Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-04

really have mado offer of eight millions to Mexico,
cannot well reduce it, but certainly beyond that amount
is neither right to CO. Let the inquiry be
made from those best informed the subject to the
nature and value of the property and Improvements sub
to Indian depredaons in that portion of the Mexican
territory and venture to predict that intelligent and
disnteresed person who has knowledge of the subject
will say that the Indians commit that amount of de-
probation there in twenty years to come.
AS regards the right Of military rail road through
Mexican territory, consider it Of but very little cons
deraon We want route Of the kind south of the ter
rtory which possess, and if we had should not
it. for boundary is already far south Of where
should think Of locating road Of the kind. do
not believe the privilege Of having route south Of what
already possess could be worth hundred thou
sand dollars
Your correspondent Co. has taken nae literally when
auding to the voue Of the land at cents instead of dollars
stipulated in the treaty but do repeat, and seriously
that from all learn from reliable sources as to the
nature Of the country, do not believe that any COM
binaton ofcapitasts could be found who would give
million Of dollars for all the wild lands it contains unless
they disposed to venture into the speculation in the
way that they would buy lottery ticket with viii
ngness and ability to lose the investment under the
chance Of drawing high prize. Would g. himself II he
had million at comafnd, be willing to risk y on this
purchase sober sfe inyestment from which he would
expect to realize his capathd interest to say nothing
ofprot? Ifhewoud do 50, know another person who
would not The Mesilla valley like most other valleys
Of the kind has strip, to two miles wde Of
good land and all outside of it is desolate and barren
Almost all the territory of New Mexico is represented to
be Of the kind Of land where crows would starye
made auson to the 'territorial grandeur Of the
United States being worth only dollar for two hun
red acres poor fellows Of volunteers in the
Mexican war having in their land alotments by Con-
gress but miserable compensation for their services
Lands in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri Mississippi
Arkansas, and Louisiana thing those in New
Ne xco and tho territory embraced in this treaty
another Ii our poor fellows of volunteers who
fought in the Mexican war; had been allotted only one
hundred and sixty acres fue thousand acres in
these latter territories think indeed they would have
ceived very miserable compensation for their bravery
Even if these lands Of better quality than they
are the location of them renders them comparative
y valueless for it will be Of the very last portions of
the continent that will be filed up with population, and
not until hundreds of millions of other vacant lands now
belonging the United States have been disposed Of The
writer understands that Mr. BARTLETT the late Boun
dary Commissioner is now this city and although the
writer has the pleasure Of his acquaintance he has
doubt that that gentleman, if nterrogated, would
confirm oil that the writer alleges in regard to the
character Of the newly acquired territory Is your
correspondent who seems to place such high value
these lands that large tracts of fair lands
at this moment be purchased in Virginia at fifteen cents
per acre. and that Of still better quality at thirty cents
If the testimony which thus far have to
the general quality Of the lands in New Mexico and in
this newyceded territory correct the lands alluded
above fifteen cents of far better average quail
ty; and who would not prefer giving for the same
quality fifteen or even thirty per for land in
any part Of Virginia to five cents cent in
that far distant and savage portion Of the continent where
market exists for the produce within thousand miles,
and possibility Of getting such produce even to such
distant markets
am convinced the the subject is investigated the
more fully it viii appear that argument be drawn
from the intrinsic value of the ceded territory in favor
Of the payment Of such immense amount Of money.
Whilst g. is disposed to the late Administra
for the part they took in the Garay grant, be should
recoect that whatever support the Cabinet Of Mr.. Fill
may have given to that grant did not go so far
their action is known the extent Of the Senate Com
mittre Foreign Reiatoe Tir report OF NIr mason,
the chairman of that committee, amounted almost TO
threat Of actual if Mexico did not recognise it.
am at loss to understand whereof obtained his ideas
political economy when he puts forward the argument
that the money paid to Mexico will not be lost to this
country because it will 60 to assist the industrial i'm
provenients Of Mexico" from which shall as COM
ercia nation derive advantage Without stopping to in
qure how much of this twenty millions would under the
present Government and the existing state Of things in
Mexico be applied to improvements Of any kind think
if to adopt plan Of bestowng money on foreign
nations with view any advantage which in
our favor from their application Of the money, we had
better select the objects of bounty other
ton than Mexico; though, to my commonsense view of
such matters should infinitely prefer to keep the money
at home for improvements, and thus derive the
sho benefit arising from the expenditure rather than
the inhnitesma portion Of the honey" e. calls it,
that would to US; if it expended in the
improvements of England and France, the still greater
approach to nothing which share would se if e1pend-
| ed in Mexico. D.