Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-05-26
Letteifrom Gen. Earlyln Regard to Mexico
HAVANA, April is, 1866.

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Lette4from Gen. Earlylm Regard to Mexico
H. HAVANA, April is, 1866.
10 TIL Editor of the Nc,p York News:
Sir: have just returned from Mexico, af-
terra Iajouru of three mouths in that country
Hawk received from Virginia several letters
Of inquiry in regard to the prospect for emf
granta to Mexico, and having learned that
nlanYl,ersons in that as we'll as the other
'SouthSrh States desire to emigrate, | will
state, through your 60 umns, the result of
my oWiliobservation and the information re-
cievedlfpm others on whose judgment could
rely. must state, in t.; irst placc, that my
personal observation of the country was con-
fined tttwhat | saw in passing and requesting
over tie stage route from Vera Cruz to the
city of3}1exico, the greater part of my time
hayngSbeen spent in the latter city The
lands ,iiathe' Cordova district and about Ori-
zava, Though which the stage route passes,
are Enthusiastically rich, and intelligent gen
tlemehawho had seen, other parts of the coun-
try, int8rmed me that there were other dis
tricts ifawhich the lands were very rich and
capablcPf being made very productive by the.
proper fse of cnpital and labor. But colon
istsfwillf fhave many difficulties to encounter
in all oathem. There has been no systemat
ic efortho survey or ascertain the locality of
thepubk kc lands until that recently made un-
der tli1superintendence of Gen. Magruder,
Chief the Land Office. Allshe lands at;
lands Ssys Ssaa EreHay % yeYa araeaa as eai 5naR aha
have supplied but a small number of co]onists.
Land titles in Mexico are in very unsettled
condition, and but few men know the bound
aries of their own lands So uninformedis the
Government itself in regard to the lands to
which it has claims that in making contract
with Gen Hnrdeman, of Texas, for the
survey of the puplic lands in Durango, the
whole risk and expense of discovering those
lands have been thrown on him, and he is to
receive compensation 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 engaged in fulfilling his contract.
The lands offered by private individuals in al
ternate sections to colonists, so far as | am in
formed, are in remote districts, where the Lib
erals, or. Dissdents, as they are called, have
control, and the Government can afford no
protection The very highly colored accounts
of the country and its resources which have
been published, and the expectation Of large
influx of emigrants which have been excited,
have caused proprietors having lands for sale
to increase enormously the prices asked for
them, and many persons who have recently ar
rived in the country have been unable to pro-
cure lands either from the Government or
from private individuals The legitimate con-
sequence Of all this has been that many are
returning in great state Of dissatisfaction !;
while others. who relied on the delusve prom
ises of aid from tho Government, find them
selves not only without the means of obtain
ing lands, but of returning to their former
homes 1t is exceedingly 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 assist
ance from the Government must be abandon
ed by those who desire to emigrate to the coun-
try:
l have no doubt that Mexico has recources
which, undera stable Government. and with
capital and labor sufficient, are susceptible of
a very considerable development; but those
who 90 there expecting to find the beautiful
and fruitful land which is described in some
of the published accounts, will be doomed to
as sad a disappointment as that experienced
by tile old Spanish oonquerors in their
search for the tabled Eldorado. On the rail
road which is being constructed from Vera
Cruz to the city Of Mexico, practical and expe-
,rienced 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
snask the lan ~, ro oaN oat RI nra