Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-09


and terminating at the hacinda Of Sal
Miguel Guegueyapars, there is a vas
= amount Of mountain limestone pebOl
mixed in the soil. This region, like tina
% of the Natlaynia range, Is always GOV
. cred with forests Of different species, an
, sbounds in walnut, cedar, the gateadO
s the zapotillo, the cOsadillo, the balsam
and others.
; The district Of Cordova, in which W
were now entering, contains about thirty
o seven thousand inhabitants. II
j bounded on the east by the district o
Z / Vera Cruz, on the north by Jalapa, an'
on the west and south by Orizaba. IL
area is calculated at two hundred anC
tweuty-four square leagues of hve thou
, 1 sand yaras each, and contains an aver
age population of one hundred anc
twenty-seven 70 the league, or every
three miles.
Z The city of Cordova, which we reached
at noon. bears no resemblance Whatever
TO any of our Northern cities, thFlVlng
In the midst OF a busy population Win
their freshly painted houses, large and
regular streets and elegant mansions.
C0r,5oya. notwithstanding its beautiful
surrounding. looks like Spanish city
of the middle age, deeply plunged INTO
I an incur3bie drowsiness1 and lncapaple
Of anv motions Of It's own. With pop
ulstion OF about twelve thousand souls
mostly of mixed blood, high steepled
churches larger than any one in the
United States, nice fountains and me
/ shades, this city has not the youth
! niI appearance, the green and freshness,
/ of our American towns of the same size.
! Looked az ar a distance, with cloud OF
/ dust hanging over her head, you would
/ say Il was city justemergiDg from under
: the ashes Of the eNingulshed volcanoes
/ looming up i'm the distant horizon. The
houses are low, strongly buiit, massive in
/ their proportions, with pillars in the front
- protection sgainst earthquakes, and
J do not sPpear either pleasant OF COM
Portable Several Of them are in a lam
entahle state of decay, and seem rs if
I they had been abandoned by their in
mates.
When I entered Cordova I saw, in the
midst OF the plaza, s. native OF the c0un-
try leaning on a stick, looking with cold
Indifference upon the scenery around.
This Mexican, q typeof the working class
OF the country, wore pair Of threadoare
trowsers reaching TO his knees, aud on
his shoulders what might once have been
a Mexican blanket, but which was now
no better than q discolored rag Of huge
dimensions. By his side was his wife, ss
poorly clsd as himself, with a worn out
blanket rolled around her waist and
falling down 10 her ankles, and
another thrown over her shoulders and
barely coucealing her breast. Both were
barefoOted. Near them We're three
copper colOred children, entirely naked.
As we drew near. the woman came to
Us with a basket Of zapoulla, bananas
and piueappie5, which sell here fOrs0me-
thing like a cent apiece. She was as
sistiuE her husband in making a living
for the family. At FIRST YOU have some
difficulty 90 overcome the unfavOrable
impression made upon your mind by the
wretched appearance Of these fOrl0FD .
creatures. Nor are their moral and in F.
tellectual qualities calculated 10 modify
that impression. The native Of the 7.
country of Indian and Spanish blood, /
born and bred ia a kind OF semi-servi- I
tuds, maintsined in that state by his EN- /
ployeT, who makes a fortune out Of his /
ignorance and superstition, unable to .
find himself, or In the classes above him, /
the strength and protection required for .
his elevation, Is certainly one Of the Z
greatest Qrs WbacEs Mexico has TO ell
dure Nothing short Of the infusion OF .
new blood and a new race, assisted by
having really the iuten-
tion 70 rege1erate this unfortunate class,
and acting accordingly, can bring that
country 10 a complete confidence in it.
self ana In its desunies. This work
VIII necessarily be aruuous aud long.
IL viii require all the skill Of the states
man and of the philanthropist, and
must of course he attended by great
troubles aud great trials. But the result
Of such a work Nlli b5 iargl-ahle. for il
who are tnfestingit, and viii substitute In
their stead a superior population, capa-
bic Of approaching the benefit Of a regu-
lar Government, ready 10 acquies8e in
the laws, and disposed, at all times, TO
cooperate with the local and national
authorities in the maintenance OF peace
and order.
