now in circulation, but that he will await the
meeting Of the Legslature--the majority of
whom are his plant tools--and pocket kind
of Legislative endorsement of his official course
to carry with him 10 the States. This is only
my surmise, time will show il il be correct
The news Of the Cuban failure does not ex-
cite much feeling here. Sensible people gene
rally feel that we would be acting much more
wisely in giving back some Of our conquered
territory than in trying to get more.
For few weeks we had pretty efficient
police in this city, who kept things pretty
straight, but it has been broken up for want Of
funds TO sustain it, and disorder is already upon
the increase. A murder was perpetrated yester-
day in open day. by one Mexican upon the
person OF another. The murderer il still at
large, and the Governor has offered 5000 for
his apprehension.
The District Court for San Miguel county
held session week before last at San Miguel,
Judge Watts presiding, and did quite driving
business in the criminal line. The District
Court for BernalilIo county held session last
week at the Ranches where the unhappy mur,
derS Of Burtinett and Skinner took place The
grand jury found no bill in either of these
cases No one, presume was disappointed in
this from what had already occurred Great
indignation 10 felt toward the Governor and
Judge Baker for their course In these murders
and think with good reason. Mr.. Burtinett !