The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-20

H ZA0 T0ouautopoc J00 - W asnsn8e0@s
The Washington correspondents OF tie
Northern and Western press are just now en-
ployed in filling the newspapers with glowing
accounts of the present prosperity and future
prospects of the Tehuantepec Transit Company,
founded upon the famous new grant OF the
route across the Isthmus Of Tehuantepcc. in
Southern Mexico, bearing the official seal of
Juarcz, the President Of the Mexican republic.
We have already given some account OF this
high sounding and attractive speculation, and
letter from special Washington correspon-
dent in to-day's HERALD adds some interesting
details TO our prior statement and furnishes
graphic picture Of the means by which the
distinguished diplomats of the national capital
contrive to keep the game going and to raise
the means wherewith to pay their bar billsand
discharge their obligations to their washer
women, BARRIERS and bootblacks.
The story of this new Tehuantepeo grant Is
told in o few words. As President Of the
Mexican republic, Juarez, in 1860, made
grant of the route across tho Isthmus to the
Louisiana and Tehuan!epec Company, who
were limited to seven years from April, 1862,
in which to build the road, providing "civil
war or other controlling causes" shonid not
interrupt tie work. This grant, it is clear,
is still in existence and valid, SO far
at least as the authority Of Juarez to
make any grant at all Is concerned. But
some months ago It entered into the fertile
brain Of some Washington spectators that il
new Tehuantepec grant could be secured 1t
might serve as basis upon which to build up
fortune, on the old principle that dupes never
die out and that there are as good fish in the
sea as were ever taken out Of il. A clerk in
the State Department named Larentrie, with
Caleb Cushing, General Ewing and Others,
became interested in the speculation, and
Larentrie was posted off to chihuahua to
obtain the signature Of Juarez to decree
drawn by Romero, comforting the grant upon
the new company. He returned with the
document duly executed, end Immediately
the spectators set to work to turn their
parchment into something more substantial
The whole affair is bogus from beginning to
end, and partakes of the character of the
sale of'Lower California to Ben Butler and
other honorable Adventures. 1t was concocted
as q means Of raising funds out of the credulous
for the support Of the Mexican mission at
Washington, and the enrichment of those who
were in the "ring." As q grant It is 80 much
waste paper, under any consideration for if
any grant at all from Juarez should be good,
the old grant supersedes the new. The only
real value of the stock is to be measured by
the weight Of the paper upon which 1t is
printed. But. worthless az it is, this stock has
been used to influence the correspondents Of
New York and other papers II has not sold
we'll on Wall street, and 1t needs bolstering up.
So liberal amount of 1t has been distributed
among the Washington correspondents OF tho
press, who have been required as an equiva-
lent for their edwindfalls-which are in
fact nothing but trash--to write up the new
Tehuantepec grant in their own papers and to
influence the good natured correspondents Of
other journals, who might be otherwise unap-
proachablc. The HERALD has not escaped the
effect Of the latter condition. But wc now
give warning that our columns have been used
to puff up this bogus, Jeremy Diddler specula-
ton for the last time, and we advise our cor.
respondents at Washington, who are usually
careful and intelligent, to take care how they
suffer themselves to be humbugged In the
future
-------------------------
d.