New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-14
From the Rio Grnnde-Border Defense No. q.


From the Rio Grande- Border Defence. .No.3.
Correspondence Of The Tribune
EAGLE Pass. Rio GTande, Nov IS, isH
Certain conditions which il does not require
profound Military education to comprehend, are
inseparable from a judcious and faithful defense
of the frontier, and if these are carelessly diHe.
gsrded the whole nation should unite in censurins
lis unfaithful or incompetent servants and tho
more severely in proportion as il has placed IN.
stinted means at their disposal for this service
II the Cabinet has not examined into the neces,i.
~. or not asked Of Congress the requisite fands.
ON it be the blame if il has done this and Con-
eress has refused to heed the cry ofthe bloodbath
ed border let Congress bear the burden; but letno
man dare to say that this rich and powerful Gov
eminent is guiltless toward the two hundred
butchered citizens whose unburied bones scar the
green beauty Of the Nueces Plains. Those lives
were sacrificed in wanton neglect, and the Gre
blackened and desolate homesteads that stand in
mute witness Of it, would now be smiling in the
midst of abundance with other new farms pros
perng about them, If as honest oversight of the
public wants ruled as il should rule at Washing
ton
One Of the frat necessities for border safety and
the prosperous growth of those settlements which
are it's best fortress, is sure and direct communi-
cation with the coast and the old thickly settled
country. How stands the case At the beginning
ING of is5O, when the Representatives OF golden
California stood at the tire shold OF Congress plead
ing for their right of admission, no man In elther
House knew where to look for not the best OUT
anv feasible land route 70 California; Money LOT
ANYTHING money for everything, that iosterec
! ,rr,bald abuses could De ODtaln-
| ed but Really there seems no way top provide iot
the survey of routes to the Pacific, was the voice
! of the Senate At least quote what very dis'
! tpguished Senator said to me. lie eoaid hnd no
difficulty not the least In voting hlmsei horary
| and double mileage for a suggestions Visit nome
and hack on the night between the third and fourth
of March but it was perfectly impossible to indi-
| cate track for the $4,000 souls WhO were st'us5'
ing over mountain and desert to our territory
| Pacific One sixth OF these have sunk under the
| berdships of the way, or only staggered into the
Mines TO bury there the remains oil their snst1eieu
| cors,;tutions Nothing dear 10 me mas suffered oil
the gold.fever, and the slightest touch OF IL mas
! never infected my rest, yet from the day Caluor-
MIA became part OF the Federal FANNY haSS
anxiously noted the criminal apathy oithe Govern
ment in not tracing out the most convenient INKS
| of nnion The Cabinets and the Senators OF botn
narties met every argument and every appeal wlth
| The same inaction. The Press was silent the
people did not stir no election would be MADE OF
/
| Thousand or ten thousand citizen pioneers died
| miserablv in their enterprisng eagerness TO DO
| what the Government ought to do but did not =
| They left it to the suffering, struggling emigeant
parties to unite, by the National ties oil common
! highway the opposite side OF the Natlonai DO
main. and never troubled themselves about their
| losses
To this hour there is no road, no mail route thae
seriously deserves the name connecting New
| Mexico with the Union. The route to Missouri 10
l.. lln arlt u
is through Texas down TO the harbors OF the duli
of Mexico and that is half opened by private en-
terprise The terrible waterless nine mile, " Jor-
NADIA" or desert called because it is often cross
ed by forced marches in a day, lies on the OLD
Mexican route from Santa Fee down but this
could be avoided by better reconnaissance OF the
country to the eastward. So far there has been
nohnt of such a survey, although route bearing
more eastward would leave the difficult valley OF
the Devils river out of the way as well as this
death.dealing "jOrnada," and promises besides
to cot through splendid mining region. As a
protective measure this road is absolutely neces-
sary, as it would cut obliquely across the line OF
Indians invasions and hold tire sayages in check.
Most certainly there will be eilectua check until
this road is opened and emigrant families made
safe to settle along the line; but like everywhere
| else on this border, the government Will never get
so far in the line of border utility until some prl-
| vate trading party shows the way and compels
even its owleyed penetration TO its advantage.
1t must seem severe, bat unhappiy 1t is truth,
| that the Government has nerer opened communi-
cation on this border until it has been forced into
it and marshaed its right course by the superior
| foresight of individuals The stores for the mid
| die valley of the Rio Braso used TO go around
three quarters of circle to get to Laredo until
| the teams of the merchants Of Corpus Christi
taught them a more direct way. From Eagle Pass
to the coast there is a hundred miles wasted by a
detour which might have been saved by a survey
| of a direct line to the coast from the first Now
that the citizens have done it for them and left
them no excuse for not taking the good plain short
road, the United States will get up flourish of
survey, and profit as they have hitherto done by
the outlay and exertions of private enterprise.
Do not fancy that this road making is TO be Of
any luminous cost to the Government. All that is
wanted 10 broad and accurate surveys and some
little protection the people will follow up this
line and do their own bridging and excayating-
All that is required is to make seryiceable the
force now in the pay Of the country, and employ
the engineers we actually have ia surveying and
! reporting on those routes, which, like showing
| New. Mexico the way TO the sea- and te aching tho
Pacific how best to shake hands with the Atlantic,
are the natural ligatures cf the Confederation
! This is a direct and undeniable duty, and this has
not been duly cared for at Washington. lift had
| been cared for the border would now wear fairer
| aspect and TOR one now ten plows, always bet.
ter safe guard than ten hired bayonets, would
have trenched outward. and more outward the
line Of frontier danger. CORA MONTGOMERY