The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-06-26
Extract from Memoir of the Proposed Territory
go. -. Of Arizona - - = j 4.

known as the Gadsden Purchase, lies be-
tween the thirty first and thirty-third par
allel Of latitude, and is bounded on the
north By the Gila river which separates it
from the Territory of New Mexico; on
the east by the Rio Bravo del Norte. (Rio
Grande,) which separates it from Texas;
on the south. BY Chihuahua and Sonora,
Mexican provinces; and on the west by
the Colorado river of the West, which
separates il. from Upper and Lower Cali
fornia. This great region is six hundred
miles long by about fifty miles wide, and
embraces an area of about thirty thousand
square miles. 1t was acquired by pur-
chase from Mexico, during the mission of
General Gadsaen, at cost of ten millions
of dollars. In the original treaty, as
negotiated by General Gadsden, more
southern boundary than the one adopted
by the Senate of the United States in
confirming the treaty, was conceded by
Santa Anna. The line at present is irreg-
ular in its course, and cuts of from our
Territory the head of the Santa Cruz
river and valley, the Sonorita valley,
the San Bernardino valley, the whole
course of the Colorado river from point
twenty miles below the mouth of the
Gila river, and worse than all, the control
of the head of the Gulf of California, and
the rich and extensive valley of Lake
Guzman, besides large and extremely
valuable silver region, well known both
to Mexicans and Americans-the planehas
de la Platte. General Gadsden's line
included nearly all the territory south of
the Gila river to the thirty first parallel
of latitude-ail the advantages above
mentioned-gaye us the mouth of the
Colorado river, and probably a port near
the head of the gulf at Adair's Bay. We
have no accurate survey of the West coast
of the Gulf of California, but / am strongly
of opinion that the original line conceded
by Mexico, would have thrown portion
of the gulf into American hands, by cut
| ting off an arm of it extending east and
north from the main body of water. A
port on the gulf is of great and immedi-
ate necessity to our Pacific possessions
Of this hereafter.
The proposed boundaries, Of the Ter
ritory of Arizona, are the 34th parallel
of latitude, with New Mexico on the
north, from the 103d meridian west to
the Colorado; Texas on the east; Texas
and the Mexican provinces Of New Mex
| leo and Sonora on the south; and Califor-
mia on the west. The new Territory
would thus contain within its borders the
three largest rivers on the Continent,
west of the Mississippi-the Rio Grande,
Gila, and Colorado of the West, and en-
brace $4,000 square miles.
The Gadsden Purchase is attached by
act of Congress to the Territory of New
Mexico. At the time of its acquisition
there was scarcely any population except
a few scattering Mexicans in the Mesilla
valley, and at the old town of Tucson, in
the centre of the Territory. The Apache
Indian, superior in strength to the Mexi-
can, had gradually extirpated every trace
of civilization, and rcamed uninterrupted
and unmolested, sole possessCr of what
was once thriving and populous Spanish
province.
Except the report of Col. A. B. Gray,
there is scarcely anything in print with
reference to the early history of Arizona,
beyond the scanty but valuable notes oi
Major Emory and Hon. John r. Bartlett
in their reports, and in the appendix to
Wilson's late book, +" Mexico and its Re.
ligiou." To this last beg to refer any
reader who desires accurate information
respecting the Northern Mexican provin'
ces, presented in straightforward com
nonsense style.
In the possession of the writer of these
notes is a map drawn in 1857, just one
} hundred years ago, presented by the So
ciety of Jesuits to the King of Spain
: The original of this map is now in the
archives of the Mexican Government. Il
was copied, with the notes relating to the
Territory, and to Sonora, chihuahua, and
Sinaloa, by Capt. C. ?. Stone, late of thu
United States Army. The map bears the
inscription, Carte lerse par la Societe de
Js:uites, dediee au Roi d Espagne en- 1857
The copy of the map and the accom-
panyine notes are certified as accurate by
the officer of the Mexican Government
in charge of the archives.
!, Myinformation, therefore, upontha early
history of this comparatively unknown
domain, is accurate and reliable. As ear
ly as 1887, a Jesuit missionary from th'
province of Sonora, which in its south
ern portion, bore already the impress o
Spanish civilization, descended the vale!
of Santa Cruz river to the Gila. Passing
: down the Gila to its mouth, after expfor
ing the country, he retraced his steps, pen
etrated the country north of the Gila rive
for some distance, and assembled the Sail
mas or Salt river, and other northern bran
ches of the Gila. The explorations o
: this energetic priest did not stop here
. Proceeding east, he explored the vale,
of the San Pedro and its branches, thenc
7 along the Rio Grande and the Mesila Val
3 lev. Filled with the enthusiasm OF hi
: sect, he procured authority from the hes'
= of the order in Mexico, and establishe
| missions and settlements at every avails
bic point. In report to the governmeI
of the viceroy Of Spain, made during th
early settlement oft province, / find th
: following language: "A scientific explors
!. ton of Sonora, with reference TO miBeralog.
; along with the introduction of familie
,fi viii lead to discovery of gold and silvs
|. so marvellous that the result will be sue
Y Is has never yet been seen in the world.
e The reports on the immense miner
: wealth of the new country, made by Il
e Jesuits, induced rapid settlement
|, There are laid down on the map befoi
= tnae more than forty towns and villages
n Many of these were Of considerable siz
d There were few ncrth Of the Glias al
several on the lower Gila. near the Colo
It ado. The Santa Cruz and its tributa
e, valleys teemed with an agricultural ii
le mining population. Thousands ofente
J. prisinS Spaaiards cultivated the rich Va
ley of the San Pedro, and scattered settl
ments fioufished at every suitable strea
re ndsping at the foot of the mountains
- wards the Rio Grande. The notes befu
me say: AL these settlements aud "a
:. sions were founded IN fertile valleys, a
ot by streams and springs, which prcdue
n 7rsxtsrtsrif fxs,fe 81 wheat corn and beai