The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-24
Important LetteE from Gen. Early
HATANA April Is, 1865

Virginia several letters of inquiry il
regard to the prospects for emigrants
to Mexico, and having learned thai
many persons IN that as well as ths
other Southern States desire to emf
crate, / viii state, through your col
umns, the result Of my own obserVR,
ton 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 10 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 0riza-
bs, through which the stage route pass
es, are unquestionably rich, and intel
ligent gentlemen, who had seen other
parts of the country, iafogmed me that
there were other districts in which the
lands we're very rich, and capable Of
being made very productive BY the
proper use Of capital and labor. But
colonists will have maay difficulties to
encounter in all of them. There has
been no systematic effort to survey or
ascertain the locality. of the public
lands, until that recently made under
the superintendent Of Gen. Magruder.
Chief of the Land Office. All the lands
of CordoVa which have been surveyed
as public lands, have been already par
eeled out and have supplied but a
small number of colonists. Land titles
IN Mexico are in very unsettled con-
dition, and but few men know the
boundaries of their own lands. So
uniformed is the Government itself in
regard to the lands to which Il has
claims, that, in making q contract with
Gen. Hardeman, of Texas, for the sur
Vey 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 compensation
only in the event of his being
able to find and survey the lands,
the Government not even under
taking to furnish him protection
against guerrillas and robbers, while he
is engaged in fulfilling his contract
The lands offered by private indiyid-
uals in alternate sectiozt to colonists,
so far as l am informed, are in remote
districts, where the Liberals, or DISH
dents, as they are called, have control,
and the Government can afford no pro-
lection. The very highly colored aoS
counts of the country and its resources
which have been published, and the
| expectations of large nhux Of emil
grants 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 arrived in the country
have been unable to procure lands,
either from the Government or from
private individuals. The legitimate
consequence of all this has been, that
many are returning in great state of
dissatisfaction, while Others, who relied
on the delusiYe promises of aid from
the Government, find themselves not
only without the means of obtaining
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
state of cultivation, as the native popu-
lation cannot be relied on for that pur-
| pose. All idea of procuring assistance
from the Government must be aban-
dOned by those who desire to emigrate
to the country. have no doubt that
| Mexico has resources which, under a
stable government and with capital and
labor sufficient, are susceptible of a
very considerable development; but
those who 60 there expecting to find
the beautiful and fruitful land which is
described in some Of the published &C
counts, will be doomed to as sad dis
appointment as that experienced by
the old Spanish conquerors in their
search for the tabled Eldorado. 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 language, can get
permission TO practice their professions,
but beyond this there is no opening
whatever for sny of the learned pro
| fession.
As to The stability of the Government
| viii state that have no information,
Except what may be obtained by any
sojourner in the country who cannot
speak the language. Though | remain
ed in the national capital for nearly
three months, did not see, even cas-
ually, 80 far as | know, the Emperor,
Empress, or any minister of the Gov
eminent, nor did seek 10 see them.
l think, however, l 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 main
tanned in the countryis not to be OBJ
tanned in Mexico.
have not advised any ofmy person
al friends TO emigrste 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 I'M
changed, feel a deep interest in the
welfare of sll my countrymen of the
Southern States, and the knowledge
which ] obtained from my own obser-
walton, as well es from the information
of others, Is sufficient not only to au-
thorize me, but in my estimation, to
make it my duty to advise all those
who are DESTROYS of seeking new homes
not to give up their present ones and
emigrate TO Mexico until they shall
have examined the country in person,
or sscertained, through some friend
on whose judgment and experience
they can rely, that their situations will
be bettered Above all, let no man
who has wife and children carry
them to Mexico until he has secured a
certain home and fair prospect Of
support for them By observing this
caution much disappointment and suf-
fering will be avoided
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.