Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-10-31

sonora from the Dark side.

A late letter from Sonora, published in the
SAN Francisco (German) Journal, contains some
very bitter and not unamusing remarks of the
climate, soil and society of that country and
since rumors have been circulated that the Ad-
mnstration is negotiating to purchase all McXi-
co above latitude 20 deg. north in may bc proper
for the public to know what may be said against
those who may become our fellow citizens. The
tHa translates MS follows:
Sonora is the land where the most brilliant col
orcd humming birds make their home. and shoot
hithcr and thithcr with auowy speed, greeting
every flower ON the way, to suck honey with thu
siimmest of all bills. Sonora is the land where
the pctallas, tunas, oranges, melons, figs plumS,
hachumilcs, red and green Spanish pepper, Par
udse apples. and, above all, beans, thrive glor-
ously. Sonora is the land whore the sugar cane.
the best maize, and the most luxurious wheat
grow with the least labor; where hospitality
makes her home so that pcnnilcss dler can
live for years without labor where beautiful wo-
men and maidcns are gracious to the foreigner
and where. finally, rich mines of gold, silver,
copper, lead, iron and biSmuth are abundant and
unclaimed, SO abundant that every step falls upon
some valuable metal or ore.
But every thing has its dark as we'll rs its bright
side and SO 1t is with this same Sonora. In
Urcs the capital of the State, YOU can get no
per cup ut that among 1000 inhabitants. you
cannot find barber to shave you an indusui-
Gus mechanic cannot earn comfortable living
the best families, when at the table, take their
food from the dishes with their fingers, and, un-
like the Turks do not wash their hands before
and after eating and ii is considered no impro-
pricty for the mother to stop during her meat tu
hunt for lice in the heads of the children at her
side if they happen to he troubled just then hy
the Vermin. In this same Sonora you may often
travel along the main roads for 80 miles without
lding Il drop of water the thermometer, during
the hot season does not sink beloW 90 deg. OF
Fahrcnheit in four months with the exception
OF "A few small tracts of good land. nothing is Wis
ibc save chOyas and mountains barren, or, at
best, covered with thorn bushes the ccntipcdc,
the scorpion the rattlcsnukc, the poisonous vi
per, the wolf, the Wildcat the coyote, and the
puma abound; you cannot venture lullong
away from II town without danger of being slain
by the Indians the river beds are empty in the
dry season, and are filed to overlooking with I'M
passablc torrents In the rainy season and most
of the dwellings are worse than our stables.
1t is true that hospitality makes her home in
Sonora; and she Is particularly kind to you when
you have been robbed OF all your property, so that
You can no longer buy anything the poor man
will divide his plate of heans and his tortllla with
you, and then steal the last shirt from your bO-
dy; he will lie to you, rob you, cheat you, aud
when nothing more is to be made out OF you, Will
tell YOU to clear out, ana call you pendclO'
(coward1 The conversation in the best society
turns on nothing more than who wore the incest
dress, the cOstcst shawl, tho prettiest ear rings,
at the last procession how the ncighbors live,
how soon increase may be expected among the
horses Of the family how often this or that per.
son goes to the confessional how this servant
girl that boy had her or his hair cut of, to de
priyc the lice OF hdingplacc and 50 ON.
Sonora is the land where every loacr is u
Don, and every servant girl Dona : whore
the merchant orders his clerk to bring him coal
to light bis cigar. the clerk orders the servant.
man 10 bring him the coal, the servant man or
dcrs the scrvant-b0y to bring him the coal, and
the boy, having no one under him, gets the coal
aud passes it to the man, who passes ii to the
clerk, who gives it 10 his master. SO ora is the
land where the wealthicst men are half merchant
and half smuggler, and all gambler; where labor,
industry, honor, manlinCss enterprise, perscver-
auce. and all manly virtues, are empty names
To lose land, house and wife and play, to cheat,
TO lie. to act the loaGcr and the dandy. to rdculc
intelligent and honorable foreigners, to commit
petty thct-ior they can do nothing on grand
scale yes, such are the virtues of these misera-
BILE wretchcs, Of whom Sehor Montevcrde said, in
a speech at IIormosllo, they are proud to belong
to the magnauimous Mexican nation Indeed
the Mexican nation is magnanimous.