The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-22
t.he City Of Mexico on TIE svsfHhiinSgg ofthe 9th
of A68ilxf s13-ss~ s+s$ ~ EsH


j 81 THEY ALL MEET THE EMPEROR.
Our reception upon the part of the govern
ment officials here was sll fhat Ne could As<,
expected or desired. We were invited to Al
audience With the Emperor at the palace. tn.
far-famed halls Of the 'MvntezumAs. At th.
! time fixed we called, and were there NOS
kindly received By the Emperor and Rnpress
and were assured Of. their sympathy in "a,
misfortunssy end of their earnest hope that VI
might find homes for ourselves and friends il
\ Mexico. The Empress was our interprete1
IN the interview. She speaks fuently ths
French, Spanish, German and English Ian.
gsages, and is in all respects great woman.
~ THEY FiSD KOBE EEnEl.s.
| We overlook at the City of ofMesico. General
Magruder, Commodore Maury, Governor Al
| len, OF Louisiana, Judge Perkins of Lonisi.
| ana, Governor Reynolds, Of Missouri. and
Governor Murrah, and Governor Clark, ol
Texas, with many other and lesser Confede
rate lights. On the 9Th Of Sepsember the
Emperor published q decree opening ali ol
Mexico to immigration and colonization, and
Commodore Maury aud myself and other Con-
federates @efe ifeqdestedsto prepare regula.
tiens to company the decree, which weviid,
and which we're approved by fhe Emperor on
the 9TH. The decree aud regulations offer
very liberal inducements to immigration.
amongst which are donation ofpublc lands
| at the rate of six hundred and forty acrssr =
teach head of family, ana1hree hundredap "a
twenty 70 each single man, : free passage to
the coeatryto seUk1 are uotahle to pay their
own expenses, freedom from taxation, for one
year, sndAroaa military duty for 'fve years,
religious federation, &C., de-
tH r THE E1r1xoR GIVES THY WORK. 90 e
Commodore Maury has been app ointed I'm.
perial Commissioner OF Colonization. which
makes his authority in the matter Of coioniza,'
ton second ca,T y thai Of the Emperor. Ger.
Price, Judge Perkins and myself were ap.
pointed agents of colonization, and requested
to examine the lands lying upon aud near the
line of railroad from the City Of Mexico to
Vera Cruz, for the purpose of determinin z
whether they were suited to American colo
nization. We are engaged at this time in the
discharge of that duty.
isHAN GETS PLANTATION.
have selected six hundred aua tcrty acres
about ten miles srom here, where | propose
to surround myself with the coffee plantation,
IN the midst of which viii nestle down, con-
stantly iuhaling the odors of the rich tropical
fruits and gaudy colored and fragrant tropical
flowers. in an atmosphere Of perpetual spring;
stauty behold the sncw-capped peaks OF Orr
zaba and Topocatspea, from which | can
draw rnY zee at all seasons of the year,
coIoSIzIss.
There are about thirty Confederates now
here, all of whom will locate their lands and
commence the work of settlement within a
week or ten days
The place where we begtn the hrst colony
was highly improved and in high state ol
| cultivation hundred years ago. The exten.
slye runs Of what were once magnificent
| structures show that these haeiendas we're
| highly productive and the homes OF wealth,
luxury and refinement, but about fifty years
since slavery was abolished IN the State oi
| Vera Cruz, and the proprietors Of these mag.
nificen, estates leit the country With The large
| fortunes they nad ama&sed. The church
seized the lands and allowed them TO lie idle
| and 60 TO ruin. The buildings upon each OF
| these plantations must have cost from 800.
900 10 $500, 600. The church held the prop
erty until about five years ago, when X was
4 taken by the government, and the eoyernmen,
now sells IL TO us for colonization at one dol
| lar per acre in quantities of six hundred and
forty acres 10 each head of family and three
hundred and twenty TO each single man on q
credit Of one. two, three, four and five years
This is the beginning of the first Confede rate
colony in Mexico. AMONGST ,hoSa who pro
pose 70 gech ipu,eaiateiy are General Price
and General Shelly from Missouri, Judge
Perkins Of Louisiana, and myself The re
sources of this country are such as to insure
wealth to the energy and industry that have
usually characterized our people. The won
der is that they have been permitted to re-
main andeveloped so long, but this is the
most indoient, lazy and WORTHLESS population
! on earth.