The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-23
THE SOUTHERN CONVENTION.
ITS CLOSING PROCEEDINGS.
The Explorations of the Amazon and
the Pacific Railroad,
&C. &c, &c.
The Exploration Of the Amazon.

III
trumpet and with voice Of authority but the case Is
far different now I am vonturing to address my supe'
riorsnen eminent among their fellows, selected TO re-
present them in this august meeting and many OF thom
celebrated as orators scholars, and az statesmen IL
under these circumstances should fail to express clear
v the poor thoughts that propose to offer to the consd
Grafton this convention trust that shall be excused
when il remembered that have spoken in such
a presence before. resolution of this body, adopted
last year at its session at Memphis reads thus
Resolved, That this convention highly approves the
steps which have been taken by the United States gov
eminent TO obtain the fullest information in respect to
the countries bounding the Orinoco Amazon, anl la
Platte rivers, with view TO opening up the trade
of that vast region to American enterprise; and
the Senators and Representatives in Congress from
the States represented in this convention
spectfully requested to all proper means by the
establishment of mail steamers from the pert OF New
Orleans to suitable points the South American CONT
nent COR IN such other mode as may be Geemed most
expeden to to the people of the United states
the advantages Of trade and intercourse with the regions
referred to-
The information resulting from the steps which this
convention has thus approved has been, indeed, OBJ
Aimed but particularly concerned to say that it is
ot OF that fun character which is desired by the com
,erca interests of this country, commensurate with
lie over and ability which this government may have
tnake ii full I do not mean to cay that the orsAnza'
in OF my exploring party was imperfect, or to admit
hat failed TO use ny abilities for the attainment
circumstances but sim pie reconnoissance-a prelmina
examination for the purpose Of ascertaning the how
and the where TO look for full and perfect informa
ton 1t could not fairly have been expected that
unprepared / for such service, without the
of transporting the astronomical and other
Philosophical instruments necessary for full nves
tigaton Of natural phenomema-conhned to canoe,
and limited in my means oil locomotion and transpor
taon vast exanse of country to the action Of
paddles in the hands of Indians, that could make re-
port with the Importance of the subject
such as this great government ought TO offer TO
the commercial interests of the people Ny report is
then aud could be- before said but reconnaissance.
How the duty assigned to docking at it in this Light,
has been perormed must leave to others 10 say but
myself constrained TO say that clearly imper
fectons and shortcomings and sometimes almost
driven to weep with vexaton when consider that for
got this or neglected tha-when think that the time
and the opportunity have irreyocaby passed away
and that may never be able to track back aud recover
that which has been lost have doubt that all who
hear recognise he feeling of which speak indeed
there Is nothing common among as the proverb
of crying over split milk fine exemplidcation of
it Tor rather of its REVERSED not long ago My friend
Lieutenant McRae Of the navy crossed the continent
from Santiago in Chilli, to Buenos Ayres, under the
ders OF his chief Lieutenant Gss for the purpose of max
ing some observations on the route. Some accident |
think the fan of his mule injured both himself and his
shronometer, which inerfered with his observations
at one or two Of his points, that he did not
IN some Instances get satisfactory results When he got
home, and compared his chronometer, he discovered
his He could not endure the reflection that he
had lost anything, he obtained permission from the
hs expense. mention this because love honor
resolution, and that indomabe energy that will not
fail 1t however easy, when sitting at Preside at
ease and free from and casting back the thoughts
10 bygone times and scenes to say within ones self
with mournful regret Why did do this, and why did
neglect that ~ forgetting the moment enfeebled
health the shattered nerves. the sinking heart the per-
yered judgment and the whole wretched physical and
mental condition to which he had been reduced by long
continued privaton and exposure Few persons except
those who have proved it, of the effect that
THESE two causes sometimes produce men who
&posed to them Walter Scott describes Mungo Park
oman of darkened mind and brooding melancholy Led
rd declares that he has known both hunger and naked
Jess to the utmost extremity of human suffering that
le has known what it is to have food given him rs
Aarity to mailman and has, at lines, been obliged
70 shelter himself under that character to avoid
greater calamity Castelran who has been described 10
me man of powerful frame and great courage,
so reduced in his descent of the Ucaya the
sion Of not finding town that he sought ami whore he
expected succor TO sit down and weep. NV an
cestra linsman Merriweather Lewis, great North
western explorer, destroyed himself Captain Stokes
OF the British navy, weared and with
anxiety and in battling with the tenn
pests Of Cape Horn, during his survey of the
predecessor the Amazon, destroyed himself do not
to say that hardship and exposure the imme
probable that they their upon the minds and
bodies of these unfortunate men-hat they helped to
left then, reduced and eneebled to battle Ion
ger with the storms of life myself, little have
suffering from sickness OF body and mnd-tossing in
restless ecsacy the yeong night hard deck Of my
canoe, tormented with thickcoming fancies and partc
nary With the thought that had undertaken more than
was able to perform and that had placed myself in
position where to the words of the wretched othe!
