Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-05-01
Letter from General Jubal A. Early.
HAVANA, April Is, 1866
III the E.l.toa. of the Ne,r York Nears

HAVANA, ApIl 10, 1Ooo.
!, To the Editor of the Ne,o York Neses:.
| SIR Il have just returned from Mexico, af-
| ter sojourn of three months In that country.
Having received from Virginia several letters of
| inquiry in regard to the prospects for emigrants
to Mexico, and having learned that many per-
sons in that as well as the other Southern States
desire to emigrate, [ will state, through your
columns, the result of my own observation and
the information received from others on whose
judgment [ could rely. | must state in the
| first place, that my personal observation of the
country was confined to what | saw in passing
and repassing over the stage route from Vera
Cruz to the City of Mexico the greater part of
my time having been spent in the latter CITY,
The lands in the Cordova district and about
| Orizava, through which the stage route passes
are unquestionaby rich, and intelligent gentle
men, who had seen other parts of the country,
! informed me that there were other districts In
which the lands were very rich, and capable OF
| being made very productive by the proper use
Of capital and labor But colonists will have
many difficulties to encounter in all OF them
There has been no systematic effort to survey
ascertain the locality of the public lands, until
| that recently made under the superintendent
of General Magruder, Chief of the Land Office
All the lands at Cordova which have been sur
veyed as public lands have been already parce-
ed out and have supplied but small number of
colonists. Land titles in Mexico are in a very
unsettled condition, and but few men know the
boundaries of their own lands So uninformed
is the Government itself in regard to the lands
to which it has claims that, in making con
tract with General Hardeman, of Texas, for the
survey of the public lands in Durango. the whole
risk and expense of discovering those lands have
been thrown on him, and he is to receive com
pensation only in the event Of his being able to
find and survey the lands the Government not
even undertaking to furnish him protection
against guerillas and robbers, while he is en-
gagged in fulfilling his contract. The lands Of
fered by private individuals in alternate sections
to colonists, so far as | am informed, are in re-
mote districts, where the Liberals or Dissidents,
as they are called, have control, and the Gov
ernment can afford no protection. The very
highly colored accounts of the country and its
resources which have been published, and the
expectations of large influx of emf grants which
have been excited have caused proprietors hay
ing lands for sale to increase enormously the
prices asked for them, and many persons who
have recently arrived in the country have been
unable to procure lands, either from the Govern
ment or individuals The legitimate conse-
quence Of all this has been, that many are re-
turning in a great state of dissatisfaction while
others, who relied on the delusive promises of
aid from the Government, find themselves not
of returning to their former homes. 1t. is ex-
ceedingy difficult for those who have succeeded
in getting lands to procure labor to put them in
a state Of cultivation, as the native population
cannot be relied on for that purpose All idea
Of procuring assistance from the Government
must be abandoned by those who desire to emf
CRATE to the country [ have no doubt that
Mexico has resources which, under stable gov
eminent and with capital and labor sufficient,
~
ment; but those who go there excepting to find
the beautiful and fruitful land which is describ-
ed in some Of the published accounts, will be
doomed to as sad disappointment as that ex-
perienced by the old Spanish conqucrors in their
search for the tabled Eldo;a1o. On the railroad
which is being constructed from Vera Cruz to
the City of Mexico, practical and experienced
engineers, contractors and mechanics may find
employment, but otherwise very few positions
are open to those who do not wish to cultivate
the soil. Physicians who can speak the Ian
guage, can get permission to practice their pro-
LESSONS, but beyond this there is no opening
whatever for any of the learned profession.
As to the stability Of the Government, | will
state that [ have no information, except what
may be obtained by any soieuIner in the coun-
try who cannot speak the language. Though
remained in the national capital for nearly three
months did not see, even casually, so far as |
know, the Emperor, Empress, or any minister
of the Government, nor did | seek to see them.
[ think, however, | am warranted in saying
that any one who desires to make Mexico his
permanent home, must do SO without reference
to the duration of the present Government
information as to the length of time which that
Government is to be maintained in the country
is not to be obtained in Mexico
| have not advised any ofmy personal friends
to emigrate to the country, and my knowledge
is not sufficient to justify me in now giving any
positive advice either way but, though my own
determination to remain in exile is unchanged,
| feel deep interest in the welfare of all my
counhymen of the Southern States, and the
knowledge which [ obtained from my own OBJ
servation, as well as from the information Of
others. is sufficient not only to authorize me,
but, in my estimation, to make it my duty to
advise all those WI S<afe DESTROYS of seeking new
homes not to giye6rr~their present ones and
emigrate to MAseorlnt they shall have ex
amined the country in person, or ascertained,
through some friend on whose judgment and
experie &e they can rely, that their situations
will be hettered Above all, let no man who
hasa wife and children carry them to Mexico
until he has secured a certain home and a fair
: prospect of support for them. By observing
this caution, much disappointment and suffering
T5Will be avoided.
II send this communication to your paper for
publication, as [ have no doubt that in that way
it will sooner reach the mass Of the readers for
whom it is intended than in any other.
Respectfully,
j. A. EARLY.
Foreshadowed Fate of the Negro.
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