The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-28

ESQ.,, has furnished the AmTtcdn Flag with con-
Of the amount Of freight, &c. between this place and
Brazos Santiago, from which estimate it would
appear that the actual cost Of the road, in fact,
will only be some $l44, 600. Persons familiar with
enterprises of this nature affirm that the dividends
must be larger than any other in the country, and
feel sanguine of its entire success.
We have no news from the upper Rio Grande,
and the health of this place Is fine. Rio BRAVO.
Our Albany Correspondence.
ALBANY, May 26, 1864.
Lamentahe State of AGairs-The Union upon the
Verge of again Topping Wailing of the Alarm
sas-Peckham's Posit,on-His Fail, &c.
Again the country is ruined. Once more the dis
contented fanatics are upon the eve Of dissolving
the Union all account of the organization Of the
Territories Of Nebraska and Kansas for the purpose
Of facilitating emigration, and preparing them for
admission as States, all others outside Of the orr
ginal thirteen have been admitted. But the coun-
try has been frequently the verge Of ruin in pre-
vious days. and the disappointment of the alarmists
that it would not stay ruined, as they hoped aud
predicted, was never greater than it will be now.
We, of the second generation, have a thousand
times perused the records and papers relating to the
purchase of Louisiana by President Jefferson-how
indiscreet it was to pay fifteen millions for tract of
wild lands, inhabited only by savages Frenchmen
and bowling animals, extending to the far West
even to the Mississippi-beyond the region Of law,
gospel or civilization. For this act Jefferson was
burnt in efgy, his intentions villifed, his motives
impugned, and his administration most We
hemently slandcred and strenuously opposed.
While negotiations were pending for the ac-
QUESTION of Florida, in order to extinguish
the Spanish title upon our southwestern border
then again the spirit Of alarm was awakened, and
the opponents of the measure set the country, in
Congress and out, in blaze asserting that Florida
was inhabited only by Creek and Seminole Indians,
living in morasses Of which the territory was mostly
composed; that the savages could never be subdued
and civilization never enter; that the lands were
unfit for any kind Of culture or cultivation and the
purchase Of them was nothing but gratuity to
Spain. When the annexation of Texas was mooted,
and proposition to admit it into the Union as a
State, then the howlings of the same aarmists be-
came more desperate than ever. They spread the
alarm MAT Mexico would never submit, that Santa
forcibly wrest Texas from US, tear the lone star
from our national emblem, and thus disgrace our
union. Aye, and they threatened, too that in such
crisis mighty host Of American citizens would be
found with armor on, ready to assist in restoring
Texas to Mexico. We all recollect the excitement
of that o:casion--how Clay, Van Buren,, and other
ambitious aspirants for Presidential honors, op.
posed the annexation, and how, by that opposi.
| Non, they became politically entombed; and
| when, in 1845, Texas was invaded by hostile
armies, and the soil crimsoned with the blood of
| American s0ldiers-when chastisement became in
dispensable, and war with Mexico inevitable, loud
lamentations again resounded through the land
from the press, the stump, and the pulpit-denounc-
ing the war-that it was aggressive on the part of
| the United States; that its only object was the
grasping Of more Mexican territory, and that all de.
| tenders of our country's honor were {" human
butchers" and should find "hospitable graves" in
Mexico And when that country was conquered by the
Mexico had nothing in her treasury to offer. General
| Scott might have held possession by conquest of
the entire Mexican possessions to this day, and the
United States forever after. But in lieu of money,
lying upon northwestern border. But the fanatics
the free soilers and observation-disclosures highly
| exasperated at the proposition. They taught the
doctrine that California could never be subjected to
| the federal government-its inhabitants consisted
only of illiterate Mexicans and Indians, and few
soldiers from the Atlantic coast sent out at the COM
| mencement Of the war, under COL Stevenson. It
would cost many millions annually to support
standing army to keep the people in awe, without
the least benefit to the country or to mankind.
| Such has been the uniform conduct of band of
restless discontents for half century. What would
be the condition Of this country this moment, had
| the several administrations in power lent them
| listening ear2 Who would possess the Louisiana
| country now who Florida Texas, California, IL
destruction had visited this Union often as these
disorganizers desired? Instead Of weakening
every acquisition Of territory-the admission Of
every Territory and State in the Union since the
original thirteen-has added might, strength and
Greater consolidation go to the government. And who
the separation Of either Of those acquisitions from
the confederacy? There is no man so wild and
fanatical. As well might proposition be enter.
as Texas, Florida or California and though the
latter lies thousands Of miles distant from the ma
tional capital 1t Is az easily governed and the laws
are e. highly respected, as Id old Virginia or the
Just 80 with Nebraska. The spirit which perse.
cuted Jefferson, which opposed Louisiana, Florida
Texas, California, is the same which burned Doug
Of the Union upon the acquisition Of the territories
west Of Iowa. The infection has fastened itself up
on our immediate representative in Congress- Rufus
W. Peckham. He made speech against the organ
ization Of those Territorial governments, and re-
corded his vote in accordance with his speech.
There are some remarkable passages in that speech.
Among other things, be said that che was no poll
tician"-that he went to Congress against his own
solicitation Of his personal friends" No "politi-
clan" aye Why, such assertion ont of the State
Of New York may be listened to; but in this region,
so well known it is not believed by single indivi.
dual. He has been politician from his very child
hood, taking in his latter days o very prominent
leadership; and since John Yam Buren, defeated him
been one Of the most bitter opponents Of the free
soers and among the cherished apostles Of bunker
ism. Peckham no politician! In whom, then, have
the hards confded? Again: Our worthy repre-
" Congress against his own wishes and in
clinations." When making this remark, his
mind must have been in o state Of wonderful
hallucination. He might have deserted the hunkers
ana gone over to the soft and free soil enemy with
much better grace than 70 accompany his defec-
uQp With an assertion which every voter 10 this