The New York herald., 1862-11-24

time, and We doubt not that the captars q
Richmond aad the scattering Of the rsbel array
would be misfortunos That would drive all Sc
cessiondom int state OF ecstatic klias. Harry
up the expeditions, therefore, and make tAs
South supremacy happy.
Immense Trade with Matcnoros alkas
Tcxss-Why Cannot we STOP IGs
We have on various occasions called ths
attention Of the government to the necessity u
closing up the avenues of trade with the rebels,
a. the surest and speediest mode of putting a
end to the rebellion. To this end we have
shown tho immense importance to the govern
ment that we should.take immediate psssessisn
of the various towns on our seab0ard and e.
the RIO Grande the boundary betweea ToKAs
and Mexico II will be seen, by looking ak ~
map, that the Rio Grando furnishes one of ~
best, safest and most convenient outlets fer tAs
immense trade Of Texas, (which due advaa-
tage has becn taken by tho rebels and tAsF
British synpathHers, a. sshowh ~ tass hsiaai
berless prizes loaded with osft0H shd hiASs ~.
haze been 6sptursa 6y oar oruisefao of ~
coast, a. well ~ by tie imuease traie bctweea
this port and Afstastoros, ~6.msAp to1IsG w.
Mexican side of tho Rio Grande, opposits
Brownsville.
Since the I7th day of August Of last year,
previous to which date scarcely any weasel was
ever known to clear from this port for Matar
moros, thirty-one vessels with an aggregate
tonnage Of more than eight thousand tons. have
been cleared from this port alone for tAat plaos.
with immense cargoes Of -four, provisions. drugs.
medicines. boots, shoes and domestics, ostea-
sibly for the Mexican market, bringing hack =
return cotton and hides. In some instances
these vessels were freighted with cargoes pxr-
chased by parties resident ct and doing hssi-
ness in Brownsville, and ii is known that oar
goes have reached tho Rio Grande which, to
avoid inquiry, detention or trouble here. were
cleared for Nassau N. r, at which point to
owner Of the cargo, resident Of Texas. was
taken on board As q matter Of course,
nearly the whole of these vessels wear The
convenient, because neutral Gag Of GreaA
Britain, although several of them are n con-
mand or the same Yankee skippers who owned
and sailed them under the Stars and Stripes
eighteen months ago.
We learn that the Collector Of Customs as
this port has, for some months past, by order
of the Treasury Department, required bonds
from oil shippers TO Matamoros that tho goods
shipped by them should be landed ct that port,
and should not be used in aid Of the existing
rebellion; but from the peculiar manner n
which the trade is conducted, and the con-
venient location Of Matamoros, and its proximity
to Brownsville, VIC should consider it extremely
difficult to prevent traffic with the Texans. who
are tlooding N atamoros with cotton and hides
as fast as they can obtain convenienoes fer
baling and transportation
The Rio Graade is the largest river of Texas.
being eighteen hundred miles in length though
for the most part very shallow and its naviger
ton much i'm p edcd by rapids. 1t, however, may
be ascended by small ssea.aers as far ss Kings
bury Rapids, four hundred aud 6fty miles froa
its mouth. The portion Of Texas bordering o.
The river is mostly uncultivated and sparselY
settled; but there are several small towns On
Its banks, above Brownsville, among which arc
Ednburg, Rio Grande City, Roma. Alamo ana
Laredo, all of which are connected with ~
populous and cultivated portion Of the State By
roads. by means of which its more interior pro-
ducts may find their way with little trouble -
their great entrcpot. Matamoros. Below Browns
vile there are no towns on the river. The
only town near the Gulf in this part Of H.
State is Point Isabel, ON the Brazos Santiago.
which ia connected with Brownsville BY goeA
road, and with the eutire sesc oast OF Texas by
she immense chain Of inland bays which line tAs
coast from the mouth Of the Rio Grande to Maea.
gorda thus opening to its market the trade Of all
the blockaded ports by inland navigation In
consequence of the shallowness Of the water
on the bar at the mouth Of the Rio Grsnds
very few Of the vessels trading with Matamo-
ros can reach that port, and therefore the or
goes in most cases must be transported by
means Of lighters from the mouth Of the rivcs
to their destination. This necessitates the use
Of the British o. Mexican Gag TO avoid capture
by the rebels in passing mp and down the riveR.
which fact should stimulate our government -
use prompt and decisive measures to take pea
session of the several forts on the river. aad ts
sen out several armed light drought stcsa-
era to cruise ON it for the purpose Of cutting
of the immense contraband trade carried -
there
Ls; this be done, and with An srmed ate amer
at the mouth of the river. and Forts Brown.
Ringgoid Mcintosh and Duncan in possession
Of our forces, the town Of Matam0ros wiM
again become rs unimportaut ~ \ was before
the rebellion. and cotton, hides aud the usual
products Of Texas may be admitted into the
port without consular certificate Of foreigs
origin. The British steamer Labuan, now lying
at this port having on board an immense car
70 for Mstamoros has. we learn, been refused
a clearance by the Collector, by order Of tho
War Department. which would seem 10 poist
to some speedy action with regard to our in
tcrests IN that quarter and il ,s 20 be hopce