New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-12-20

! NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. HOSPITALITY.
! Prom Our Own Correspondent
! ORIzABA, Nov. II, 1867
From the coast to the capital is distance Of 300
| miles according to contemplated line of railroad.
and about 100 more by the slow measure of the dill
gences. These tortures on wheels generally take
about four days to reach Mexico but il full and fair
panses are allowed at the way places for the fatgues
incident to the utted and muddy condition of the
roads it is easy to consume week the journey.
BY any means, stage or horseback, the maximum OF
speed is something than three days. These facts
in themselves explain the discomfort and tedum of
all travel in Mexico Everything told, there are not
zoo miles of rail in the country, and these are but
overures to projected lines or apologies therefor
For the rest, Mexico in republican harness is still
pulling the old slow-cOach OF the regency and en-
pre- Her roads are despotsm How she manages
to drag civilization in this numbering way over the
tops of her mountains is wonder of wonders to the
locomotive Northerner. To see her Liberalism con-
demned to this mush drudgery is far more grave
than amusing while it lasts. The roads of Mexico
are disgrace to civilization and il seems TO be in
spite of them that she is civilized and republicans
fact of no small credit TO the tenacty of liberal in
stutions. Granting that Mexico has only recovered
from chronic state of revolution, that of her
country is naturally among the most impossible In
the world and remembering at the same time that IL
t Sy steT 0u' still the Condition Of MeT
can highways merits strong comment. Mules
are annually lost in the mud Of these roads, teams
delayed for days, perhaps in very rainy seasons tor
week and more. Travellers are now and then eXtrl-
Gated out of the mud by means OF lassoes. Inc
sOwness and comparative sOlitariness OF travel are
constant temptations to robbery, and this, though
less dangerous than reported has not been rare oc
currence on some of the roads leading from the cap
ital. But a few days ago. Mr.. Plumb. the American
Charge dAffaiTes. robbed IN the diligence be-
tween PassO del MachO and COTdOva yet IN no other
way injured The discomfort OF a stage-rde, ana
the possible contingency OF beng roDOed IN the
blandest manner, are the only DRAWBACKS 10 !oui-
ney TO the captal-nOt SUFFICIENT 10 daunt any man
of ordinary courage and enterprise. But the journey
must needs be very trying one to women, and even
to men night spent perforce on the gloomy anu
chilly Cumbres, alongside of an inextrlcable coach
and team of 20 mules under wind and ram ana IN !he
mud cannot be at all times safe experience Nothing
can help Mexico out of her slough or desponu
except the speedy completion OF lines OF Ialroad 40
is as plain TO Intelligent MeXcans as TO ourselves
that these are indispensable 70 .ne pgin end soc
that no peace could be finally assured until the inter-
communication of the Mexican States IS made some
thing better than IL Is One-halt OF Mexico, IL nas
been said, does not know the other; States arc
strangers to States and their citizens foreigners To
each other for want of the cvzer steam-a state OF
affairs not surprising in country OF bad roads with
| mountains nteTpOsed here and there. 1he stesIiI-
engine may well type and lead all possible reforms IN
| Mexico Without railroads there can be no srch
popular system of Education therein as the aSe ana
| the place demands. Either build the RAILROADS. or
restore the banditt; Teerect the converts OF pulu
schoo-hou in their stead. Mexico cannot thorough
y yndicate herself until she sets to work ana teaches
her hterate children; but without the railroad the
schOolmaster can hardly reach them. In Mexico, az
elsewhere everything must depend on education, and
assuredly education depends npon the railroad.
