The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-01
rRr REpoRr ON rHs MEXICAN BOUNDARY

A fair expression OF opinion in the review Of new
publication no one can quarrel with The OF gem
era readers look the mention OF the good bad qua
tiles of work with the design OF making up their minds
to It's perusa TO- find whether the Inducements are spf
cient to employ the time necessary ia study OF It's con
tents The course of the reviewer in such case plain
fair ora extrei5a III opinion is all thatisIeqnred
aud shold tho sst pesssl s tho book reviewed
the reader 10 differ a opnion be has but TO mpngn the
Judgment and not the feelings Of the editor reviewer
and in tbe language of the Archbshop to Gil Bias wish
him all manner Of good fortune within little better taste
Whom the reverse of this a the Case and when the
view of work Is made the vehicle OF personal vitupe
tion and when the be Of the reviewers mind spread
out with the ink with which he endeayors to damn an
author production it is only fair that the facts Scd
and sepreseted should be put In their true light aud
the public left 10 Judge TO how much due to the
fair unbiased opinion IL tlie ars how much bis
petty aco,sness fair instance OF this In arti
Gle in recent number Of the New York Herald wherein
notice made of the report of Major VIM Emory on the
subject of the Mexican boundary. Unanswered, the art
Gle would go to the world unanswerable and Major
Emory character officer, gentleman aud man
of scientific abilities suffer in the estimation OF those
whose attention might have been caugbtHith the mall
cous remarks in this most unjust review There s scarce
ly single assertion in the whole paper which does not
mark wicked Misrepresentation of facts conceament
OF truth and motive The writer commences with at
tack the work. consequent upon the great number OF
illustrations particularly OF the desert where the line
crosses Let 1t be remembered exactly what these illus
trations depict they are not finished shaded engyngs
they merely the outline drawings of hills and other
physical features of the country through which the line
passes In each the examiner OF the danght ssupposed
place himself exactly in the position of the
the line and to look in the direction designated the
tour of the country will be found in every accurately
represented much indeed that the position Of the
monument and thence the course of the lnc can be as
ccrtaned from these drawings alone. Now when ii is
derstood 1t should be- that the Indians in the neigh
borlood of the boundary do for their amusement
from spirit of malicious mischief (Which the writer
of the review very well indeistand,) throw down
and otherwise destroy the monuments erected on the
line the great these engavngs be appreciated
they in great the monuments indcstructi
BILE by the barbous tribes of the West but still liable TO
be assaied through ignorance nearer home.
Hypothetical geography next attracts the writer's at
tention and Major Enorys remarks this subject
made the basis OF another Misrepresentation The writer
quotes Major e. assertions that Sin all these maps
cept the general map he has confined himself to actual
Information derived from instrumental survey; this
will be found examination to be exactly the fact The
general map, which represents great deal OF the
country than embraced in the survey Of the boundary
gave opportunity to show the connexon-apparent in
cases and in othe. hypothetical of the different
ranges of mountains When, in the instance of the
Ga ranges another officer engaged in publishing
matter collected by himself, Maj Emory modestly
tented himself with expressing in less defined outline
Information which might have made the map yai-
able, and which his previous examinations might
have entitled him to make known his RESPONSE
bility The sectional maps of the ne being all ''except
the general map show only the information collected
by Major f. and the officers under his direction and
be held up models OF accurate instrumental oserva-
ton and beautifully y-executed drawing. a @ HfEssBM
Alluson is made in the review to the opinions OF the
venerable Humboldt, and attempts made to show
that Major Emory uniustly offended at the notice
taken of the notes of others this country while his
own name never mentioned. If Major H. of
Tended at all, or if Le was in any way greyed it not
nf
made from them, but because large amount of nfor
nation translated from his reports and credit
given For instance the only authority for the longi
tudc of Santa Fe at the time Of the compilation of Hum
bodts Aspects Of Nature Major Emory's own pub
shed observations for this and for the description the
CHA the Baron must have been indebted to Major then
Iieuenant) Emory exploration, and not to the report
of Lieut.. Albert. -EE 41&4
Capt Fremonts report on this matter could have given
but little information though inspection of his maps
might have asonished the Baron s did everybody else
acquainted with the country with view of range of
mountains running due east and west nearly at right
angles to the usual Now, the fact is that the vol
ume which contained Emorys early reports contained
also that of Lieut.. Albert and this latter report succeeded
Lieut. t. in order in the book, that the mistake might
have been made in supposing that the Of the writer
appended to the last report belonged also that which
preceded Tho reviewer endeavors to attach blame to
the commissioner because he confined his attention to the
boundary line and did not explore all the country pnr
chased in the Gasdcn treaty To this censue there is
nothing left but to plead guilty Major Emory did mind
his business; every officer of the boundary commits
sion was under the late commissioner, Kept constantly at
work no idng of time excursions into Old or New
Mexico leaving for moment the actual line OF bound
ary II is true that ors necessary for transport
ing the baggage and commissariat of the commission
In these instances the exceptions 10 the general
rule but small time given for observations. The
march between San Antonio and III Paso was accom-
pIished during cCtialled for lifcuty--
had overowed their banks deep guics had been
cut in places where 1t was necessary to cross the train