The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-29

THE Ex- CoNFEDERATEs IN MExrCo-AS
ACCOUNT OF THEIR TRIALS, By Ex-GovER-
NOR HARRIs-THE CoRDOvA COLONY A
FAILuRE.-The Memphis Avalanche pub
fishes letter from Isham G. Harris, the
fugitive Ex-Governor of Tennessee, dated
on board a schooner in the Gulf OF Mexico,
February 10, from which the following Is
an extract:
"When came-to Mexico, the country
in which, settled was protected by I'M
perial troops, and was quiet and orderly I;
but about eight months since the troops
were Withdrawn, leaving our country I'M
occupied by either army, but, unfor-
tunateiy, accessible to both. Hence we
we're ran over, one week by the troops OF
the Liberal army, and the next by those of
the Imperialsts, a position rendering us
liable to be misunderstood by both, which
kept us continually in danger, and far, very
far, from comfortable. In this attitude of
affairs went to the headquarters of the
Liberal army, secured an interview
with the commanding general, told
him frankly that we had settled
under the auspices and authority Of
the Imperial Government, owed certain
duties and obligations to that Government
which we were resolved to keep in the
strictest good faith, and simply wished to
know if it was consistent with his policy to
let us alone and allow us to 60 on quietly
in the cultivation of our crops, etc. He
took very liberal view of it, and assured
me Of his readiness to give to the Ameri-
can colonists all the protection and en-
enlargement in his power. He immedi-
ately issued an order commanding all SUI
bordinates not to interfere in any manner
with our persons, our property, or our
arms. This put us on such amicable terms
with the Liberals that it Immediately
who commenced a system of petty annoy
ances, arrests, etc. | Immediately wrote
Marshal Bazaine, giving him full and &C
curate account of my visit to and inter-
view with Generals Garcia and Benevidia,
of the Liberal army, with its results, and
the annoyances that his subordinates were
subjecting us to, and asked him for an
order similar to the one l had from the
Liberal headquarters. He sent it to me
by return mail; but this did not give the
security had hoped and expected. The
petty annoyances and prosecutions were
continued by fimsy charges, followed by
occasional arrests, until our little colony
became so much discouraged that it was
impossible to hold them together. So far
as soil, climate, productions, and scenery
are concerned, there is not better coun-
try in the world than the one we have left
in the valley of Cordova; and if we could
have had one hundred earnest, true, and
practical men settle in one compact neigh
borhood, revolutions or anarchy might
have swept over the country, but that
neighborhood would not have been dis
turbed, and would very soon have made
that valley one of the most beautiful as
we'll as one of the most prosperous COM
munities on earth and at no distant day
would have become contending element
in the country. But unfortunately ma
iority of those who came to the country
were mere adventures, totally unfit for
the duties of the life that lay before us
here, and whose rashness or bad conduct
in few instances did more to injure
American character with the natives than
years of good behavior could repair.
With numbers too small for society or self
preservation, one by one our friends left
us, until found myself almost alone.
Colonization is a failure, and / am now
leaving the country in search of new
home