The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-29

|he Isthmus OF Tehuantepce-TheG aray and
Sl0O Grants.
IMBs GORDON BENNETT, Esq
The importance Of finding some favorable point for
eakng through the barrier Of land which separates
ose portions Of the world washed by the waters OF
q Atlantic and the Pacific has occupied the minds
men since the first discovery of the American con.
nent.
On the one side of this barrier lie the countries in
hich the human mind has within the last eighteen
INJURIES received its grandest developements-in
hich all the knowledge and arts pertaining to the
ell-beng Of man embraced in the word "civiliza-
on' have, under the genial influence of Christianity
cen successfully and exclusively cultivated. Here
he the nations whose fleets rule the seas, whose ban
Prs are seen in the remotest parts Of the earth,
hose sages the chosen interpreters of the secrets
nature, and whose missionaries carry the glad
dngs of salvation to all the nations of the EARTH
the other, an ocean of far greater extent washes
lie shores Of countries varied in Characteristic an
lent and long known countries Of the EAST" the
lew and virgin shores of North America, the semi
&yilized coasts of the southern continent, and the
ountess isles of the sea-as various in their inhab
ants as in their climate and geographical position,
ct all having one common point: that their future
estiny is yet to be worked our by the influence,
rect or indirect of the nations Of the northern At
sntic.
Columbus set forth from the Old World, not to dis
over new continent, but to reach the countries Of
he east" by a shorter and more expeditions route;
nd when he found himself balaed in this idea he did
OF cease to seek passage through the barrier
yhich his discovery had made known And since
he day Of the Great Discoverer project Of SINH
r character has attracted attention than that
f uniting the two great oceans of the globe.
| While men may have indefinitely postponed the
eriod, it has always been regarded as fixed fact
hat such communication must one day be estab-
shed.
If such has been the general feeling of men, with
low much more force is it brought home to citizens
II the United States since the day that her pos
,essions have been established in the Pacic-snce
rom her people State has all at once sprung
INTO existence, and since tide of human intercourse
las established itself between the two oceans un-
baralleled in the history of the world.
It is not strange that the neck of land Sc
|parating the two has been explored and re-
explored, and that every point which tradition or
previous geographical knowledge had indicated as
favorable have been examined.
The Panama route has as yet, through necessity,
Enjoyed almost monopoly of the travel which would
nave sought the Isthmus Of Tehuantepec had not
he perverse obstinacy of Mexico succeeded thus far
n closing it against the world.
| The comparative shortness Of this route Saving
come 700 miles from New Orleans, and 200 from
New York; as compared with Panama. its lying on
his side in under control, directed early
attention to it. But still doubt hung over its pro-
liability until the proprietors Of the Garay grant, by
y costly survey, demonstrated beyond shadow of
doubt that the route not only perfectly practical
BILE, but so beyond the sangune hopes previously
entertained Of it, while the country through which
1T lay was not only extremely healthy but productive
Of mineral and vegetable wealth almost beyond
estimate.
Thus has the physical practicability Of this route
been demonstrated. Its Importance to the civilized
world, and its enhanced Importance to the United
States as the most direct route Immediately pract-
cable between the United States Of the Atlantic
md, q maysay, IN anticipation of few brief years)
the United States of the Pacific, is fully conceded
1t is then question of paramount importance to
this country to know whether there is any immedi-
ate prospect Of this route being opened, under
such conditions as will satisfy the just demands OF
the United States and Of the civilized world.
And, incidental to this, it is necessary to know
FIRST, whether the proprietors Of the Garay gran
still hold valid claim to the right Of way, with tn
privileges connected Herewith, by that grant or Sc
cond, if not, whether the called "Soo contract" fur
nishes any adequate substitute for this grant, o
whether there can be any prospect of obtaining from
Mexico any new concession which will afJrd such
substitute.
The first question involves the history of the Garay
grant; and this has been SO often repeated in the
in vQrt f,of I
necessa ry to do more than briefly allude to its
most important heads. It is well known that
in the year 1872 the supreme government of
Mexico conceded to Don Jose de Garay, . Mex
lean citizen, the right of way across the 18th
mus OF Tehuantepec, with sundry important
privileges attached now constituting what is known
as the Garay grant; that the limits Of time for COM
mencing the work OF opening this route in two
several instances extended-the last extension reach
ing to November 1885, that before the expiration of
the time specified by the second decree extending
chose limits, the work for opening the route was &C
tually commenced; that by the terms of the grant
right to other parties either natives or foreigners"
and that under this authority he actually has twice
transferred wholly or partially, his right to third
parties In both cases. And the first trans
fer, so made was solemnly acknowledged By the
representatives Of the government of Mexico, during
the negotiations which preceded the treaty of Qua
dalupe Hidalgo, by which acknowledgment they &C.
fualy prevented the United States from insisting
dition which the conqueror might impose upon the
conquered nation.
1t is also well known that Mexico never denied the
validity Of the original grant, nor of the first extern
sion Of time and that, in affirming through her ne
gotators that the right had been granted to Next
can citizen, by whom it had been transferred to for
egners, she, so far as this act was binding, main
taned the validity of the second extension, for
The grant was at that time held under this
second extension.
Nor has Mexico ever made but one point in anull-
ing Garay's rights and that was that this second
extension was Illegal though her negotiators treat
ing with the United States as representatives of her
government and people, virtually and solemnly en-
dorsed its validity.
A distinguished American Senator, in opposing
,he Garay grant, has not only rested his argument
Ipon this point-the sole one that Mexico has made
bnt he has endeavored to nvalidate the grant even
n its very origin, and in all its successive stages
cOntesting even the authority by which it was first
made and afterwards misunderstanding doubt
lpon the affirmed compliance with its conditions on
The part of the contractor in executing the original
survey, and in commencing the work under the Sec
ond extension. It seems quite sufficient however,