The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-18

OF the astronomical corps stationed. Lesvin,
frontera, with the exception Of two houses, Their
Is no settlement for forty miles. The land of tn
potiom is In many places Of fine quality, and val
doubtless be under cultivation a. soon ss it Is fol-
TO be secure from Indian depredations.
Las Sruces is settlement Of q population OF
about 500, and is six miles below Dons Ans-the
ehiei business OF the people agriculture, and that
confined chiefly TO the raising Of Indian corn. Tho
great consumption OF this product at the military
posts along the frontier has induced MANY. bot&
Americ9ns and Mexicans, to engage In its culture.
So sngdlarly improvident are the Mexicans, that
Am informed by dealer that he is nov selling
them corn for Planting, taking their obliRa-
tion to return six fanegas in the fall for each one
furnished now; and that this very which he il
now furnishing them was received in payment for q
similar debt last year The aspect of Dona Ana
has nothing about it to please stranger; the bar
racks and the principal buildings upon slight
elevation, and though great improvements have
been made ,hc place is very dusty and dirty Major
Shepard, Sd infantry, is comm dant Of the post.
the military force OF which consists of company
OF infantry and one company Of Sst regiment Of
dragons, commanded by Captain Bafad Oar
camp is about three miles from town, aud within .
short distance Of the river.
Yesterday, at IL o'clock, the dsterm ma sion Of the
initial point Of the boundary line ny the astronomers
OF both nations WAS ratified. About ~ ocIsca a
large party assembled to witness the ceremony.
The whole Mexican Commission was present, and
as many Of our own As were not upon duty at other
points The splendid corps of rag0Ons, ommand
ea Dy Their gallant captain, escorted the American
Ornas, Meshla, and Dona Ana were present on the
occasion. The spot where the monument is to be
erected is a high bluff near the west bank of the
rNer' ana commands most charming view.
just mere the river makes bend, and exposes o
broad beautiful valley, through which the river in
seen gistening-towards the the view is closed
by the Jagged and stern peaks Of the Sierra de los
Organos. The documents ratifying the decision Of
the astronomers being signed, Mr.. BARTLETT adj
dressed the assemblage:-
Gentlcmen:-The event We are about to cele-
krata ,un 81, II
ment, is Of deep and peculiar interest. 1t is one
which may fill an important place in our country's
history for ages to come The boundaries of great
nation are intended to be permanent, and are de-
qusnt events may cause an alteration Of them The
limits or boundaries of kingdoms, empires, and re-
publics which fourished in ages past, though tho
respective nations they were designed to separate
have passed away, still have their places in tho
worlds history, and prove important landma ks
to the historian. They guide in tracing the ex-
tent Of nations: They exhibit the greater or less
power exerted by them. They show US the extent
of their migrations, their conquests, their union
with adjoining States. Again, these boundaries
designate to future generations the geographical
position of nation under the several forms Of GO
vernment under which it may have existed, in the
various phases Of its rse A prosperity and its de-
cline. They show what nat ion has accom-
plished as an empire, as kingdom, and as repub-
lines in other respects. They often mark the pro-
gress and limit of branch Of the great human ia
mily the earths surface, independent of its civil
position. Language, manners, and customs, science,
the arts, religion, end even civilization itself,
characterized by the oundaries Of "a country. This
may be the case, Notwithstanding the boundary re-
ferred to is constituted by an arbitrary or nero
imaginary line. Natural bounda ries tend in a much
greater degree to perpetuate the Of
nation; in fact, it may with truth DO sa. d that
they invariably preserve them. The point we are
about to establish and mark as an important to
the United States, and the determining Of il is not
less so to Mexico. The commissioners who signed
the treaty of peace between the two republics,
stipulated that the boundary line between them,
west Of the Rio Grande or Bravo del Norte, should
run from the point where the said river strikes the
southern boundary Of New Mexico, according to q
certain map which the commissioners had before
them.
1t was agreed by the commissioners who have now
met here together, that the point referred to is in
latitude 80 y North. To ascertain this on the
earth $ surface, was matter Of great labor, aud
only to be determined by the astronomers Of the
two commissions These gentlemen, Senior Salu-
gan on the part Of Mexico, and Lieut.. A. w. Whp-
pie the part the United States, with their re-
spcctive assistants, have made large number of
observations eIendent of each Other in order to
ascertain the true location Of the point in ques
and have mutually agreed and determined 1t to be
at the spot whereon We now stand.
The commissioners and surveyors Of the two re-
publies being satisted with the results arrived 1T
by the chief astronomers, do therefore ratfy their
decision; and in conformity Herewith, do now es-
tabsh this the initial point Of that portion OF tho
boundary between the United States and the ro-
public Of Mexico, which, at ~ y north latitude ia
TO run three degrees westwardly along the whole
southern boundary of New Mexi,o AS future evil
dence ofthe decisions made and agreements entered
into by the authorities representing and acting in
behalf Of the two republics, they deposit in the
ground ut the spot whereon the initial point monu-
ment is to be erected, glass vessel, containing y
copy in Spanish and English, of the following docu-
meIt, duly signed, sealed and witnessed
The toliosing was then read in the two languages
by the Secretaries -
BE il remembered, that on the twenty fourth day
Of April in the year Of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and fifty one, the Commissioners and sur
yeyors, ON behalf of the Unite States and Mexico,
named TO run the boundary line between the two
republics, in conformity with the treaty of peace,
dated at the city OF Guadalupe Hidalgo, on tho
second OF February. lsis, and exchanged at Quere-
taro, on the thirteenth day of May, of the same
year, being fully satisfied with the operations made
and the results obtained by the astronomers OF tho
two commissioners, do establish this point on tha
right bank of the river Bravo or Grando del
Nortc in (32 deg " MINI thirtytwo degrees
twenty-five minutes north latitude, which, in ac-
cordance with the provisions OF the fifth article
Of said treaty, is "the point where it (ho said river
Bravo, or Grande del Norte,) strikes the southern
boundary Of New Mexico.
BE itlkewise re membe red that the distance from
this point to the centre Of the bed, where
ally runs the river, in the directis Of the pa
rallol, Is (2l9m. I, two hundred and nnctcea
metres and four tenihs, following the line east from
said point.
For the greater solemnity of this act appear "a
witnesses ON the part of the United States, Brovt.
Captain Abraham Buford, OF the FIRST Dragons,
ommanding Company H., (present the coca
sion,) and Col Charles H5ppin, aid-de-ca mp to
his Excellency, James Calhoun, Governor of tho
territory Of New Mexico; and on the part Of Mexi-
co, NJ. H. Juan, Jose SarchcH. Political Oh ef of
the Canton Of Braves, in the state Of chihuahua,
as first authority of that place.
Written in duplicate in English and Spanish, and
signed and sealed at the point established, on the
day Of the month and year aforesaid
(Signod) PkDRo GARCIA CoNDE, Com'r.
JOINS X. BARrLErr, COn'r.
JOSH SALuGAN, Astronomer.
A. A. WBIrrLF. Sury'r. and Astr'r.
In presence OF Thos H. Webb, Secretary; Fran
esco Jimnes, Strio. Juan Jose Sanchez, A. Buforj,
Brevcnt Captain First Dragons, Charles A top
pin, ad-ie-camp 10 his Exccle acy the Governor OF
the territory of New Mexico.
The bottle containing the documents and n list
Of the commissions then buried, and tho ccro.