Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-05-03
MEXICO.
IMPORTANT LETTER FROM GEN. EARLY
HAVANA. April IS, 1866.

IMPORTANT LETTER FROM GEN. EARLY.
HAVANA, April rs, 1866,
To The Editor of The Nep York Nsaos:
SIR I have just returned from Mexico,
after a sojourn of three months in that coun
try. Having received from Virginia sever.
al letters of inquiry in regard to the pros.
poets for emigrauts to Mexico, and having
learned that many persons in that as we'll as
the other Southern States desire to emigrate,
l will state, through your columns, the re-
suit of my own observation and the infor
nation received from others on whose judg
meut l could rely. I must state, in the
first place, that my personal observation of
the country was confined to what [ saw in
passing and repassiug over the stage route
from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico; the
greater part of my time having been spent
iu the latter city. The lands in the Ccrdo.
va district and about 0rizava, through which
the stage route passes, are unquestionably
rich, and intelligent gentlemen, 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 be
ing 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 or ascertain the locality of the
public lands, until that recently made un.
der the superintendence of General Magru'
der, Chief of the Land Office. All The
lands at Cofdova which have been surveyed
as public lands have been already parceled
out and have'supplied but small number
of colonists Land titles in Mexico are in
very unsettled condition, and but few men
know the boundaries of their own lands.
So uniformed is the Government itself in
regard to the lands to which it has claims
that, in making contract 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 CON-
peusation only in the event of his being
able to fnd and survey the lands, the Gov
ernment not even undertaken to furnish
him protection against guerillas and rob
bers, while he is engaged in fulfilling his
contract The lands offered by private indl'
viduals in alternate sections to coonists, so
far as l am informed, are in remote districts,
where the Liberals, of Dissidents, as they
are called, have control, and the Govern
meut can afford no protection. The very
highly colored accounts of the country and
its resources which have been published,
and the expectations of a large influx OF
emigrants which have been excited, have
caused proprietors having lands for sale to
increase enormously the prices asked tor
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 hes been, that many
are returning in great state of dissatistac-
ton, while others, who relied on the delu-
sive 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 ID getting
lands to procure labor to put them in state
of cultivation, as the native population can
not be relied on for that purpose. All idea
of procuring assistance from the Govern
ment must be abandoned by those who Ge-
sire to emigrate to the country. | have no
doubt that Mexico has resources which, un-
der staple government and with capital
and labor sufficient, are susceptible of very
considerable development; out those who