New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-12
PROM BRITISH HONDURAS.


I'M and 25th alt, hope Will have reached you.
xAey were written soon after my arrival here, and
! could not avoid some errors in my statements,
which / now hasten 70 correct before continue
ny remarks on British Honduras.
have mentioned new town, built by refugees
ftem Yucatan, and wrote the name "Carru'1t'
xAis s Incorrect The name is Coro. IL, signifying
. place Overgrown by corozo trees The eoro-o or
caAo0n-Nw tree (tbe first name is that used by the
Spanish, the second that used by the negro popula-
Som is a species of palm, similar to the ol-palm
Of Guinea (ELars giuxeeRsis) 10 grows pentifily
throughout this country, and must be counted among
It, more useful natural productions. The palm oil,
however, is only manufactured here by the Creole
negroes and Indians for their own use and on that
smascale principle which essentially distinguishes
all negro and Indian industry You know that
among this kind of people wholesale prlces-u the
expression may be allowed in this apphcatlon-arc
always higher than those Of retail Dolue oi
palm oil may be bought here at eighteen Genus; ou.
If you had the extravagant idea of buying hundred
bottles at once the price, am sure "ouiu 10
Rised a hundred per cent
The settling on the British territory OF refugees
and emigrauts from the neighboring Spanish coun-
tries won find settlers from fucatan Honduras
and Guatemala here) is fact OF considerable IN
terest in the political history OF Amenca IL throws
lphf
r,le and Anglo American annexation. Wherever
tie Anclo-Americans have taken possession OF
Hispano-American country, more or less cOnsid.
cradle portion Of its inhabitants have eXpatrlated
themselves voluntarily or have been iorclbly driven
out by the new occupants. This you know, mas
been the case in Texas, in New-Mexco IN Calfor'
MIA. Here, in British colonial territory, we see
the contrary process going on. Hispano Americans
oi all shades and castles rcsOrtng by thOusandsto
the British territory taking refuge under ITS Gov
eminent to escape the sutierlngs OF civil war and
the vexatiOns VI their tyrants at home Almost the
whole population of the once hOurishlng town oil
BacaIar in Yucatan, have transmgrated to this Ter
ritOry where they have established That town Of
CorC.al of which am speaking. Ii is situated on
the sea-shore north from here, on what is called
New River Blight, between the mouths OF Rio
hon1o and New River. OF Bacaar q town Of old
Indian reputation, nothing remains but ruined and
deserted neutrality-suspicious. OF modern tunes thus
being associated with those more venerable
remnants Of Indian antiquity by which that
Mace is surrounded. A Mexican garrison
Is stin kept there; but Indian insurgents
of the Maya nation are swarming around, making
the country entirely unsafe. These Indians
the descendants Of the builders Of Mayapan and
Uxmal have repeatedly confessed their wish to be-
come British subjects. They are however, divided
among themselves in their political OpnlOns-some
continuing in Q state OF instruction against the
fighting now against their own kindred. This state
O things together with the ravages of the smallpox,
prevents me from visiting the site and neghbOrhO0d
of Bacalar. A. considerable proportion of the in
habitants of Balize consists OF Mayas, and other
numbers of that nation daily to be seen In the
stores here, where they come from Yucatan to make
their purchases. The Maya language may be heard
here everywhere in the streets.
The attraction which British dominion exercises
here Oh the surrounding Hispano American pOpula-
tons speaks in favor of the hberalty OF the English
colonial system in reference TO the social and poti-
cal relations Of As to me, you must allow
me to confess that cannot see the wisdom OF this
kind OF liberalism, and that az little as | could be
induced to spend my life in Slave State, just az
little feel inclined TO live III community IN which
"a minority of white men are on terms vi social and
political equality with negroes, Indians and the dill
terent gradaOns of Intermediate castles. That equal
ity. however really exists here; or where it does
not exist the disnC ton is in favor OF the cOlored
races against tlc white. British Honduras, in fact,
ia a republic of negroes, Indians, muattoes, &c,
t0leratng a few white people, and having no other
restriction than that its Presdent-called the Super
intendent-is sent by the Government OF Great
Britain. White men are tired here by Juries com
posed of hegrOcs and while j write these very
words gang of convicts, all white men, are trans
ported by negro overseeT through the street under
NV window. The policemen of this town. together
with their officers ale negroes and muiittoes vi
the military force of the settlement, only the artillery
are whites the rest not only are negroes, but even
native African negroes, who have been taken from
CAPTURED slave vessels and obliged to serve for
eleven years in the British colonial army before they
heeome their own masters. But whatever may be
thought of these facts-the lbcralty OF system OF
almost absolute equality Of races-whlte men, org
inaly the masters and sOveregDS, voluntarily sub
uniting to il and TO all its social c0nsequenccs-of
course must be very attractive to the Hlspano-
Creole Hisp4nO-Indian and HlspanO-NegrO pOpula-
tons of the adjoining countries. That such sys-
TEN is incompatible with the mind and spirit OF
American Efe, you know well as do; and
Its consequences would prove as dlstasteiui to
the Northern AbOlitiOnst TO the Southern slave
holder. The former would be unable ~ bear
that stagnaton of life, that physical and moral dirt
and hat mpOssibGty of escape from IL, which Is the
necessary consequence OF large majority oi the ii-
feror races whether free slaves and to which the
slaytbolder, however he might think it insupporta-
bic to live among a dominating "nigger" populs-
ton would at least be well ocustOmed from bus own
home in Carolina or somewhere else IN the Slave
States
But while this colony proves that some English
men, and principally such as are living snugly at
home in England, and are well provided there with
sufficient number of very obedlent white servants,
are more liberal or tolerant in reference to race
than Anglo Americans afford TO be. The facts
prove likewise, that AngO Indian life, ut
least as represented here, must have good deal OF
the duness aud stagnatlOn which alone could make
1t c0ugenal to HispanO-A Americans, whom We see IN
yarebly disappear before the gale OF Anglo Amerl-
can energy and activity. They are kind Oh fish
unfit 10 live IN running water. The noise OF Anglo
American enterprise drives them away as the DASH
ing wheel of the steamer chases the frightened fish
OF lake whose quiet had not been disturbed before.
The old-tashoned dullhess Of life IN this settlement
alone could suit them, and their immigration, there