"a fixed figure for the time of scorn
To point his slow unmoying finger at"
say that at these times have forgetting the canon
against self slaughter and all my misery) grasped
The handle Of The pistol beneath nay pillow with the
feeling that there had friend or have looked with
1he dark and suHen waters of the mighty
river. But with renewed health comes renewed
have thought that / desired to see the face
of the Amazon again; but now comes to my mind the
Jacobs father-I don't mean Abraham though he WAS
father Of the faithful and Jacobs grandfather) Bet
ter luck next time And am ready now to adopt the
doggeel of the Duke OF Argyle regards the Bob of
Dumblane-
"1s wee 1GSss vssl Ssss, wss se01
would therefore, respectfully ask the consideration of
lion going little further than its resolution Of last year.
md asking the government of the United states to enter
into negotiations with that Of BRAZIL with view of send
ing two small government steam vessels to make pro
per and full exploration and survey OF the valley Of the
Amazon. l am aware that the government OF Brazil is
anxious upon this ec and somewhat fretfu 1t has
been annoyed at the rumors going the rounds of our
newspapers OF armed expeditions being fitted out in
ports for the purpose OF forcing trade with the people
who dwell upon the the river it taking
accordingly for the defeat ofany such schemes My
asst letters from Para informed me that brig of war was
stationed of each mouth of the Amazon and that the naval
orce at Para TO be considerably augmented think
that citizens are not personally unpopular in Brazil
On the far observation goes stand
rs high in the estimation of the Brazans any other
people if not higher; but sorry to say that the
Cl Brazil mas an unWise anu somewhat I'M
manly fear Of what writers in that country call
aggressive and encroaching spirit These writer's go
far as 10 call us pirates and say that we intend TO
cease our sggressons until shall have rooted out the
Gothic from the continent of America and planted
the Anglo Saxon in its stead This is nonsense yet ar
Eumens like these have been used for the purpose OF
awakening the alarm and hatred Of the Spanish Amer
republics that the head waters and some Of the
tributaries Of the Amazon, in order to induce them to
enter into treaty stipuations with Brazil by which
well all other foreign nations might be kept out OF
1hat river These arguments too, would have succeed.
cd but that fortunately had at the place OF negoa
zion the most experienced and wetrained diplomat Of
our country Ito nothing Of his great mental abi
lies the Hon John Randolph Clay Minister Penpoten-
fsry Peru. Putting himself in communication with
fhe representatives CT all the Spanish American
states of the Amazon, and arguing with great
reason and consummate tact and ability, he
beat the Brazilian Envoy at all points and although this
latter succeeded making treaty with Peru by which
he hoped so far Peru and Brazil concerned to
shut out for at least Ave years yet Clay soon showei
that this treaty instead of shutting out, actually let