Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1851-07-12
From tho Commonwealth.
Sonora.

The sonorous name of this remote aud
little known State of the Mexican Republic
is apparently about to become as famous as
Texas or California. A considerable band
of adventurers, well armed and, il is said
efficiently commanded, have gone from Cali
fornia TO help the Sonornns to throw off their
connection with Mexico, aud to become indie
pendent What is the pretence? The real
object, of course, is to conquer and annex
Sonora TO the United States as was done i'm
the case of Texas, and attempted in the case
of Cuba.
The prizo is certainly tempting. Sonora
is one of the largest, and in natural wealth,
one of the richest of the Mexican States.
Its area is twice us great as that of New Eng
land, and it has coast Of several hundred
miles in length on the Gulf of California,
with many harbors, one of which, that of
Guhymas, is said to be the best port in Mexi-
co. Lying between the 9th aud 33d paral-
lells OF latitude, it has fine climate, the air
dry, pure and healthy, except along the coast,
where the ground is marshy, the soil is rich,
and the atmosphere humid. 1t is generally
hilly and bare of wood, large protion of it
lying on the table-land but the soil is eX-
ceedingly fertile.
Sonora is productive of gold, silver and
perals. The proportion of gold which the
mines yield is so considerable, that toward
the beginning of the century, that metal did
not, IN Sonora, preserve the relative value
which it had elsewhere. The largest piece
ofpure gold ever found inNIexico was procur-
cd there, and sent to Madrid as n present TO
the king of Spain, where it is still preserved
IN the Royal Mueseum. Humboldt states
that all the ravnes and even plains of the
billy country contain gold, scattered up and
down the alluvial land. Masses ofpure gold,
from five TO eight pounds in weight, have
been found there and forty years ago Arispe
the Capitol, was celebrated throughout Mexi-
co for the vast quantity of gold table utensils
made use of in the houses.
The population of Sonora is probably
from 100000 to 100000. There are several.
towns with from 5000 to 10000 inhabitants.
The largest of these, we believe, is Cuiacan.
This population is composed of various
Indian tribes, with some whites, and many
OF mixed Spanish and aboriginal blood. They
nre said to be hostile to the Mexicans and 10
desire to be independent of them. They are
also said TO have great liking and respect
for the Americans, and to be perfectly will
ing to have their country enter the Union as
State. These last assertions, we suspect,
are TO be received with considerable allow
cnce.
But there seems to be reason to believe,
| that portion of the population of several of
the northern Mexican States, whose ale
glance to the central government has never
been very strong, would be glad to emanci-
pate themselves entirely from its feeble con-
troll; and perhaps not unwilling to ask ad-
mission into Union, the power OF whose
government would protect them from the
terrible inroads of the tribes of sayages by
whom they are now harrussod, and would
ensure them degree of internal tranquility,
to which they have been strangers ever since
their separation from the Spanish CROWN.
But if even the people Of these northern
States, of Sonora, Sinaloe, chihuahua and
Durango, were loyal to the Mexican govern
ment, we doubt their ability to defend them
selves against even few hundred of such
desperadoes as California in her present
state could pour upon them. Their conquest
will be certain and easy, for Mexico is not in
n condition TO assist them and the govern
ment of the United States could not at SO
great distance, effectively interfere.
That such a conquest would be unjust,
there can bo little question; and rs little,
that the results of 1t would be OF immense
advantage to both the conquerors and con-
quered.
II is said, we know not how truly, TINT the
ndventurers who have gone TO Sonora intend
TO found Slave State. lfso, we are conf
dent they will find themselves mistaken.
Sonora if annexed, must at the outset de-
rive her American population from Califor-
MIA by land, and from the free States of the
North by sea; and will doubtless have a
population and institutions like those of Ca
lifornia, which she strongly resembles in sur
face, position and productions.