The New York herald., 1867-03-14
Cur oalzASA CORRESPONDENCE.

pUh UhlLAbA CuhhtSPuhuthCt.
The Cordovn Colony-Hrillinnt Anticipations-
Dismal Reaiities-Causes OF Fnilure-Dis-
graceful Conduct Of the CoIonists-A Scrap
of History--Generals Shelby and Kirby
SmitIi-kindness Of M nrshal Bazaine to Ex-
Confederate OMcers-Sickness and Deaths In
the Colony. &c.
ORIzABA, March 8, 1867
The Cordova colony thing Of the past the last two
families bowed themselves out OF the village of Carlota
week since. Others went last month, six months ago,
and during the interim There sorrowing, nor
sghs nor tears but rejoicing and eadness each one
shook the Mexican dust from his Shoes and turned his
face outward The streets and plaza look little de-
Serted and the broad mangoes their branches In
the Winds and sing, in company with the sad night
breeze, sort Of mournful requiem
Sterling Price, in the land Of civilization, sat
under the shadow Of these noble trees and slept there
too, with Ex- Governor Harris, without shelter from
storm and tempest II there he composed those
romantic missves that published in the United States
sent out hundreds Of fortune hunters and exes and
gather the silver bars and harvests Of
sugar and coffee and cotton, and sleep In the lap Of this
Aztec paradise You ought to have the comers
brimfu OF joy dash horseback into tho village last
summer, laudng the empire; the chivalry Of the Mex-
racelooking In wonder from the mangoes towards
the plaza that the weeds and shrubs had hid asking
the spring OF cool water was not there and
of orizaba ice bars and snow and bending their cheeks
to the cool winds from the mountain peak, which for
the first time they learned forty miles distant.
Colonst faces study at that tme going in and out
of the village Going IN, with prospective music from
the crystal fountain the sight Of snowslides from the
peak, and orange trees, yellow with golden fruit;
bananas hanging in huge branches; figs and peaches
mingling their rich colors; distant coffee groves
in bloom cotton fields white for the harvest and sugar
mill hammers from the Rio ssco- all romance and hum.
bug and swinde. But people and swarmed over
the valley and hoed and built and planted, and praised
the soil, the climate and governments talked lightly Of
and swore roundy about, the srcd white and blue.'
These brave men-generas colonies, captains, COVER
nors judges and preachersswearirg eternal fealy to
Mexico and eternal hatred to the United States pro-
missed never to the Stars and Stripes
wave There prospect, indeed, OF early and for
midabe rival on the western shores Of the Gulf; and
the multitude the valleys nlled, and settlements
extended outward and southward thirty miles. The
roads and donkey paths everywhere the horoughfares
Of families and and pack muies-all hunting new
| lands matter where whose, to grow rch and
great and wise and happy under the genial skies Of
| Mexico.
All the while the village grew, and people came; lots
high and speculation rife. Increase brought
selhshness the supply already heavy that pro.
duced dssensons; strangers welcomed be-
fore and land could not be had any price around this
charmed spot. Some with wire edge worn off in ono
week turned back, left all the way and nt home an
unvarnished and damaging record Of the place and
country But then letters had found their way into
print old generals and disappointed judges and govern
nded fair stories and Munchausen tales that did
the work. Golden apples were thick on trees and silver
nuggets were lying round loose evrrywhcre the very
clouds showered down bcefstcaks, and empty palaces
and blosSoming coffee haciendas OF mnyuey, and
| cotton fields ready for the aborer, waiting all waiting
| for the coming coonst They dreamed Of dsap-
ronim mt and ruin the cold fares Of naty Span
lard and Frenchnan set against them; Of the freezing
sentences dropned from the lips OF the land agent here
the calm indifference Of the founders at the colony
no. only OF dollars and downy beds persnn al showers
| and sugar mills These tho deludcd ones; honest
many Of them. bu, most mcanly and vlanously taken
in The who founded the colony had Of and,
but gave none, would sell mono to the anxious coonst
The adventurer too the dishonest man. the specu
lator and sw'pder, and harborcd here; robbinQ his
countrymen, the natives, every one he could then went
home again to practise morals in his fatherland The
went to Cordova that town, that
goods their lands and waited We had American hotels
livery stables American hacks and manufactures. all in
| a week. Then these political and pious brethren bid
against each other up prices bought and sold and
pecasied, borrowed money OF each other orencd large
houses for hotels thai never pa monopoized business
broke and then fed the conntry leaving their friends
and the natives unpaid and bankrupt large portion
| of them camc to grow rich, came without money per-
suaded others into W Id specuations that they knew
swirdles rc!oiced IN fine outfits nourshng and flashing
signs that meant nosng spent aud played at faro and
monte and then went ~ night in disguise. any way
evadc the law and their victims tn States Th,y
cepted land Of the governncutit cost them nothing
sold 1t The unsophscaied ard believing; drank ont
reroded the vercst ercaser ahd cursng the country
and people, went home as they came-robbcrs droncs
and rascals when the rush at It's he ght dsontent
grew apace and waxcd loud; the fathers the
concern roundIv and deservedly denounced. Old
Sterling Price, the good kind old with II
hattle gone exilcd traduced in hts age and hclp
cssnes Harris, Ex-Governor Of Tennessee. strong and
unchanged by rcverscs with voice clear as when ne
rode triumphant the field OF shiloh they spared
their wraih judge Perkins, of Louisiana now in
1 aft t1xn lonI Ix,.vo tn.a .1n.u
| OF his words when coonists came, proni and
| polite and uncommuncative, without shadow OF
hsv aekeS DOWN and sadnced ha
him suspended; bad the whole disgracefui coonsing
and solitude and homeward thev ourneycd, moneylcss
and disappointed, in supreme disgust with country,
officials aud themselves Thfn came trouble with the
natives indiscrect men squa'tcd on private lands
hued and clustered; appropriated by right cf posses
dlsrraccd themselves and the American name, and
ended last in their cnpurein the destruction Of their
ton or,illa ra,ions and pcremptory order TO quit the
pnry. Then also sussecded other raids on the Car
District H" 'Ss ows snse s ss az and nS
tremor In the founders themselves From that time
the colony grew sssn and psopl, lost Faith II The
demorazcd The Imperial Railway Company went
gging, stopped work. and sent employees and contract
hher and thither " thout pay or even the promise
OF Il. The tide swept back ward them Panic stricken.
they ov sacrificed their secions OF land crops OF
corn cottcp and obacco their cabins and horses and
hoes and downward toward Vera Cruz. foot horse
back or wagon, they journeyed when too late land
| owners grew generous and made voluntary offers Of
md lots Of land and around the village gratis
Then IL w@ that the selfish and speculative spirit took
fright then business tagged end crm.nation followed
and swinded each other, ltigated In tho courts
sued for trlvl sums, and, through spite
quarrelled and isafed, and drank snd grew tnr
bulent ridiculed the Mexican religion appreciated
The country and people, Prices went down in ~.sk;
rents ard credits went the self same way and who
cars without dollar and specuatcd upon hor fellows
Nth hotel bills cnpad, stole. IKE thieves as they were,
out OF the country and landed the other side OF the
| gulf with tales OF robbery and misfortune and native
trcachery N faer mouths Scores, who had sworn, in
their zeal toward the empire TO foot again on
A~erican soil were seized with ave.taking-call Of
business from the Stetcs-stared a visif-dsposing
quietly OF their plantations and traps for song and
| watcd not I'LL on board steamer and In rapturcs
swimming their hats fr the Stars and Stripes and thank
| ing Providence and he faics that Mexico was out o
sight forever The Unlted States with free schools and