The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-30
A MASS OF CORRESPONDENCE.
LETTERS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE CONTINENT.
ANIME OF INTERESTING MATTER.
Affairs in The United States, Canada,
Mexico and South America.
The Silver Mines OF Mexico.


EXPERIMENTS TO NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OPERA
TIoNs-wHY MEXICO SHOULD BE ANNEXED TO THE
UNITED STATES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Your correspondent "Ameri Janus" is undoubted-
ly In the right to his statements respecting the
great wealth of these mines, and also as to their
producing more silver than all other silver mines
Throughout the world.
His question is, however, easily answered as to
why emigranss from the United States, and other
countries, do not go there to work them.
In the first place, no one would invest capital, or
even his own personal industry, in country where
the government of that country not only taxes
capital and industry to its fullest ability but in
return afford |, him not the slightest protection in
person or property
Such is the case in Mexico, where every separate
State or Province ia under the supreme control of
family or clique who possess political influence
enough to have one of their number, generally
military mau, appointed governor by the supreme
central government.
Once appointed, he Is responsible to no one for
his acts and exercises the most rigorous despotism.
These satraps, much as they quarrel among them
Selves perfectly agree In thing, aud that is in
Intense hatred to all foreigners particularly North
Americans. The same hatred is participated in
by the church; and the lazy priests and ffiars
who do not, for obvious reasons, wish to see the
existing state Of things changed, unite wit,
the political power in instigating their aocks
to the humane and Christian practises of
relentless persecution, and even assassination, OF
those who attempt innovation or progress Of any
kind in any department Of industry or commerce.
That this statement Ia rue beyond all denial is per-
feCtly well ku0 Hn TO all who have at any time re.
sided in Mexico and for this and similar ns, 40
foreigner, or very few indeed, ever gives up his
nationality to become citizen. In the rural dis
tricts no movable property atsl is safe from de-
probation If a ranchero, let him be native or for
eign, accmuates few articles Of use in husbaniry
suddenly band Of nocturnal disguised marau-
ders, who may be probably his neighbors, make
descent upon it aud carry 1t away in single night;
and be 1t remembered that it is strictly prohibited
In Mexico to carry arms, even for defence
In the second place, commerce is SO hampered
and saddled with imposs of all kinds, that every
article brought from abroad costs quadruple what
it should do and that provisions and clothing ia
the mining districts are enormously dear. Flour
sold at Guspajuato only the year before the last at
$50 per barrel In addition to the nearly prohiDi-
tory duties at the ports of entry, every little town
house az which all invoices have to be certified at
runcus expense, which, sd led to the immense
cost or TRANSPORTATION ia wagons or on pack mules
makes evei ythiDg costly.
republic. 1t contains with its suburb-Mar6l--
nearly 500 600 inhabitants, all of whom, or n-arly
all are supported by mining.
The process uset princi pally is ama'gamation,
and the largest .rt Of the quicksilver employed Is
transpoi ted from the Pacific seaboard mules, and
Is brought from California. A "vara,r or share, in
the best of the mines IN lis neig hb rhoo costs from
$4,000 70 100 600. The machinery used is of the
rud st description, and there ara few scientif,
miners; still The prices OF the shares show that they
pay handsomely.
There il no doubt whatever that there is bu. a
Small portion Of the mine,a ath of this country,
constituting the heat Of Mexico, yet discovered.
The spurs OF the Sierra Maire, and the great Cordi
leIa Itself doubt contain not only ycalsl sill
yer but also of gold, quicksilver, and precous
metss and gems, paeticular ly emeGaids, wncn sac
imsg 'Dation can hardly conceive of.
Tfsse treasures are locked up securely from III
the world until the progress of liberal ideas sal
release them from the EARTH and Convert tnsn iuto
what heir Great Au shor placed them there fof--tue
Eedium # prosperity 70 the human race. TOTS -
suit, however, be OBJ aimed un til the sh,
poliii o. state If Mexico is entirely hanged an
the present dominant race so changed By a large
admixture of Ri blood Of the Martin neri aad
Euro leans, that they will possess the full power.
Large as are the prosels products of these miuas,
let ere be q railroad from Vera Cruz through the
city IF Msx,o to Guiana uato to briog Goals TO the
mines, d the products OF thass minds would be
doubled the hIst gear, after which IT would go on
at the rate cf compound interest
Again, invest In the work the skill, science and
craft which the Mexicaus have not, nor ever will
have, extend your road to the Pacific, and silver
viii become as plentiful IL is now scarce 10 the
mstts Of the civilized world
To do all this however, as to develope the agri-
cultural resources Of Mexico our race must descend
npon those fertile plains and into that beautiful eli
mate in sufficient numbers to the miserable
moDRrel Mexicans. Nor does it require such vast
numbers either. mixture OF ten per cent OF Yam.
KEYS III he present mosly population would be quite
enough. for 1t is the moral force and weight which
Ia wanting.
There ae other reasons why the annexation of
Mexico should be desired a boon to the whole hui
man family. Her vast agricultural capabilities would
be largely developed. Mexican indigo is worth
more than that of the East dies in London always
being of far superior quality which is owing to the
soil AID climate. Again, sugar and coffee, choc).
LATE cocb nsa and million o. other things of sr0
pical product almost indigenous. Finer favored
coffee cannot be had from Mocha than that produced
In or near the mining regions.
Large or better sugar cane never was grown
thsn that in the same region. And yet have seen
the lszy Msxicans payiog for foreign grown coffee
aud sugar, when II las neglected in their very fields.
/ knc W a hscendado in the llano-or plain-of Leon,
who has a silver mine on his hacienda uto which,
wren ne stands In ueed Of $500 or 81 0OO he turns
his poems, the serfs of the estate, an goes into it
like gobg into strong box, takes out enough to
suffice for his present necessities, and leaves it until
another call Is made upo. him for funds, to pay
his gambling debts.
There Is no country probably in the world, not
excepting even the coveted Island OF Cuba, which
offers sucn inducements TO a large bojy of military
emgisnt acting In concrt, or, as 1t 10 the fashion
to cal them fhousfe'os, n Mexico And whyG Be-
in other country dres the labor of the hus
bar oman LAY we'll az there, and in none is the
price OF p. o. uce high and tie price of labor so
cheap.
In ls50-51, when trs yelled through the provinces
Of Durango, the State of Jalisco and in MoDeil,
Indian corn, which forms the almost eutre bread of
the population, was from 81 TO 81 per bus lel beans
used universally as diet by all-in some instances
S. TO $40 per bushe aud At toe same time the ave.
rage daily wages Of iaboring man two reals--25
cents per diem.
In ordinary times maize-is from 50 10 81
Der bshsl in the interior, and labor two reals aad
one ration or Is cents and ration Of beans and
corn.
In the cities there are few carpenters or black.
smiths, 20 that their wages higher but for ma
eons who ara the chief mechanics, so cents per day
Ia considered liberal wages.
All foreign mechanics being more skilled than
the natives, Of course have nearly the sams wages
as In the United States.
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