From Vera Cruz to PassO del Macho is slow travel
of four hours or more AZ miles OF railroad tor
tunately the railroad has secured the Intelligent
superintendence of ex-GOv. Thomas {. Reynolds late
of Missouri and one of the ablest and best OF the
| Southern exiles who have settled in Mexico IL was
great relief to escape one week ago, from tho me-
dieval dullness of Vera Cruz with its church party
of sapilOtes and take TO the capital lls quaint oIu
Spanish town has all the mold and sollnre OF rum
and might as well belong to the oldest part OF the
| world As in Mexican towns generally, its streets
| are SQUARE, and its houses no more than
two stories high, having the inyarable yard
! or court in the center, with sometimes fountain,
! round which opening are ranged the corridors and
rooms. The cathedTals are spacious, ana IuII OF
gilded shrnes and pictures, bad and Indifferent The
chief of these, the Paroquia, has an excellent dome
and tower in the Spanish style with a number OF
| belfries the immemOrial haunts of buzzards. High
up on another church tower. the nopa-the national
| cactus painted on the banner of MeXicoImay be
seen growing wild amid grassy ruin. The celebrated
frOntisplece of Vera Cruz Fort San Juan de UlOa Is
another yellow dilapldatl0n, though stlll strong
enough TO resist navy. and undoubtedly one Of the
| most formidable works in the New World. IL wonld
| cost million and half of dollars to put 1t In MI
| repair and this the Mexican Government is too poor
| TO paw let alone more urgent expenses for lmproN-
ing the harbor which, if harbor at all and son,e-
thing better than an open roadstead, Is about tho
worst in the world. 1t is circumyallated, as 10 were
with dangerous lines of shoals, through which II IS
| matter
! Cruz is supposed TO be the chief port OF Mexico.
| Without abreakwater commensurate to the present
dangers of anchorage in its waters Vera Cruz is not
! likely ever TO become port OF decided commercial
! consequences Apparently its makers have uBisted
! il in every way for business, for OK Mharlage ana
storage it knows little or nothing. 10 convey an
idea of the utter inharmony of this m0ldy seaport
with Yankee notions of trade and commerce ana
architecture would be scarcely possible 10 al iol-
egners it appears to be an unOeioVed cry. let ~
contains much Opulenee and elegance ana substantial
life indoors. Much of Its society Is excellent ana
established residents of Vera Cruz even regard 1t
| healthful. Its hospitals, tended by the sisters
of charity are among the best of the cOnnent-sur-
prisngly well-ventiated, clean, and roomy ana De
| side these institutions are brlet plaza whleh y
| pretty and fruit market, which Is picture Oh
| many cOlOrs and of motley character Inc drainage
of the city is quite uncovered and the stencil arising
| said TO come from the neghboring swamps during
the Summer months. In place where SO mueii n
eaten and drunk, yellow fever, thus generated, y
| ant TO find some victims. SO much Tor the worst
| aspect of Vera Cruz 1t is more pleasant To relate
that before leaving for Paso del Macho by rail It was
possible TO hear at the local t1eateI 1pais" eoii0
| oDera OF Zarsueid worthy OF New-lOrK'
| THE road 10 the PasO is unlntereStlng except 19r
its swamp flora strange in all respects TO Northern
eyes But the way thereirom IGads Inou luz orc
high range, rich vita some OF the Ieftiie county
which Mexico affords. The town OF COrdoVa not ia5
Oft is the center of large e0fiee, sugar-cahe, ad
banana cultivation. The coffee is its specially anu
by good judges is pronounced the OesO III Tue We.
Sugar-cane has here grown four inches ia u,nerel
| a fact for which there is abundant testimony nor
does il need the frequency of planting required IN
Louis ana So too with cereals and eyefy'9lng els;
owned Inv Escandon. and comprising about dozen
leagues of the best land in Mexico; The native
hands employed here, on the largest plantations are
said TO be the best that could be desired lhey are
cbean and frugal and do their set tasks faithfully
leading capitalist and planter of the place declares
| that IL railroad is undertaken between the lass
| and Cordova and thence TO Orzaba, the best Iaosr
in the world for the purpose can be found upon tre
line of the road. This would discredt the assevei
tion of that eminent Cordova exile, Mr. lshahi u.
Harris. that "the Mexicans the most worthless
population the face of the earth Inc se Iase "