Fortunately, C0rdOva possesses other
attractions than its native population.
Several foreigners have recently estab-
Iished themselves here who, no doubt,
viii, ere long, contribute 10 increase the
hidden resources of the country, and inn
part q healthier tone to society. What
makes IL more attractive still, 70 Amer =
leans at least, Is that il has been selected
By o few runaway Rebels, as the
headquarters Of an infant colony,
located st distance Of ten miles, and
lay one OF the chief cities of the district
What J heard of the colony and Of the
men composing Il, suggested 10 me the
idea to deviate slightly from the straight
line and 10 examine il with my own
eyes. Ii was The first time for over p
century that a born American citizen
was allowed 10 witness q settlement Of
bis Seit-eNiled cOunrymen, and the sight
1f such an undertaking was, in my esJi-
nation, sufficiently interesting and Gu
-ious 10 modify my programme, and 20
make me remain in this city longer than
intended.
In accordance with the advice Of my
'riends, 1 paid a visit 20 ex-Judge
Perkins, Of Louisiana, who has been
appointed by Gen. Magruder land agent
Ur the district Of COrdova. L found
lim in a small room hardly furnished ;
lis desk, or rather the table Ola when he
wrote. loaded with bundles Of papers, I .
himself classifying them according TO
iafes and character. The Judge received
ne with great clrcialiTy 5sid he WsS
always glad TO SEE Americans; asked
ne several questions concerning the
tate Of affairs south and north OF the I
Potomac spoke Of President johnson
.ather eulogistically, but did not believe
hat ne would or could carry out his plan
the South. The abyss be- Z
weeu the two sections Of the country is /
90 great 10 be bridged over by recon-
however liberal they may
BE-. As 10 himself, be was decided never
10 set his foot again in the United States.
he did not believe a S0utherner could
i've there any longer lie had become "A
subject Of Macmillan with the firm be-
lief that no inward revolution, nor out
ward pressure. could shake his throne or
lr0trsct the work or regeneration he
had undertaken. He gave me several
reasons in support Of his opinions, all
based upon the fact that his throne had
received guarantees OF stability before
bis departure from MiramOn, and that
they were sufficient % preserve il
against any hostile attempt at home and
abroad,
When ] informed the judge Of the
chief object Of nay visit, be Immediately
offered me al facilities / desired. Since
you wish 10 see our colony said be, :" l
viii do an / can 10 satisfy you. He
called 8 Rebel soldier standing at the
iOoT, and ordered him to fetch two horses,
Jne FOR himself the other for me When
/ saw the two animals / could not help
thinking that the colony was not IN a
very hoUrisbing condition. They were
5pavined, lame, and Of a very diminu-
i've size. They stumbled several times
ln the way, and were 50 hard Of mouth
hat a steam engine could not have made
hem feel the bride The Judge was
much amused at my efforts 10 keep my
horse in the right direction. Don't be
angry" said he, laughiugiy, against
poor creatures; it is not their fanlt
{ they don't follow the straight line; it
S the fault Of education. They have
leen trained by gusuillaros- He
me that horses, brought up
n that profession, are soon broken
iown and sold for triie Efrerward. He
hen gave me the history Of the two we
we're now riding. They were led % the
daughter house, when Rebel soldier,
gho was thgn in search o. beasts Of bur
Zen for the colony, met the driver, and
proposed 10 swap them f0T an old pistol
Fhich he had brought from Texas. The
iriver. who belonged 70 a band Of guer-
-illas, accepted the bargain the exchange
c0k place az the next tavern and were
.ealed by two glasses Of Gg0roiaeRte.
/ soon became so enraptured by the
Of the landscape around US
hat / ceased to be affected by the rest
ess temper of my charger. Zach sep
-ra made each guf NJ fftr rUT1fa revealed